When Should I Follow Up After the Interview?

So, you just hung up the phone with the recruiter or human resources professional confirming your interview for the big position you’ve had your eye on for a while. It’s on your calendar, you have your favorite suit pressed and ready to wear for the big day, and you have done all of your research to prepare for the interview.

There is a lot of excitement that goes into the pre-interview process. It’s the time after the interview that is crucial. You know you want the job, but you don’t want to come off too desperate for the position. What’s the appropriate wait time between the interview and following-up? When should I call? Should I wait for them to call or just do it myself? How should I sound or what should the tone of my note or e-mail be to the recruiter? Today’s posting will give you pointers on how to handle this situation.

1. Ask for the business card after every interviewer you meet.

As a candidate at the end of interviews, you should always ask for the interviewer’s business card. I know it may sound like common sense, but in the excitement of the interview sometimes as candidates we forget this crucial step. Granted you may have the contact information of the hiring managers you’re meeting with, it’s always good business etiquette to ask for the card so that you will always have it.

2. The Five-Day Rule

Company employees who interview generally will not make a decision on hiring someone on the spot. The larger the company, the more complex the hiring process is in selecting talent. The interviewing team needs to get together with the recruiter to discuss all of the candidates they have met for the open role. While it is important to an organization to have the position filled, the company does not stop its entire operation to dedicate their resources for hiring, everyone on the team needs a few days to make sure the company is running smoothly before sitting down to discuss who is the best candidate for the role. Usually, this takes about three to five business days, so my advice would be to wait five business days before following up with the recruiter.

3. Be confident.

It is extremely important to maintain the same level of temperament and enthusiasm you exhibited on the interview when following up with the recruiter. This is the stage of this process that most candidates, at all levels, end up hurting their chances to secure the open position. Sometimes as candidates we can become frustrated that things may not go according to plan, and while we may feel that way, our emotions may get to the best of us. That is why it is important to stay even-keeled while reaffirming your interest in the position. It shows the hiring managers and the company that you are able to stay focused and positive through any situation.

Hopefully this will give you some guidance the next time you are debating on how to go about following up with a recruiter after an interview.