Take Your Follow Up to the Next Level

Put yourself in the shoes of the employer for just a minute. He or she is faced with one of three choices after interviewing you:

1. Hire you
2. Continue interviewing others, or
3. Reject you

Just for a minute let’s assume that you sent a well thought out thank you letter. Then discovered a couple of days later when you followed up by telephone that the employer is going to interview additional candidates before making a decision. What then? You gently probe to find out what the employer is looking for that you failed to deliver. Is it a lack of skill or motivation, or a concern about fit?

If you are truly interested in the position and convinced about it being a great fit, consider writing a “Keeping in Touch” letter. This is the time to offer new facts that reinforce your candidacy and demonstrate your enthusiasm and persistence.

The Keeping in Touch Letter
Dear Ms. Harris:
Thank you so much for meeting with me earlier this month to discuss the bookkeeping position at Simply Thai.  As I mentioned during the interview I have extensive experience using Quick Books Pro and Peachtree and have a good understanding of several other accounting software packages as well.

During our interview you mentioned needing to  transition to new accounting software. Since we met I’ve researched mid market accounting packages and have identified several that would be a good fit for Simply Thai. As you can tell I am very interested in this position and hope it is still open. I will call to follow up with you later this week.

Sincerely,
Marty Johnson

Now imagine that you were one of three top candidates for the job of your dreams; you’ve spent hours researching and preparing for several rounds of interviews. Today you received a letter stating that you were not selected. Other than being upset, angry, or even depressed about not getting the position, what can you do?

Keep the lines of communication open! Remember that as a finalist your qualifications as a candidate were carefully evaluated. In fact, the hiring manager and interview team may have really wanted to hire you but since they had only one position available, couldn’t. So take advantage of the fact that the interviewers know your credentials and worth. They may even feel a little guilty about not hiring you and so be prompted to help you by providing additional leads and suggestions, if you ask. Once you’ve gotten over the initial disappointment follow up with an “After the Rejection” letter like the one below.

The After the Rejection Letter
Dear Joe:
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to meet you and your team. The interview process was among the most professional and stimulating I’ve encountered in my career.  I am most impressed with your organization, its innovative products and attention to customer satisfaction.  I must admit that I am truly disappointed not to be stepping into the position of Operations Manager.

I welcome any future information about opportunities at Aviso, or other organizations where you think my skills can be of service.  I will follow up with you by telephone later this week.  Thank you again for making the interview process so enjoyable.

Sincerely,
Dana Adamson

Of course, the key to putting this all together is following up with the telephone call that demonstrates your enthusiasm, experience,  and positive persistence.  
 

Copyright Mary Jeanne Vincent. All rights reserved.