It can be extremely beneficial to follow up after a job interview, even if you think it went badly. Keeping in touch may well improve the interviewer’s overall perception of you and showing a little persistence can do your application no harm at all.
Lots of people tend to overlook the importance of following up after their interview, and with the amount of competition for each role it can give you an edge over some of the other candidates who fail to do so.
The follow-up note is an easy and polite gesture, yet very few candidates decide to write one. But what should you include and definitely avoid when following up on an interview?
Take advantage of your experience
A focused, personal approach that shows true interest is always going to come across better than something you send out to every employer after an interview. This is where you can start to think about your interview experience – perhaps you spoke about a certain area of the sector or a relevant news story was brought up.
Now you have something to base your follow-up around that makes it unique to your experience. What’s more, you are showing that you are still thinking about the interview and the job in general and that your interest did not wane as soon as you walked out of the door.
It may seem strange, but just like you do not want to be one of hundreds of candidates, the employer does not want to be one of many job possibilities; so the more unique and tailored you can make your email, the more genuine and interested you will seem.
Keep things simple
If your interview did not quite go as well as you would have hoped, it can be easy to see your follow-up as a way of making amends. This can mean you almost start putting together a whole new cover letter explaining why you are perfect for the position.
Whilst it may seem like a good idea, it really can come across as an act of desperation, which is not at all attractive to employers. Instead, you should keep things short and concise; touch on one point, interest or idea; and then thank them for their time.
If you’re a graduate looking to kick-start your career, have a chat with Discovery graduates and see how they can help get you started
