How to Write an Interview Follow-Up Email

The waiting game is perhaps the scariest part of any job application. It is the feeling when you know you aced that job interview with confidence only to see that the employer is taking weeks to get back to you.

Not only does it induce anxiety, but it imposes self-doubt—that maybe this job is not the right one for you? Or maybe you think you have the skills, but turns out you are a little under-qualified for them. But sometimes, you just want to get it over with and face the reality of it all.

Regardless of what you may think, employers have their own reasons why they are taking a little longer in giving you an update. With the number of applications they review, along with the demands of their own jobs, they can get pretty busy returning to you with a result.

Composing a gentle interview follow-up email might just be the way to go. Maybe they have forgotten or are entertaining someone else. But it is absolutely not a bad thing to send a follow-up message after a week or two. This just shows your interest in pursuing the job even if they are the ones no longer interested in you.

Generally, you should wait up to a couple of weeks after your first interview before writing a follow-up email. Here are some of the most professional ways to ask your employer about the status of your application—without scaring them off.

How to write an interview follow-up email

1. Express gratitude

After your first interview, do not forget to thank your employer for taking the time to reach out to you. Out of hundreds of applicants, you are one of the few they took into consideration—and that should already mean a lot.

With this, keep your message brief and conversational. And while they do know how much you are eager to hear back from them, do not try to sound needy or desperate. Instead, keep your tone polite and warm. This displays your level of professionalism regardless of the result of your application.

2. Reinstate your interest

Sometimes, writing an interview follow-up email just shows how much you are interested in landing the job. And if you are one of the many who want the same position, allow yourself to stand out without looking too weird. There are a few ways you can do this. You can acknowledge a part of the job description that you are excited about. You can also share a recent achievement that is relevant to the job.

Use this opportunity to tell information about yourself that you forgot to say during your interview. Make sure that it is something that would give you an increased chance of landing the job. Do not just share stories that will not add value.

3. Wait for the given timeframe

We know you have been waiting for your employer to deliver the good or bad news. But as with any job application, patience is the key. As mentioned, employers have a lot on their plate. So if they establish a given timeframe before getting back to them, it is best to follow that timeframe so it would not look like you are rushing them.

If you are asked to wait for a week or so for your result, then give yourself a day or two before checking in. But do not make it sound like they are responsible for returning back to you beyond that timeframe. This behaviour can scare off your employer easily. Avoid telling them something like, “You told me to get back to you after a week.” This may make you sound entitled instead of persistent.

4. Refrain, refrain, refrain

Nothing is more annoying than being bombarded by messages from the same person. This leaves nothing but a negative impression. Hence, use a two-week gap before writing another interview follow-up email.

Avoid sending your employer a message more than three times. Some employers would tell you if you made the cut, but most of them would just leave you hanging. If you still have not received a response after those attempts, then that should already be taken as a hint that they are already moving on from you—and you should too.

5. If they are no longer interested…

Thank them for their consideration. As heartbreaking as the experience is, do not close your doors on them just yet. Be open to another available position that best aligns with your skills and experience. With this, you may wait for another six months to re-apply to their company.

Some extra tips when doing a follow-up:

• A phone call is quicker and more personal than sending a thank you note through e-mail. But in doing this, make sure you are calling at the right hour. Do not ring when you know it’s lunch break!
• Do not call them multiple times. Once or twice is enough.
• Write down a list of points that you would like to state in your follow-up; but make them as brief as possible. Remember that employers do not have much time in their schedule.
• Do not hesitate to ask questions. This indicates your curiosity on the job.
• Use the 3-paragraph rule: a thank you note on the first paragraph, discuss your key strengths on the second, and last, other information you might have missed during the interview.

No matter what happens, do not let rejection demotivate you. Remember that everyone has their own set of abilities that employers would love to have. So do not be afraid to open yourself up to other opportunities.

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