After the Interview A Thank You Note Isnt Enough - Your Career Intel

After the Interview A Thank You notenzeichen Isnt Enough - Your Career IntelYou just had a great job interview. Youre convinced its the right job for you. Now what? There are different ways to follow up on a job interview. Much depends on who you talked to and the priorities of the hiring organization.At a minimum, you should send a thank you note to everyone you spoke with. Make sure you have the right titles and name spellings and send the notes within 48 hours of your interview. If your interview was on a Friday, follow up first thing Monday morning to stay top-of-mind.But if you truly want the job, you need to do mora.Assume that the employer is interviewing other candidates. To stand out from everyone else, you must continue to sell yourself and express your enthusiasm for the position.Ultimately, you want to convince the employer that youre the best person for the job, the solution to their problems, and that you will fit in very nicely with the company culture.For a moment, pu t yourself in the shoes of the employer.Lets say the leading candidate follows up with a polite, but generic, thank you note. The second-best candidate writes a much more thoughtful note that demonstrates close attention to what the interviewer said and provides ideas on how to tackle the biggest challenges associated with the position.In all likelihood, the number two candidate will jump to number one. Heres a game plan on how to win the post-interview follow-up.How to Follow Up After a Job Interview The First RoundWrite personalized notes Get the business card of everyone you spoke with individually and follow up with emails that reflect an important point from each conversation. Dont send the same note to everyone.Youll probably interview with the hiring manager and the hiring managers boss. In many cases, youll also interview with a HR person, colleagues who youll be working with closely, and perhaps a manager from another departement that will be impacted by your performance.Tr y to understand and address the concerns of each individual.For example, lets say youre interviewing for a product development position reporting into the director of new business. You spoke briefly with the director of marketing who talked about the importance of collaboration and trust between the two departments.Your follow up might say something like thisI appreciate the importance of soliciting input from marketing at every stage of product development, from the initial concept to the building of prototypes to the final design. By working together throughout the process, I know we can maximize our chances for building products that meet customer needs and that we can market successfully.Focus on the hiring manager In most situations, the hiring manager will be the person youll be reporting to and will have the biggest say in who gets hired. Provide that person with the most detailed and persuasive follow-up note.Again, avoid any language that sounds generic. You want to demonst rate that you listened very closely in the interview, you understand the hiring managers needs, and your qualifications and experiences are a perfect match for the position.Following Up Again The Second and Third RoundsIn the second round, it is a good idea to send a work product from a previous job that closely relates to the position youre seeking. For example, if the hiring manager said that part of the job will involve evaluating acquisition candidates and this is something you did at your previous job then send your best research reports to the hiring manager.If you dont have a relevant work product, you should create one to demonstrate that you have the job skills needed for the position. You can also present your thoughts on how you will proceed with a new initiative that will be an important part of the job. While you dont want to come off as presumptuous, you do want to give the hiring manager a tangible sense of how youll perform in the role.For C-Suite positions, Ive fo und that some candidates send an example 30/60/90-day plan in their first follow-up email. In my opinion, this is not a good idea as hiring managers may interpret this as over-stepping. Wait until youve completed the second or third rounds of interviews to demonstrate that you understand the growing pains of the company and show how you can problem-solve with your expertise.In either scenario, be mindful and respectful of not disclosing any trade secrets or confidential work product from a current employer. Redact names and hide proprietary information.Emphasize culture fit Through your research and interviews, youve probably gotten a good sense of the company culture. Is it entrepreneurial and collaborative with open work spaces and a loose hierarchy? Or, is it more traditional and bureaucratic? What are the qualities that are most valued in employees? What is the companys overarching mission?In your follow-up notes particularly to the hiring manager and the hiring managers boss express your understanding of the organizations values and mission and your conviction that youll thrive in their organizational culture.Waiting for the Decision The Final CountdownAfter youve sent all of the appropriate follow-up notes, give the organization time to make their decision. If they didnt give you a specific date for a decision, its fine to follow up a week later. If they did give you a specific date, follow up within 48 hours. You want to appear interested but avoid coming across as desperate.Sometimes things happen like hiring freezes or other events and the organization has to postpone the hiring decision. If they leise appear to be interested in you, stay in touch with the hiring manager by occasionally sending emails about industry events or topics of mutual interest.If you dont get the job, try not to be too disappointed. Even in todays tight labor market, theres multiple candidates for most positions.Send a polite note thanking everyone for their time and your a dmiration for the company. Ask them to keep you in mind for other positions in the future.Authored by Carolina King