Job Interview - Send follow up email?

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JHU ALmuni
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Job Interview - Send follow up email?

Post by JHU ALmuni »

I interviewed for a position I'm interested in, the interviews went well and I was able to answer all of the questions. It has been almost 10 business days since the interview date but I haven't heard anything from the firm. They didn't provide an exact date on when to expect to hear back and just said they need to interview another candidate. My questions:

1. Should I send a follow up email to reiterate my interest in the position and the firm or just continue to wait?

2. (If yes) should I email the hiring manager or the HR person who arranged the interviews?

A thank you email was sent to the hiring manager after I interviewed to thank him for his time and to show interest in the position.
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StevieG72
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Re: Job Interview - Send follow up email?

Post by StevieG72 »

In my opinion it can’t hurt to check back in with a follow up email.

It lets them know you are really interested in the job.

If they are considering you as a candidate the follow up email will be beneficial.

If you have been ruled out it may be mildly annoying, however no loss for you simce you have already been ruled out!

I always like to hear back from candidates that are being considered for a position.
Fools think their own way is right, but the wise listen to others.
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Shackleton
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Re: Job Interview - Send follow up email?

Post by Shackleton »

I concur with StevieG
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youngpleb
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Re: Job Interview - Send follow up email?

Post by youngpleb »

I've always followed up with a phone call, which feels more personal to me, if I was left wondering a few weeks after an interview. An email would do ok too. I prefer over the phone so they can hear my voice and intonation and can tell that I am indeed just curious and following up.
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quantAndHold
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Re: Job Interview - Send follow up email?

Post by quantAndHold »

As someone who worked in tech, and did a *lot* of hiring...

1. Yes, it can’t hurt. Nobody does it, so that will set you apart. It won’t help if you’re really right or wrong for the position, but it might help in deciding between multiple people who are a fit for the position.

2. Both.

If you follow up by phone, follow up with th the recruiter. That’s what they’re for. Don’t call the hiring manager on the phone unless they gave you a card and asked you to call them personally. Someone who took time for their job running a team to interview 10 people this week doesn’t want to field personal phone calls from all of them.
Nearly A Moose
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Re: Job Interview - Send follow up email?

Post by Nearly A Moose »

Shackleton wrote: Mon Apr 23, 2018 7:06 pm I concur with StevieG
Seconded
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HornedToad
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Re: Job Interview - Send follow up email?

Post by HornedToad »

quantAndHold wrote: Mon Apr 23, 2018 7:32 pm As someone who worked in tech, and did a *lot* of hiring...

1. Yes, it can’t hurt. Nobody does it, so that will set you apart. It won’t help if you’re really right or wrong for the position, but it might help in deciding between multiple people who are a fit for the position.

2. Both.

If you follow up by phone, follow up with the recruiter. That’s what they’re for. Don’t call the hiring manager on the phone unless they gave you a card and asked you to call them personally. Someone who took time for their job running a team to interview 10 people this week doesn’t want to field personal phone calls from all of them.
Agree with this especially.
runner3081
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Re: Job Interview - Send follow up email?

Post by runner3081 »

HornedToad wrote: Mon Apr 23, 2018 7:45 pm
quantAndHold wrote: Mon Apr 23, 2018 7:32 pm As someone who worked in tech, and did a *lot* of hiring...

1. Yes, it can’t hurt. Nobody does it, so that will set you apart. It won’t help if you’re really right or wrong for the position, but it might help in deciding between multiple people who are a fit for the position.

2. Both.

If you follow up by phone, follow up with the recruiter. That’s what they’re for. Don’t call the hiring manager on the phone unless they gave you a card and asked you to call them personally. Someone who took time for their job running a team to interview 10 people this week doesn’t want to field personal phone calls from all of them.
Agree with this especially.
Yes, exactly. Whenever emailing candidates, I remove the phone from my email signature.
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Helo80
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Re: Job Interview - Send follow up email?

Post by Helo80 »

I personally always followup with a thank you email or note.

The worst that happens is you don't get the job.
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Helo80
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Re: Job Interview - Send follow up email?

Post by Helo80 »

JHU ALmuni wrote: Mon Apr 23, 2018 6:49 pm 1. Should I send a follow up email to reiterate my interest in the position and the firm or just continue to wait?
Give it a week or two... but I would never do it in the same week unless you receive intelligence that they're making a decision quickly.
JHU ALmuni wrote: Mon Apr 23, 2018 6:49 pm 2. (If yes) should I email the hiring manager or the HR person who arranged the interviews?
Both mgr and HR.

When I got inside where I'm at now, I wrote a nice note to my HR contact's direct manager --- made my recruiter sound like an angel. So, guess who has somebody that will bend over backwards in HR for me now?
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Quickfoot
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Re: Job Interview - Send follow up email?

Post by Quickfoot »

Always send a follow up email thanking the person for their time and expressing interest in the position and offer to provide any additional information the hiring manager may need. If you did NOT know the answer to one of the interview questions it's also a good time to provide the answer, it shows you are proactive and went and found the answer to something you didn't know and that will make you stand out (doing this has got me hired).

After the initial follow-up you can follow up again by "checking" to see if there's any additional information you can provide to help them make a decision, you can also offer to come in and shadow an employee for an hour or two (many employers love this because it gets you real interaction with their team). If you shadow be prepared to sign an NDA (I make it clear in my offer that I'm completely willing to sign an NDA which makes them more open to shadowing).

I've interviewed hundreds of people and you'd be surprised how many people fail to follow up. I'd guess only about 50% of interviewees would send a thank you email and less a quarter of those followed up with a second email or call to see if the position had been filled. I can't recall anyone ever sending me an answer to a question they didn't know the answer to in the interview.
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whodidntante
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Re: Job Interview - Send follow up email?

Post by whodidntante »

I would send an e-mail to anyone I interviewed with who gave me their e-mail address.
06Dodgers
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Re: Job Interview - Send follow up email?

Post by 06Dodgers »

Not that it happens frequently, but I have seen candidates interviewed for positions that were not yet fully approved. An example would be to replace an employee that has announced their retirement or a position that was approved for the next fiscal year. Departments frequently get trigger happy and start way too early. One thing I would recommend for next time is to ask how this position came to be open. Depending on their response that could give you a good hint regarding timeline.

Can't hurt to follow up with recruiter. At my company they are VERY dialed in with the departments and are responsible for coordinating all the hiring activity. I second/third? the advice not to reach out to the hiring manager. They are generally not as well informed of what the hold-up is in terms of approvals or the like.
rg422
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Re: Job Interview - Send follow up email?

Post by rg422 »

I would definitely send an follow up email. This actually helped me land the position I currently have - I sent a follow up email to both interviewing directors. Following up lets them know that you are interested and may help you 'stand out' when there are multiple applicants.
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RickBoglehead
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Re: Job Interview - Send follow up email?

Post by RickBoglehead »

In the future, send a thank you email to EVERYONE that you met with. And quick, ideally the same day before they caucus about you.
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gunn_show
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Re: Job Interview - Send follow up email?

Post by gunn_show »

RickBoglehead wrote: Tue Apr 24, 2018 12:28 pm In the future, send a thank you email to EVERYONE that you met with. And quick, ideally the same day before they caucus about you.
This.

And then you reply to the first email directly to the hiring manager or recruiter as a 1-week courtesy follow up.
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soccerrules
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Re: Job Interview - Send follow up email?

Post by soccerrules »

JHU-
my thoughts (hiring manager for the last 20+ years in Sales)

my first reaction is you waited too long. A few days is appropriate, but 10 days is too long. What if the other candidate cancelled, no showed or bombed the interview.

I would also consider asking more probing questions DURING the interview (information is power)
1) Assuming I am a fit for the position, when would you anticipate me starting ? -or less pushy When do you hope to have this position filled ? (knowing when they are looking to start someone, will give you their sense of urgency or lack thereof)
2) What are the next steps ? and when should I expect to hear from you ?
3) Great that you are interviewing another candidate-- how do I stack up against the other candidate(s)?
4) Based on our meetings , is are there any reasons you would not consider me a strong candidate ?
5) Is there anything you have questions about my experience that I have not explained?

If you ask good questions about what type of candidate they are looking for and then match your skills/experience/characteristics to their responses you can then trial close the offer. "I believe based on the qualifications and the type of individual you are seeking for this position -- I am a perfect/solid match. I am very interested and I hope you feel the same way". What is the next step ?

Depending on what was communicated to you when you left the last interview-- follow-up is good. I would call and leave a professional voicemail (shows you are interested etc- and shows a level of professionalism over the phone). Also follow with an email after the VM, if you do not speak with the hiring manager/HR/Corporate recruiter. Allow for a few days to pass. If no response, do it again.

I would say most hiring managers are interested in motivated employees.

Best of luck.
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