Following up after applying for a job, and especially after an interview is crucial when you are trying to stand out from the pack and land the job. Something as simple as sending a personal thank-you note or a well written e-mail after your interview can seem like a trivial thing, but it will put you back into the employer's mind and it may well be the thing that will push you into the “must-hire” category.
That being said, there are many things you can do after the interview that will push you right into the “Don't-Hire” category as well. Even the best of interviews can be ruined by a poor follow-up. Job seekers who are desperate can sometimes cross the line from being “interested in following up” to “stalking you until you give me the job”. Listening to horror stories from both job seekers and recruiters, it seems like it is a good idea to take a look at the sort of things that can almost guarantee you won't get the job.
So, here are some of the ways NOT to follow-up after an interview:
- Long winded voice mails – If you decide to follow-up with a phone call, be prepared to leave a brief voice mail message. When you hear the beep, don't let yourself start rambling. The longer you talk, the more desperate and inappropriate you will seem. Employers want to hire people who can communicate effectively with their co-workers and clients, so if you aren't able to handle leaving a professional voice mail, you may be showing them that you aren't the person for the job. If leaving messages makes you nervous and you are afraid of blowing it, write out a script ahead of time so you can read it if your call is sent to voice mail. Your message should be brief, to the point and contain your name and contact information.
- Unprofessional email – When you send a follow-up email, just send it from a professional email account that you created for your job search. Believe it or not, some people are still sending email from their personal, non-professional addresses or from addresses associated with their side jobs. When the follow-up email ends with a signature advertising your availability as a magician for childrens' parties, it doesn't make you look like a “must-hire”.
- Being aggressive – Even if you are desperate for a little more face-time with the interviewer or really, really want the job, being aggressive with your follow-up will only serve to turn them off. Interviewers have reported candidates being sexually suggestive, calling multiple times each day (even after being told not to call anymore), being invited to sporting events and having been subjected to several emails a day from the same applicant. Being persistent is one thing, but when you cross the line to aggressive, employers wouldn't hire you even if you were one of their best qualified applicants.
- Being angry – If you aren't chosen for the job, or you haven't heard back from the employer in some time, this isn't a reason to send angry email or disparage the interviewer or the company. Not only will this NOT get you a job, it can get you black-listed with the company or recruitment agency.
- Overly casual, sloppy follow-ups – The traditional thank-you card with a well written note restating your qualifications and thanking the interviewer for their time is still the best bet. But, if you are opting to go that route, be sure that you proofread several times. If your thank-you note is sloppy, filled with spelling errors or just looks overly casual, the employer can only assume that you aren't familiar with proper, professional protocol. This sort of error can cost you the job.
Getting back in touch with an interviewer and thanking them for their time is one of the simplest things you can do during your job search, and it is the one that can pay the biggest dividends. No matter how desperate you are, remember that this is still a professional communication, and you are still being interviewed. So, show them why you are the best person for the job and demonstrate your understanding of what professional communications should look like.
By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran and a freelance writer for RetailGigs and Beyond. Along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel. You can read more of her blogs on Retailgigs blog.
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