4 Non-Annoying Ways to Follow Up After an Interview

From Forbes.com

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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 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 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.