We asked W. P. Carey Alumni: What tips would you share on following-up after an interview?
Here are 4 tips for following up they shared
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- Send a “Thank You” Email
- Write personalized Notes
- Follow Up In a Timely Manner
- Connect on LinkedIn
Send a “Thank You” Email
Something that worked well for me was sending a “Thank You” email as soon as I got home from my interviews. You may think this is basic knowledge, but you have no idea how few people actually send “Thank you” letters and/or emails. As a recruiter who helps with the interviewing process, I always appreciate “Thank You” emails and those are the people who stick in my mind. And the interviewer and hiring manager will remember and appreciate it as well.
Carlee Williamson, W. P. Carey BA Business (Human Resources, Minor in Theatre ‘21, Tech USA
Write Personalized Notes
Make yourself stand out by sending individual thank you notes to each of the people you interviewed with. Pick something you talked about/found out in the interview, whether personal or professional. ie: “Great to hear you went to ASU and it would be awesome to work with a fellow Sun Devil” or “thank you for talking about your management style in the interview; I feel it really fits with my personality and we would work well together.”
Thyra Gadek, W. P. Carey BS Finance & Accounting ‘94, Southwest Accounting Resources, Inc.
Follow Up In a Timely Manner
A great technique is to send a follow-up/Thank you note within 24 hours of your interview, assuming that you are very interested in the job. In your email, you want to thank the interviewers for their time and consideration and share that you enjoyed meeting and talking with them. You want to highlight/repeat your top 3 most relevant skills/experiences for that role to remind them of your strengths. Continue by ensuring you tell them you are interested and that you want the job. You can close the note/email by saying you are available for next steps and that you are available should they have any other questions.
Lucas Garby, W. P. Carey BS Business Management ‘09, Lafarge Canada Inc.
Connect on LinkedIn
After an interview, it is important to follow up in a timely fashion and with relevant content. A unique approach to an interview follow-up is to connect with the hiring manager on LinkedIn. Make sure your LinkedIn is updated with all the relevant information you discussed during the interview. Bonus points for having references from previous employers visible on your profile.
A LinkedIn connection will help differentiate you and may help keep you top-of-mind during the hiring process.
Kimberly Borges, W. P. Carey BS Business Administration ‘18, Realty Executives
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