The Interview Went Great. Now What?

For many job seekers, the opportunity to participate in a job interview seems like the ultimate achievement. Unfortunately, the hiring process is far from over once you meet with a recruiter or department manager. You need to follow up after your job interview to see if there are any concerns about your candidacy you might be able to address. Make a good impression by following these tips when following up on a previous job interview.

After your job interview, take time to write a personal note to each person who participated in the process. If you participated in a panel interview with potential colleagues, customize each note by mentioning some of the projects you discussed during your interview. At the end of the note, provide a summary of why you are the best candidate for the job. You might not get a response to your note, but it will be easier for each interviewer to remember you if you provide details about your skills and work experience.

Before sending a note to the interviewer, see if there is anything you can add that will convince a hiring manager you are a good fit for the company. If you have excellent writing skills, write an article or blog post on a topic you discussed during the job interview; then provide a link to your post in your follow-up note. This is a good way to show hiring managers you are able to think critically and communicate effectively in writing. If you don't have time to write your own piece, include a link to a newspaper or magazine article addressing a topic you covered during your job interview.

Following up at the right time is especially important. At the end of your job interview, be sure to ask when the company plans to make a decision. If the interviewer tells you it will take two or three weeks, don't call to follow up on the interview a day or two later. Doing so can make you look pushy or overly aggressive, which is not how you want to portray yourself during the hiring process. You should also avoid calling recruiters or hiring managers on a Monday. If the interviewer promised to make a decision by Friday, wait until Tuesday to follow up.

If your interviewer seemed concerned about your ability to handle a particular task, providing examples of your work can make the decision to hire you easier. Once your job interview is over, send one or two samples of your work to the interviewer. Before sending any project samples, make sure you have the right to share them with other people. If you completed a project for a previous employer, you might be breaking the rules of confidentiality by showing it to your interviewer.

It's natural to be nervous when you are waiting to hear back from a hiring manager, but you shouldn't dwell on what you could have done better. Instead, be proactive about following up with the hiring manager after each job interview. Writing a personalized note and including samples of previous work can improve your chances of getting hired.

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