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How to Follow Up During a Lengthy Interview Process

How to Follow Up During a Lengthy Interview Process

Many Americans are hard at work, trying to find a new job opportunity in today’s challenging labor market. Some job seekers have been out of work throughout the entirety of the pandemic. As a result, you may feel a little anxious if you haven’t heard back from your interviewers. And while you might feel awkward contacting the employer and asking for an update, it is perfectly acceptable to follow up afterward – you just have to do it the right way to ensure you don’t give off the wrong impression. Here is how to successfully follow up during a lengthy interview process.

Wait at least two weeks

If you have been unemployed for months, it can be hard to be patient and wait for feedback. Of course, you are probably excited about this opportunity and refreshing your inbox every five minutes for that much-anticipated email. However, before you even think about following up, you should wait at least two weeks. Give the company time to interview every applicant and review their application materials.

Employers’ hiring processes maybe even lengthier right now because of the virus. Companies must continually adjust to become compliant with social distancing and new safety guidelines, and thus, may need a little extra time to get organized. The worst thing you can do is be impatient and follow up too soon, which will undoubtfully put a bad taste in a hiring manager’s mouth.

Pro tip: if you asked about what the next steps are during your interview, you would have a better idea of when you can expect to hear back, and thus, when it’s appropriate to follow up.

Send a brief check-in email

After a sufficient amount of time has passed, and you still haven’t heard anything, it is appropriate to send a follow-up email. You want to keep your email short and sweet but gently nudge the hiring manager to provide some feedback or give you an update on the timeline of the next steps. Your goal is to briefly re-introduce yourself, remind them which job you are interviewing for, and ask if there is any additional information from you. Here is an example you can use for almost every job interview follow up.

Example follow-up email

Subject Line: Checking in RE: Technical Writer Position

Hi [Hiring Manager Name],

My name is Sophia Gardner, and I interviewed for the Technical Writer position on October 17th.

It was a pleasure to meet you and the rest of the team last month to discuss the position and learn more about [Company Name]. Please let me know if you need anything else from me to assist in the decision-making process. I look forward to your update.

Thank you,

Sophia Gardner

123-456-7890

sgardner@email.com

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This is an excellent way to follow up during a lengthy interview process. The hiring manager will know who you are right off the bat. The email is also short and is a friendly follow-up email to hopefully get some feedback or learn more about the timeline of the interviewing process. Patience is a virtue during any job search, but if you need to follow up, this template will help you get the answer you have been anxiously waiting to receive.

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