You know you're supposed to follow up after a job interview, but how exactly? Have we left the days of handwritten thank you notes, and if so, what has replaced them?
Here's a rundown on the best way to follow up after a face-to-face job interview.
For a phone screen, send a quick email message like this one:
Dear Pam,
Thanks for chatting with me on Monday about the Production Manager position at Angry Chocolates. It was terrific to meet you, and the position sounds very close to my background and interests. I'm looking forward to the next conversation. If you need any more information, please let me know. Have a terrific rest of the week.
Best,
John Cena
If you've had a face-to-face interview, you'll use a stepwise follow-up process.
1. The minute you get home, write down your notes and questions about the interview before you have a chance to forget them. Who were the interviewers? Write down each person's name or as much of their name as you can remember. (You can look them up on
2. Write down your own observations and questions, too. You're going to post-mortem the interview in a conversation with a friend you trust. Make sure you jot down anything you want to cover with your friend. When you're on a job search, it's easy to be dazzled by the positive attention you're getting and fall into the vortex. A smart and cynical friend will keep you grounded.
3. Get some blank notecards and write a handwritten note to each person you met on the interview. If you think a handwritten note is too formal and old-fashioned for today's job search world, all I can tell you is that we hear from hiring managers every day who tell us that a well-written and thoughtful thank-you note was the deciding factor between two capable candidates. You were well brought up, right? Do your parents proud and send off those thank-you notes.
In your handwritten thank-you note you'll find that there's not a lot of room to write, so keep it simple. Just make each interviewer's thank-you note slightly different from the others. Here's a sample to guide you:
Dear Pam,
Thanks for a lively conversation about Supply Chain mechanics and international trade laws last Thursday. I was happy to meet you, Steve and Vince. Looking forward to continuing the discussion and learning more about what's in the works at Angry Chocolates.
Enjoy your week,
John Cena
You've got to step through the interview with someone who knows you well and can call out anything strange or noteworthy that took place on interview day. You were most likely not in your calmest state that day -- interview jitters being what they are, and the pressure to perform being what it is -- so you need to tell the story to someone who can say "Wait a second, this Pam person said WHAT?"
You'll be amazed how your friend, simply by virtue of not being you, can call your attention to issues that deserve your attention. They could be odd or concerning things that happened at the interview. They could be red flags. They could simply be issues that warrant your further attention. Let's say, for instance, that your hiring manager Vince McMahon talked a lot about supplier quality issues he's having. You were focused on Vince's need to set up a supply chain to get raw materials to his chocolate plants in the Far East, but when you relate the interview story to your friend Randy, he hears something else in Vince's remarks.
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"You say that Vince talked a lot about quality?" Randy asks you. "Yes," you say. "He said that he'd like to have his new Production Manager dig into those issues."
"Is that a normal thing?" Randy asks. Randy owns an auto body shop. He doesn't come from the corporate world -- that's why he's such a good advisor.
"Why would he ask you about that? Who does that stuff normally?"
"The Purchasing guys do it," you say. "Now that you mention it, no one in the interview said squat about Purchasing, but we talked about the supply chain a ton and about the suppliers. They must be having problems with their Purchasing guy. This job is a Production Manager. Hmmmm."
"Okay, what's Production vs. Purchasing again?" asks Randy. "The Production people make the chocolate bars," you reply. "They supervise the production lines. The job I'm interviewing for is a Production Manager, but they talked a lot about supplier quality, so there must be some issues there. And they didn't mention Purchasing or their Purchasing chief once. I have a lot of Production experience, of course, but I have Purchasing experience too. I'm certified in Purchasing and Inventory Control. Come to think of it, they didn't have me meet anyone from Purchasing. Wonder if they're not happy with the person they've got.
"Maybe they want to have you take on both jobs eventually," adds Randy.
"That makes sense," you realize, thinking out loud. "Supplier quality is one of the biggest priorities for a Purchasing leader. That's a good topic for me to dig into, if they ask me back for a second interview. I'd love to take on both roles but I also don't want to step into a political minefield. If they want me to get involved in supplier quality problems, I'm happy to do it unless it's someone else's job and he or she doesn't want me to."
"True that," says Randy. "Don't let them make you step on some guy's toes."
You ponder Randy's words, and include a mention of what now seems to be the pivotal issue in your follow-up email message to Vince McMahon a few days later.
Dear Vince,
Thanks again for meeting with me to talk Supply Chain and Production last Thursday. I'm excited to talk again and dig into the supplier quality issues you mentioned. I'm curious to learn about what you've been experiencing and what you're looking to achieve in that arena. I've done a lot of Supplier Quality work in the past and am eager to brainstorm with you about how to get Angry's supply chain exactly where it needs to be to support your growth.
Enjoy your week,
John Cena
You're going to send a slightly different, customized follow-up email message to each person you met on your interview day. On your second interview, if there is one, you'll get into salary discussion, too, so that you don't waste your time on Angry Chocolates if they're not ready to pay what a person like you commands in the talent market.
What do you do after all the notes have been sent? Put Angry Chocolates out of your mind. Send off a few more Pain Letters and trust in yourself and the universe. If the match is meant to be it will happen, and if Angry is slow to get back to you, who knows? You may be off the market by then.
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