It is good etiquette to send one thank-you to whoever you interviewed with one or two days after the interview and wait for them to respond with next steps. Keep in mind that you may not always receive a response.
Things You Should Never Do During and After a Job Interview
Interviewing can be an anxiety-inducing experience for job candidates. More often than not, this anxiety can cause prospects to make avoidable mistakes before, during and after interviews. Not that interviewers are perfect either – they can fall into common traps that lead to poor hiring decisions. Read on to best prepare yourself for the interview.
Before you show up to your interview, be ready to answer questions about your professional background, skills, and why you believe you are a good fit for both the position and the company. Make sure you know basic facts about the business, the scope of your potential role and – if possible – the person or people who will be interviewing you.
Pre-interview checklist
- Familiarize yourself with the company and role. Revealing your knowledge about the company will give a strong impression that you’ve taken the time to do your homework. Learning the ins and outs of the role you are looking to fill will also prepare you to answer questions.
- Bring your own questions. Enter the interview with questions about the company and the role you couldn’t answer in your research. Leave time for other questions that could emerge during the interview.
- Practice answering some basic interview questions. You don’t need to memorize a script, but admitting your weaknesses and strengths will help you answer these types of common questions clearly during the interview.
- Proofread and print your resume and cover letter. These documents will likely form the basis of your interview, so you should check that you remember everything in them. You should also print extra copies so you can give them to your interviewers in case they don’t get to print them beforehand.
- Plan your route. Showing up late to an interview can make a negative first impression, so you should plan your route ahead of time. Doing so can mean planning for traffic if you’re driving, or looking at transit schedules and assembling a route that lets you arrive early. If your initial interview is online, test the link, camera and audio on your device prior to the meeting.
- Choose your outfit and iron out the wrinkles. Even if you don’t need to dress formally for your interview, you should iron whatever clothes you’ll wear. Choosing clean, wrinkle-free items ahead of time can give others a good first impression of you.
Poor hygiene and personal appearance
It should go without saying that you should always have good hygiene in a professional environment. No employee wants to work near a smelly co-worker, and recruiters feel the same. According to a 2020 Recruiter Nation report, 46% of recruiters would disqualify a job candidate because of bad hygiene.
Make sure you are clean, polished-looking and dressed appropriately for the position you are applying for. If you are unsure, err on the side of professional over casual attire. [Related: The Future of Recruiting for Small Businesses]
Late arrival
This error can cost you the job, as 46% of the surveyed recruiters indicated they would remove a candidate from further consideration if they arrived late. To be safe, plan to arrive to your interview at least 10-15 minutes early. This gives you extra time to make sure you are in the right place or obtain a visitor pass. If you have a few minutes to wait, you can sit in the lobby and review your notes or do a final outfit check in the bathroom.
Key takeaway: Even if you’re used to people showing up slightly late to virtual meetings at your current job, lateness for an interview is especially rude – avoid it at all costs.
Rude attitude to the receptionist
Sample Follow-Up Emails After an Interview
First Follow-Up Email:
Hi ,
I hope all is well.
I’m following up to see if you have any status updates regarding the position that I interviewed for on .
I’m excited to hear about the next steps, and the role seems like a great fit for my background based on what I learned! Any updates you can share would be great.
Thanks so much,
Second Follow-Up Email After No Response:
Hi ,
I hadn’t heard a reply to my last email so I wanted to check back in to see how the interview process is moving on your end.
Are there any updates you can share regarding the position? I’m still interested in the opportunity, and I look forward to hearing from you when you have any news to share.
Thanks so much,
Interview Follow-Up Email Combined with a Thank-You Email:
Hi ,
Thanks so much for taking the time to meet with me on Thursday to discuss the position. I enjoyed our conversation and the information you shared about was interesting.
I’m following up to see if you have any updates regarding the position now.
I’m excited to hear about the next steps, and the role seems like a great fit for my background based on what I learned! Anything you can share would be great.
Thanks so much,
Hi ,
Thank you for taking the time to meet with me yesterday. I enjoyed our conversation about , and the position sounds like an exciting opportunity for me at this point in my career. I look forward to hearing any updates as they’re available, and don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns.
Best regards,
Interview follow-up email examples
1. Short interview thank you email example
Subject line: Thank you for your time
Dear Ms. Owekwe,
Thank you for taking the time to speak with me about the marketing coordinator role. It was great to meet with you and learn more about the position.
I’m very excited about the opportunity to join Horizon Marketing and am particularly interested in the details you shared about the upcoming launch of the brand campaign. I’m enthusiastic about the prospect of taking on some of the project management and bringing my experience in successfully coordinating cross-functional initiatives to the table.
After our conversation, I’m confident that my background in marketing and my interest in brand growth will enable me to fill the job requirements effectively and support the vision of Horizon. Please feel free to contact me if I can provide you with any further information or samples of my work. I look forward to hearing from you.
Thanks again,
Jerry Mendelson
555-555-5555
[email protected]
2. Long interview thank you email
In the long version, you have more opportunities to explain your skills in detail (although you’ll notice that this long version is still relatively short). This is appropriate after an in-person interview or other meaningful interactions during the hiring process.
Subject line: Thank you for your time
Dear Mr. Jefferson,
Thank you very much for your time yesterday—it was a pleasure speaking with you about the account executive role. From our conversation, it’s clear that ABC Inc. has the energetic and hardworking environment I’m seeking.
I especially enjoyed discussing your need for someone who can create value and insight during client conversations. It’s an interesting challenge, and I’ve continued reflecting on it since our meeting. Over the last few years, I’ve encountered many of the same roadblocks we discussed: tightening client budgets and lengthy decision-making processes. Prioritizing the quality of the conversation over simple information delivery has been one of my most successful tactics in overcoming those roadblocks and one reason I’ve routinely exceeded my quotas.
In my relationships with clients, I focus on building trust and boosting credibility, and I’m excited about the prospect of bringing that skill set to ABC Inc. If you need any further information, please feel free to contact me by email or phone.
Thanks again,
Jaime Peterson
555-555-5555
[email protected]
Keep in mind, particularly for the longer version, that you’ll want to spend time customizing the elements to your specific experience and the interview conversations. The more you customize these general examples, the more you’ll stand out as an applicant.
3. Checking-in email
If you haven’t heard back from a potential employer after your interview or after your post-interview follow-up, you can send a “checking in” email, ideally to the recruiter. You should send this email if you haven’t heard back after two weeks since your interview.
Subject line: Checking in RE: marketing coordinator role
Dear Yesenia,
I hope you’re well! I’m checking in on the marketing coordinator role. It was great to meet with the team earlier and I’m looking forward to your update. Please let me know if there’s anything else I can provide to assist in the decision-making process.
Thank you,
Rachel Cole
555-555-5555
[email protected]
You don’t need to worry that checking in makes you seem desperate or annoying. The truth is that these decisions take a different amount of time at each company. You’re simply giving them a gentle nudge for an update. And, if you really want the job, there’s no harm in reiterating that.
4. Staying-in-touch email
If you still haven’t heard back after checking in or you’ve learned that you didn’t get the job, you can still venture to stay in touch with the hiring manager. The goal of this follow-up email is to establish a professional relationship with a person who can help you grow.
Subject line: Staying in touch
Dear Robert,
Hope you’re well. I’m reaching out to say thank you again for your time and consideration. I sincerely enjoyed my conversations with you and others at ABC Inc. In particular, I found the details you shared of your own career path very inspirational. As someone who’s aspiring to build my career in manufacturing, I’d love to learn more about how you’ve developed and applied your skills.
I know you’re busy, but if you have 20 minutes to spare, it would be great to get on your calendar. Are you available for a phone or coffee chat sometime in the next few weeks?
Thanks again,
Henry Ramirez
555-555-5555
[email protected]References:
https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/8364-post-interview-mistakes.html
https://careersidekick.com/follow-up-after-interview-no-response/
https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/interviewing/follow-up-email-examples-after-interview
https://www.betterup.com/blog/how-to-follow-up-after-an-interview