Career Corner
After the Job Interview
These savvy follow-up tips will help to make you a stronger candidate
Landing an interview is a big step in securing your dream job, but the process doesn’t end there. What you do next makes a difference.
Prepare Ahead of Time
In addition to any other questions you’re planning to ask during the interview, be sure to do the following:
◗ Get the names and titles of each person in the interview. If it’s an in-person interview, you can ask for business cards. Even if some people don’t have cards, make sure you get the correct spelling of their names.
◗ Ask what the next steps will be and when you should expect to hear back. You can also ask what the timeframe is for filling the position. (I often laughed to myself when nurses asked me this, because my honest answer was usually “Yesterday!”)
◗ Clarify how they will contact you to follow up — e.g., by phone, by email, by text, or through the applicant tracking system.
◗ Note down the answers to avoid confusion later.
Thank-You Notes
Sending a thank-you note after the interview can really help you stand out as a candidate.
A quick thank-you email, sent shortly after the interview, is always appropriate. But, if you want to make a really good impression, follow that up with a handwritten note on personal stationary, sent by mail — yes, by “snail mail,” with a stamp.
An email is great, but in our era of electronic communications, a handwritten note sent through the mail really stands out and makes a wonderful impression. I have had hiring managers tell me that receiving a handwritten note from a candidate was the “make or break” point in deciding to extend an offer.
One manager had been leaning towards another candidate, but the thoughtful handwritten thank-you note meant so much that they asked me to hold off on making an offer to the other candidate.
Write your thank-you notes AFTER you leave the interview. (I have had candidates hand me thank-you notes right after an interview that had obviously been written ahead of time. These are meaningless.)
Try to mention something positive from the interview: for example, something funny or impressive that happened, or how comfortable the interviewer made you feel.
Honestly, I think I saved every handwritten thank-you I received from candidates. They meant so much. To this day, I will go back and read them whenever I’m cleaning out my files. It’s easy to delete an email, but it’s harder to throw away a handwritten note. It just has such an impact.
Panel Interviews
With online panel interviews, you might not be able to get everybody’s names. In that situation, send a thank-you note to the organizer and ask them to relay your appreciation to all the other participants.
If your interview was scheduled by an administrative assistant, send that person a thank-you note too. I had a director who decided to move forward with a candidate because they took the time to thank his assistant.
Other Dos and Don’ts
◗ Follow all instructions given to you — they are really part of the interview. Doing the opposite of what you were told is a surefire way to NOT get a job! For instance, I have told candidates that they would not hear back for at least a week, only to have them call me the next day for an update, which was an immediate red flag.
◗ If multiple rounds of interviews are requested, please accept the requests promptly and graciously. Being asked to return for multiple interviews is an indication that you are a top candidate. Also, later interviews are often opportunities to meet more of the people you will work closely with if you are hired. (I often found that the people I met during multiple interviews ended up being my closest friends after I was hired.)
◗ Do not “stalk” the recruiter or hiring manager. There have been times when I seriously considered getting a restraining order against a candidate who kept calling, coming to the office in person, and emailing every day. This is not the way to make a good impression.
◗ Don’t send social media invites before you are hired. Most recruiters say they do not accept LinkedIn requests from a candidate who is still moving through the application process. Personally, I would find receiving a LinkedIn invite or Facebook friend request from a candidate a little creepy.
◗ Be cautious about social media searches. Remember that many social networking platforms let people see who has viewed their profile. Different recruiters and managers have different attitudes about this. Some of my fellow recruiters feel that it’s fine for a candidate to search the LinkedIn profiles of the people who will be interviewing them. Others are not so comfortable with it.
◗ Don’t sound desperate, anxious, or obsessive, no matter how badly you want the job. Don’t beg or plead.
◗ Use the applicant tracking system to check the status of your application online. Also, check your spam folder to make sure you don’t miss notification emails.
◗ Don’t try to go over people’s heads if you are not selected. This is one of my greatest frustrations: After being notified that they were not selected, some candidates have gone all the way to the VP of HR, claiming that they never heard back. This did not help their chances of getting hired.
◗ Don’t burn your bridges. Remember, even if you are not selected for one specific position, you may still be in the running for others.
LEVELL ROMEYN has 28 years of experience as a nurse recruiter at various Southern California hospitals.
In this Article: Job Search Advice
