How to Improve Your Follow Up After Interview

Follow up after interview is crucial as they can give you peace of mind

The interview is one of the most agonizing parts of the job search for many life sciences professionals. Once you finish the interview, you may feel a sense of relief. It might seem like the hard part has been completed. Now, all that is left to do is wait for the employer’s response.

However, you may find yourself refreshing your email and anxiously checking your phone for some sort of response in the following weeks. This can be highly stressful and leave you wondering how you can check in with the hiring manager without seeming too eager. Choosing to follow up after interview can be essential to help you gain peace of mind and reinforce your interest in the open position.

Some people debate whether or not a candidate should follow up after the interview process has concluded. Many life sciences professionals forgo this step due to concern that it might make them seem too pushy to the company they would like to work for. In actuality, it can show you are truly serious, invested in the company and interested in the role, if done correctly. Here’s how to improve your follow up after an interview!

Ask About Next Steps

When concluding an interview, the recruiter or hiring manager will usually share the next part of the process with you. This may include waiting on a callback, receiving notification for a second interview, or even the process for checking references.

Sometimes, if the interviewer is in a rush, they may not provide this information without a reminder. Once you see the interview is wrapping up, take the initiative and ask what to expect for the rest of the interviewing process, when should you follow up after interview. This shows you are looking towards the future and presents you with a timeline for what to expect. If it slips your mind during the interview, reach out with a friendly phone call or email to ask for the information.

Send a Thank You Note or Email

While it may seem old-fashioned, a thank you note is generally appreciated by many interviewers and companies. After the interview, set aside time to write out a thoughtful, quick expression of gratitude to your interviewer. It’s critical that you do not make it generic since that shows a lack of thought. If your note is well composed, it shows appreciation and graciousness which companies value in their employees, reinforcing you as a quality choice. If a handwritten letter is not possible, a second choice would be a thank you email.

Here are some quick tips for writing a thank you note:

• Be brief but pleasant
• Show your enthusiasm for the role and company
• Thank them for their time
• Address your interviewer by name

Keep in Touch with Them

As time goes on, many professionals wonder if they should try to contact their interviewer again. After sending your thank you note, if time continues to pass, there is no harm in a follow up after interview and checking in with them to see where they are in their processes. It is recommended that you reach out about two days after the interview and then a week after that at the most. If you keep a conversational, polite tone, the best-case scenario will be the attainment of the role. On the other hand, if you do not receive the position, the conversational nature of your communication could help you expand your network through the interviewer.

While interviews can be one of the more stressful situations for a life sciences professional, the aftermath of waiting to know whether or not you have received the role is often more challenging to manage.

Knowing how to follow up after an interview and maintaining a relationship with your interviewer can help you stay top of mind during the interviewing process. It also shows you genuinely have an interest in the company. Be sure to ask both during and after the interview about the next steps. Send a thank-you note and keep in touch with your interviewer to stay up to date on the process. What special touch can you do to improve the process of your follow up after interview?

Porschia Parker-Griffin is a Certified Coach, Professional Resume Writer, and Founder of Fly High Coaching. (https://www.fly-highcoaching.com) She empowers ambitious professionals and motivated executives to add $10K on average to their salaries.