Anna writes:
I just wanted to say a big thank you for creating such a brilliant website. I don’t know what I would do without it — it’s my source.
I’ve been sending out cover letters which (at the time) I thought were very good, but I then came across a job ad where they said they are expecting high volumes of responses. It was a job where I didn’t have the exact experience they required so I thought I would change tactics and try out your 2-column dynamic cover letter and see whether I would get offered an interview.
Well, I DID and as soon as I sat for the interview, the first thing he said was that he was very impressed by my cover letter and that all the information was in front of him easy to read.
Quick question for you. I just had the interview yesterday… how soon should I follow-up?
The Career Doctor responds:
Our mission in everything we do at Quintessential Careers — including this blog — is to empower job-seekers like you and help you succeed, and I am so happy that you were able to use the information on our site to help obtain the interview.
So many job-seekers seem to think that most of the work is done once they get the interview — and I guess I see the logic of that because so much focus is put on obtaining the interview — but really the interview is just an interim step because your goal should be the job offer.
Did you send a thank-you note? A short note thanking the interviewer and reminding him/her of your key selling point is your first line of follow-up, and should be completed as soon as possible after the interview.
Your next follow-up partly depends on the information you received at the interview. If the company is close to making a final decision, then I would follow-up sooner than later. Typically, job-seekers should follow-up once a week by politely contacting the hiring manager and expressing your continued interest in the position and the company.
