Tip No. 198
Q. How can I appropriately ask for the job I interviewed for, as a follow-up inquiry? I have not heard anything back from the hiring manager and/or the HR Director.
A. It is perfectly acceptable for you to let the hiring manager know that you want the job. You do not want to be "out of sight, out of mind". Keeping in touch in an appropriate manner is the best way to keep your name and skills in the forefront. Hiring managers will often interview several candidates. The longer the interview process, the more likely the memory of the earlier candidates might lessen with each subsequent interview the interviewer undertakes. It is important for you to develop a strategy in order to be remembered. The bottom-line is always to show how you are a problem-solver and can make the interviewer's life easier by what you bring to the table. • Assess your performance during the interview. That is the only way you can determine any negatives from your performance and correct them in your follow-up correspondence. • The next step is to write a follow-up letter/thank you note. In this note you would be wise to address significant issues/corporate needs you discovered in the interview, convey your excitement about the job, that you can do it and want the job and you can contribute to those first major projects the organization feels is important. This is accomplished by reiterating your skills and professional accomplishments. • Depending on the number of candidates, it is customary for an organization to take weeks or months before they make a decision. If, after 10 days of sending your follow-up letter and/or thank you note, you still have not heard any thing about the job, you should feel free to get in touch with the interviewer, preferably by telephone. Reiterate the points you made in your letter/thank you note, saying that you want the job or next interview and finish your statements with a question such as "...I feel confident about my ability to make a contribution to your department's efforts, and I really want the job. Could you tell me what I have to do to get it"? Another way of saying this is to ask how you stack up against the other candidates, you can also summarize what you see as the organizational needs and reiterate how you will solve those issues and ask the interviewer if he/she agrees such a person would be a strong candidate. You can ask the interviewer what are the qualifications they are looking for in a candidate and then address them one at a time with your skills, backed up by professional accomplishments. • If these strategies are too bold for you, you can express your continued interest in the job, briefly summarize their requirements and how your skills correspond to that, ask if a decision has been made and when the applicants will be notified of a decision or when you can follow-up, again. • Just an FYI - it is best not to call the hiring manager on a Monday morning or Friday afternoon, for obvious reasons. In addition, the few minutes before any hour can also be difficult as people are often preparing for meetings or appointments. If you are having trouble getting through to the hiring manager, it might be helpful to call before the administrative assistant arrives for the day and/or after the assistant leaves for the day. During those times, most executives answer their own phone. • In any contact with the hiring manager, you want to keep your skill set in the forefront in a way that will remind him or her that you are a natural fit for the job! • Keep in mind that now is not a time to put all your eggs in one basket. Continue to network and interview. Having a number of opportunities on the table will put you in a much better position to negotiate a better deal for yourself. Best wishes in your job search!
CMI Career Management International
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