Interviewing Follow-through

Follow-through is important in everything that we do. Your ability to follow-through can help you obtain your 'dream job'.

Thank You Cards or Emails - Always send a hand-written thank-you card or an email to the interviewer to thank them for taking the time to meet with you. A hand-written thank-you card would indicate you are ‘old-school’ etiquette. Although email is becoming more acceptable in today’s high tech world. In your note or email you should also reinforce that you are the right candidate for the job and that you look forward to speaking with the person again.

Call to Follow-up - If you have not heard back from a recruiter or interviewer, it is ok to call them to follow-up. Following-up shows persistence and dedication. It also indicates how interested you are in the position. An unorganized or busy recruiter may have pushed your resume to the bottom of the pile or be waiting to hear back from the hiring manager. A follow-up phone call gives you the opportunity to have your resume pulled back out, reviewed again, and reconsidered! The recruiter may even contact the hiring manager on your behalf to see if they have made a decision on the position.

Decline Offer/Interview - If you accept another position or decide that the position you are being offered does not really fit with your goals, you should always have the courtesy to call the interviewer and recruiter back to let them know. You should do this in an honest, straight-forward, and apologetic way. This person has spent their time interviewing you, reviewing your resume, verifying your previous employment, and in many cases filling out paperwork to offer you a job. If something doesn’t work out with the position you accept, you may decide to apply again someday and it may be the same person interviewing you. This same recruiter or manager could end up working for another company you apply for in the future or for the one you’ve accepted a position at, especially in specialized fields or small industries. Never burn a bridge!