No Response After An Interview? Here’s How To Send A Follow Up Email
Author: Biron Clark
So, you finished your interview, went home excited to hear back, but now what? Maybe it’s been a few days (or more) and you haven’t heard anything.
I’m going to show you exactly how to send a follow up email after your interview if you’ve gotten no response, with examples and templates.
One WARNING first though: Don’t use these follow-up templates to email the company after one day! It takes time for the company to interview people and make decisions. If it’s one day after your interview, you should be sending a “thank you” email instead (I’ll cover that too).
How To Follow Up By Email After An Interview:
Step 1: The Follow-Up Email Subject Line
Follow up email subject lines are important. They decide whether your email gets opened, and how fast.
I’d recommend following up with whoever said they’d been in touch. Or follow up with whoever you’ve been talking to for scheduling, etc.
The best subject line, and the one that’s going to get opened faster than anything else, is to simply reply to the latest email between the two of you.
It’ll look something like this:
“Re: Interview on Thursday at 10 AM”
They’ll open it immediately because it’ll appear as part of the previous conversation. Much better than starting a whole new email for this.
Step 2: The Body Of Your Follow Up Email
I’d keep it simple and straight-forward. Don’t be shy or unclear. Tell them you’re excited to hear back and wanted to check if there’s an update or a decision yet.
Best follow-up email if you already sent a “Thank You” email:
“Hi <NAME>,
I wanted to follow up to see if there have been any updates regarding the <JOB TITLE> position that I had interviewed for on <DATE>. I’m still very interested based on what I heard in the interview and I’m excited to hear about next steps, so any information you can share on your end would be great. Thanks!”
Note: This template above is best if you’ve already sent a “Thank You” email a day after your interview. I’m going to give you one in this article coming up in a minute, so keep reading.
We can’t go back in time though. So if you didn’t send a “Thank You” email after your last interview and a few days have passed, here’s what to send… You just need a follow up email that also thanks them for interviewing you, since this is your first contact with them.
Best follow-up email if you DIDN’T already send a “Thank You” email:
“Hi <NAME>,
Thank you for taking the time to interview me on <DATE>, I enjoyed learning about the <JOB TITLE> position and wanted to follow up to see if any progress has been made in terms of a decision. The role sounds like a great opportunity based on what I’ve learned so far, and I’m looking forward to getting feedback when you have a chance. Thanks!”
For future use, here is a “Thank You” email template I recommend. Send it at lunchtime the day after your interview:
“Hi <NAME>,
I wanted to take a minute to thank you for your time yesterday. I enjoyed our conversation about <SPECIFIC TOPIC>, and the <JOB TITLE> position sounds like an exciting opportunity for me at this point in my career. I’m looking forward to hearing any updates you can share, and don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns.”
“These Emails Seem Too Simple. Should I Add More?”
No. Don’t complicate it. Be up-front and say what you actually want, which I assume is an update on the status.
This email is your best shot at getting that update without seeming pushy, anxious, insecure, desperate, or any of the things that’ll turn a company off.
In all likelihood, the person you emailed will get back to you and apologize and say they’re still working on a decision. Or there’s a chance they have news to share and will update you as soon as they get your email.
Either way, you reminded them you’re waiting for news and still interested, which is important if 4-5 days have passed because companies love to hire people that seem genuinely interested. If you want to know why, or what else a company looks for first, you should check out my complete list of job interview tips. It’ll help you understand the company’s mindset a lot better.
What If The Company Says They Don’t Have Any News Yet?
This is a pretty likely scenario, they respond to your email and say they’re still waiting for something to happen. Sometimes they’ll be specific on what that ‘something’ is but usually not. Either way I’d respond with something to keep the conversation alive and give yourself an opening to follow up again if needed.
Here’s an example of an email reply you could send them:
“Thanks for the update. Do you have a sense of what the timing will look like moving forward? Or when would be an appropriate time for me to check back in? I’m excited about the opportunity, but I know these things take time so I don’t want to follow up too often here.”
What If The Company Still Hasn’t Responded To Any Emails After The Interview?
If you sent your followup email after the interview and didn’t hear back, here’s what I’d do:
First, make sure you’ve waited a one or two days for a response (not counting weekends). Give them some time.
Then send a followup to the same person, replying to the same email you already sent and keeping the subject line.
Email Body:
“Hi <NAME>,
Just wanted to make sure you saw my last email and follow up again to see if you had any updates regarding the <JOB TITLE> position. Please let me know when you get a chance, thanks!”
Be Patient After This…
If you still haven’t heard back at that point, I’d be very patient. There’s a chance someone necessary for the decision is on vacation or the person you emailed is extremely busy. If you get nothing after 48 MORE hours, you can email somebody else in the company.
I might wait even longer though. Really, at this point, you’re not going to gain anything by sending more followups one day sooner. So if in doubt, just wait a bit. I might wait a full week at this point if it were my job search.
However, when you do feel it’s time to take things further and check back in, here’s what to do…
Pick the next logical person and send them an email. If you were emailing an HR person before, try the hiring manager or somebody in the department you interviewed in. Or the other way around – if you’ve been emailing with the hiring manager before the interview and they’ve gone silent, try checking in with HR.
Example Subject Line:
“Any interview updates? I emailed <CONTACT’S NAME> and didn’t hear back”
It’s a bit long, but it’s specific which means it’ll get opened and the person on the other end will know it’s not spam.
The contact’s name is who you’ve been emailing previously – the person who isn’t answering your emails.
The Email Body:
“Hi <NAME>,
I emailed <CONTACT’S NAME> last week and hadn’t heard back so I wanted to send you a brief note. Is there any feedback you can share about my interview or the status of the <JOB TITLE> position? I’m looking forward to hearing any new updates when your team has a chance, thanks!”
Final Tips For Following Up
Make sure to end each interview by asking when you can expect to hear back from them.
It’ll save you some stress and you’ll know whether it’s time to follow up or not. Sometimes it’s normal to wait 1-2 weeks for a response after your interview. Maybe you were the first person they spoke with and they have many interviews scheduled.
UPDATE:
If you have more interviews coming up and don’t want to leave anything to chance, I’ve created a new guide where you can copy my exact step-by-step method for getting job offers. You can get more details here.
To read the original article, click here.
Finally: 5 Email Templates That Make Following Up With Anyone Way Less Awkward
Author: Aja Frost
I think most of us would agree the initial part of networking—meeting people—isn’t the hardest part. (And if that sentence just floored you, check out this and this on making the process much easier.) However, maintaining those connections is much more difficult. After all, if you don’t have an immediate reason to stay in contact with a person—you just think he or she would be “good to keep in touch with,” it’s hard to justify sending an email.
Well, until now. After dealing with this issue one too many times, I created five check-in email templates —one for each type of connection. With these in your back pocket, you’ll have no trouble holding on to relationships that could one day prove very valuable.Read more
Pleasantly Persistent: 5 Rules for Effectively Following Up
Author: Elliott Bell
I had a conversation with a friend the other day about his job search that went something like this:
Friend: I wrote to him last week and still haven’t heard back. It’s so frustrating.
Me: Why not follow up and check in?
Friend: I don’t want to be annoying.
I understand the fear. No one wants to be annoying or bothersome to a professional contact, especially when you want a job, meeting, sales dollars, or something else very important from that person.
But here’s the rub. The average person can get a few hundred emails a day. That makes it pretty tough to respond to all of them, and things naturally fall to the bottom of the list. If you don’t get a response, it doesn’t mean that someone’s ignoring you—it just may mean that he or she is too busy.
So, to the question: Should you follow up? Absolutely. In fact, it’s your job. And how often should you do so? My philosophy is: As many times as it takes. The important thing is to do it the right way. Or, as I call it, to be “pleasantly persistent.”
Here are a few tips on how to (nicely) follow up with that hiring manager, sales lead, or VIP—and get the answer you’re looking for.
Rule 1: Be Overly Polite and Humble
That seems obvious enough, but a lot of people take it personally when they don’t hear back from someone right away. Resist the urge to get upset or mad, and never take your feelings out in an email, saying something like, “You haven’t responded yet,” or “You ignored my first email.” Just maintain an extremely polite tone throughout the entire email thread. Showing that you’re friendly and that you understand how busy your contact is is a good way to keep him or her interested (and not mad).
Rule 2: Persistent Doesn’t Mean Every Day
Sending a follow-up email every day doesn’t show you have gumption or passion, it shows you don’t respect a person’s time. The general rule of thumb is to give at least a week before following up. Any sooner, and it might come off as pushy; let too much time pass, and you risk the other person not having any clue who you are. I typically start off with an email every week, and then switch to every couple of weeks.
Rule 3: Directly Ask if You Should Stop Reaching Out
If you’ve followed up a few times and still haven’t heard back, it’s worth directly asking if you should stop following up. After all, you don’t want to waste your time, either. I’ll sometimes say, “I know how busy you are and completely understand if you just haven’t had the time to reach back out. But I don’t want to bombard you with emails if you’re not interested. Just let me know if you’d prefer I stop following up.” Most people respect honesty and don’t want to waste someone’s time, and they’ll at least let you know one way or another.
Rule 4: Stand Out in a Good Way
I once had someone trying to sell me something that I was remotely interested in but that was nowhere near the top of my priority list. Every week, he’d send me a new email quickly re-explaining what he sold—as well as a suggestion for good pizza to try around the city. Why? He had seen a blog post where I mentioned I’d eat pizza 24/7 if I could, and cleverly worked that into his follow-up. It made him stand out in a good way, and as a result, we eventually had a call .
The lesson: If done well, a little creativity in your follow up can go a long way. If you’re following up about a job, try Alexandra Franzen’s tips for giving the hiring manager something he or she can’t resist.
Rule 5: Change it Up
If you’re not connecting with someone, try changing it up. In other words, don’t send the exact same email at the same time of day on the same day of week. Getting people to respond can sometimes just come down to catching them at the right time. If you always follow up in the morning, maybe try later in the day a few times.
Remember: If someone does ask you to stop following up, stop following up. But until you hear that, it’s your responsibility to keep trying.
Photo of woman emailing courtesy of Shutterstock.
To read the original article, click here.
4 Non-Annoying Ways to Follow Up After an Interview
Author: Forbes Contributor
You landed the interview, and as far as you’re concerned? You nailed that sucker.
Or, you met with a recruiter who seemed super interested and incredibly connected with the exact kinds of companies for whom you want to work.
She said, “Keep in touch!”
Awesome. But a couple of weeks have gone by and nothing’s happened. So what do you do now? Can you follow up with her without reeking of desperation or looking like a pest?
This topic freaks a lot of job seekers out. Many people, even when they know they truly lit the interview on fire, would rather do absolutely nothing than risk looking stupid or making the wrong follow-up move.
But that’s what’s stupid. Because staying top of mind is incredibly important—and not just for the job at hand. Even if you’re not the right candidate for a particular position (or the position is filled before you can really show the company your amazingness), wowing the right decision maker—a recruiter, an HR person, or a hiring manager—can be incredibly valuable down the line.
With that in mind, here are a few ways you can ease the “staying in touch” part of the job search equation:
1. Ask About Next Steps (Before You Leave the Interview)
As a recruiter, it stuns me that so few people end the conversation with this interview question. But if you ask the interviewer what happens next, you know exactly when it’s acceptable to follow up. If the she says she’ll be contacting candidates within a week, and it’s day 9? It’s completely OK to touch base and remind her of the timetable she gave you. Don’t be pushy, but a quick note is perfect:
“Hi Sue—I hope you’re having a great week. You mentioned that your team would be finalizing a hiring decision on the Marketing Manager position this week. I’m eager to hear when you have an update. And certainly, if I may provide any additional information to support your decision-making process, please let me know!”
2. Get That Thank-You Note Out (With Lightning Speed)
Thank-you notes matter: They give you a terrific opportunity to follow up with the decision-maker right away. I encourage job seekers to get thank-you notes out (to each individual they’ve met in the interview process) immediately after the interview. Same day. From your laptop in the parking lot, if you really want to wow them.
Use this moment to affirm to the hiring manager that you’re on top of things and would bring a ton of value into the position for which you’re interviewing. Make it easy for them to decide on you.
3. Ask if You Can Connect via LinkedIn (Then Do)
Hey, this is a potential long-term professional relationship in the making. So it’s perfectly appropriate to connect on LinkedIn after the interview. That said—you don’t want to ambush anyone with your request, or leave the decision-maker wondering what your motives are (and please—no generic connection requests!). Instead, you should create a logical reason for connecting, then ask if she’s OK with it while you’re at the interview.
“You want to start dragon boat racing? I’d love to introduce you to my former colleague. He leads a dragon boat team right here in Portland.”
Or maybe, “I read a New York Times article about how Coca-Cola KO -0.94% is employing brand strategy in this same way. Did you see it? I’ll be happy to forward it to you.”
There’s your in. And once you’re in? You can build a long-term professional relationship with that person, whether you end up landing the job or not.
4. If Things Drag Out, Check in (Periodically)
This is the job search technique people tend to stink at the most—the periodic check-in. But it’s so important, and it should be used throughout your career to keep your network fresh and engaged.
Now, this is not about harassment: “Did I get the job?” “Do you have a job for me?” “Did you make a decision?” Not at all. It’s about offering something of value to your contact. And in doing so, you will also (by default) remind her that you’re still out there.
This could mean forwarding an article that you think she’ll find interesting, or congratulating her if you notice she’s been promoted or earned some sort of recognition. Maybe thanking her for a bit of advice that you employed. Keep it simple and brief, and don’t ask for anything back. If that person hears from you and has an update? She’ll absolutely be in touch. Try:
“Hi Sue, We spoke last month about the product manager position at XYZ Industries. In our conversation, you highlighted some emerging trends in food packaging. I noticed this attached article about the same topic and thought of you. No response necessary. I hope you find the information useful!”
Nothing elaborate, and once a month is probably about right if you don’t get much response. But you can be assured that Sue will remember you, and in a good way if you’re helpful and non-pesky in the follow-up.
The bottom line is: Stay top of mind. It's half the battle.
To read the original article, click here.
