Your Job Interview Isn't Over Until You've Followed Up

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Considering how much effort and stress goes into preparing for a job interview, it’s astounding how often job-seekers drop the ball on following up afterward. If you want to give yourself the best opportunity to land the gig, you need to keep the line of communication open with your interviewers while also displaying traits of assertiveness and professional courtesy. Liz Ryan, in an article for Forbes cheekily filled with WWE references, offers a basic strategy for making the most of your post-interview experience.

What’s the Big Idea?

Ryan’s post-interview strategy is tripartite:

Jot down copious notes when you get home. Include the names of the interviewers, specific topics discussed, and various questions or concerns that got brought up

Send a quick handwritten thank you note. Ryan offers a sample in her post and dismisses the opinion that handwritten notes are a thing of the past. She says they get results.

Confide in a friend using your earlier jotted notes. Make sure this friend is trustworthy enough to bluntly analyze the interview. Use what you’ve learned in this conversation to send an additional follow-up e-mail after a couple days.

Overall, Ryan encourages a sensible, well-mannered approach to following up. You’ll be able to maintain your position in the interviewer’s mind’s eye while also conveying that you are capable of taking initiative and displaying good taste. Just know that even though you’ve shaken hands and left the room, the interview doesn’t end until you’ve got (or not got) the job.

Keep reading at Forbes

Photo credit: racorn / Shutterstock

The most counterintuitive, surprising, and impactful new stories delivered to your inbox every Thursday.