A follow-up letter gives you one more opportunity to remind the company of your qualifications.
It’s been a week since your interview, and you haven’t heard from the company. You sent your thank-you notes right away.
It’s time to write your follow-up letter. If you know when the company was winding up the interviews, give them a week beyond that date to get in touch. If you haven’t heard from them, send it.
Don’t think that it will increase your chances of hearing back from the company in anything like a timely fashion. They will get back to you when they get back to everyone else. Unfortunately, that’s just how it’s done now.
The only spark of light in this scenario is that recruiters are beginning to understand the value of communicating with candidates. A recent study from LinkedIn titled “The Ultimate List of Hiring Statistics for Hiring Managers, HR Professionals and Recruiters” found:
- 89% of talent says being contacted by their recruiter can make them accept a job offer faster.
- 94% says being contacted by their prospective manager can make them accept a job offer faster.
- Talent is 4x more likely to consider your company for a future opportunity when you offer them constructive feedback.
- 94% of talent wants to receive interview feedback, but only 41% have received interview feedback before.
You’re not writing a follow-up note to speed the process or make them respond. You’re taking one more opportunity to bring your resume to the top of the pile and to remind them of your inexhaustible energy, winning personality, and stellar qualifications. That’s not going to annoy them. Repeated phone calls asking if they’ve made a decision will.
Here’s an outline of what you need to write:
- Find the name of the highest ranking person involved in your interview, the decision maker.
- Personalize the note with this hiring authority’s name.
- Say thank you for the interview.
- Mention that you are still interested in the position.
- Briefly list how your qualifications match their major two or three needs.
- Add any information that may have been missed in the interview.
- Repeat your thanks and your contact information.
- Proofread it. Have someone else proofread it if you’re not good at that sort of thing.
- Send.
Both email and snail mail work for this type of communication. Once you have emailed or mailed your follow-up letter, figure the ball is in their court. Any more contacts from you smack of impatience and desperation. Let go of the outcome and move on to the next item on your job search list.
If you have trouble writing your job search letters, contact me right away for some assistance. I know what to say and how to say it.
Related
- Job Search Letters: Write a cover letter that grabs attention
- Job Search Letters: Send an inquiry letter to open a door
- Job Search Letters: Stand out by sending a post-interview thank-you note
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