The Art Of Writing The Perfect Follow Up Email

After the job interview, what do you do next? Instead of just sitting back and anxiously waiting, why not be more proactive?

Now that you’ve written the cover letter, tweaked your resume, applied for the job, and completed the interview, it’s time for the easy, yet super important, part of the job search – the follow up. It’s one of the most overlooked parts of the job search.

There are no excuses for not sending a follow up email or letter. Follow up emails show that you are eager, thoughtful, polite, persistent, and professional. Usually you will never get a response to a follow up email, but it’s the thought that counts.

How To Write Thank You Notes

Recruiters will see your email and read it. It will help them to remember you and shows that you care about the job. Follow up emails certainly play a major role in helping to get you hired.

Here are a few tips to help you write your next follow up email:

• Keep it short and sweet.
• Email every interviewer that you had contact with. The way you will be hired will depend on the type of job interview you had.
• Personalize the email. Add in facts, quotes, etc to make it relevant.
• Remind the interviewer why you will be an asset to the company.
• Always be positive.
• Note any observations or concerns.
• Ask any additional questions that come to mind since the interview.
• Clarify anything that was unclear in the interview.
• Don’t over do it. Keep the number of follow up emails to a courteous minimum. If you fill the interviewer’s inbox, you’ve crossed the line from keen candidate to annoying, crazy applicant.
• Write your first follow up email with 48 hours of the interview.
• Always use the interviewer’s name. Get their business card to ensure you spell it correctly.

Here’s a brief example of a follow up email:

Dear INTERVIEWER’S NAME,

Thank you for taking the time to interview me for the cool job with your cool company. I’m excited about the potential of working at your cool company as a ___________. Your comments about __________ have made me even more eager to join the team. I researched what we spoke about and was amazed about the potential in this niche. Now I know that my _______ skills will be of value to this cool company.

Do you have a timeframe for when you will make a final hiring decision? Please let me know if you need anything else from me.

I look forward to hearing back from you soon.  Thank you again for your consideration for the position. Have a fantastic day!

Best,
YOUR NAME

As you can see, the follow up email example is short and sweet. It uses the interviewer’s name, thanks them, relays pertinent information from the interview, asks a question, and establishes that the writer is keen to be hired. This simple letter (with the correct info filled into the blanks) can be the difference between getting hired or not getting hired.

If you’re keen to learn more about follow up emails, visit HubSpot where you can find tips and tricks to write even better follow up emails. They also have a  variety of different follow up email templates to help you craft the perfect note.

Writing follow up emails isn’t the hardest part of the job search, but it is a necessary part of it. Always write a follow up. It will help you find a job.