Three days after your interview, you were still feeling hopeful – a little impatient, but definitely optimistic. A week has passed, and there’s been no word after your interview, so now you’re really starting to panic. You thought the interview went so well! Are they interviewing a candidate more qualified than you? What are you going to do?
Simple: Take the initiative.
You spent time and energy preparing for the interview–picking out an outfit, practicing your responses, researching the company, mapping out the office location beforehand, getting there 30 minutes early and spending more time writing a thank you note than you ever have in your life. That’s why following up isn’t aggressive or pushy–given the effort you put into applying and preparing, you absolutely deserve an answer. That way, you can determine what your next steps will be.
Your follow-up email should be thoughtful and should always reiterate two things: 1. that you appreciated the time your interviewer took to consider you as a candidate and 2. your interest in the position. You should also make sure that the tone of your email is polite and avoids any accusatory language like, “I haven’t heard back from you.” Instead, your email should be written similar to the example below.
Subject Line: “Interview Follow Up” or “Checking In.”
Email Text: Hi [Interviewer’s Name],
Thank you again for meeting with me last week! Speaking with you about the responsibilities of the role and the company’s culture confirmed what a great fit this position would be for me.
I’m following up about the status of my application. If there’s any more information that you need from me in order to make your decision, please don’t hesitate to ask.
Looking forward to hearing from you!
While following up doesn’t guarantee a response (the worst, we know), taking this kind of initiative is great practice for becoming more proactive in your professional life – and it will hopefully ease your mind as you wait to hear back from your interviewer!
