First of all, why wouldn’t you follow up after an interview? Is it because you don’t really care to work for the company? Is it because you don’t want to come across as pushy? Or, is it because you are scared? Whatever your reason, push it aside and follow up! Following up shows initiative, responsibility, and enthusiasm, and these are traits that employers are seeking in ideal candidates. Otherwise, if you don’t follow up then you look uninterested, lackadaisical, unmotivated, passive, and meek. That’s not how you want to be perceived, so ensure you follow up. Now, let’s talk about how to follow up.

At the end of the interview, ask the employer when s/he expects to have a decision made. This timeframe will provide you with needed information to determine whether or not you even have time for a follow up. If the employer plans to make a rapid decision, you’ll be able to send a thank-you card or email, but a follow up may seem out of place. By the way, we will be talking about thank-you cards next, so stay tuned! If the employer has more interviews to conduct and will make a decision in a couple of weeks, then you know you have some time. Thus, after a week take initiative and give the employer a quick call to ask where s/he is at in making a hiring decision and if you may answer any questions at this point. Additionally, if you realized any shortcomings during the interview, you may want to address them during your follow up phone call and express how you plan to work on them. This may help the employer see that despite your shortcomings, you are interested in continuous self-improvement. If an employer has staff members who continuously work on self-improvement, this will in turn help propel the company forward and lead to better staff morale.