1. What should be written in a follow up letter?
A follow up letter can be a typed business letter, a well-written email or even a hand written note. All three letters contain the same basic message.
A follow up letter is more than just a simple follow up letter. It is a carefully crafted letter that gives you the opportunity to restate your skills and qualifications, reinforce your credentials and re-affirm your interest in the job. It also sets you apart from your competition. Because most of the time, job seekers blow off this tiny, yet critical part of the interviewing process.
2. What kind of industries can follow up letters be sent to?
★ Account Executives
★ Accounting
★ Administrative/Clerical
★ Engineering
★ Executive Management
★ Finance
★ Government
★ Health Care
★ Human Resources
★ Information Technology
★ Management
★ Manufacturing
★ Pharmaceuticals
★ Sales
★ Teaching/Education
3. Should your words in the follow up letter be positive even if you are not interested in the job?
As a general rule, pursue the position even if you are not entirely sure you want it.
Example:
Remember, you are in the driver's seat, not the company. You can always turn down an offer. But if you do not get an offer, you do not have any options.
It is always wise to complete the interview process and learn all you can before making your decision.
4. List some effective follow up techniques?
Effective interview follow up techniques:
★Send a brief but well written interview follow up letter.
★Make sure your employment references, sometimes referred to as job references, will give you a good recommendation and talk positively about you. Do not assume this will happen automatically.
★Consider asking your former boss or other influential person to write for you a character reference letter. A well written character reference letter can make a difference in you getting a job interview or a job offer.
★Three strikes and you are out. Job seekers needlessly worry about how many times they should call the company if nothing is happening or no one is calling them back.
★Collecting your travel expenses. This technique tells you how to get reimbursed for travel expenses without losing your cool or rubbing someone the wrong way. It is amazing how many companies take their sweet time about reimbursing you for your travel expenses. This is definitely a buying signal, especially if they give you their cell phone number.
★In most cases, you should view this as an open invitation to call them. It may even be part of your interview evaluation.
★Promptly return calls, emails and requests for information. This interview follow up advice may seem unnecessary, but you would be surprised how many job seekers fall out of favor with hiring managers by not providing timely information (references, employment application) or simply taking too long to return a phone call.
5. Should you call the interviewer if you do not get any response of your follow up letter?
Yes. Mail your letter either the day of your interview or the day after, if you traveled to your interview. Seven days after you drop your letter in the mail, call the manager.
Try and picture what is going on at the other end of the process. It takes 3 days for your letter to arrive. Your interview follow up may sit in the manager's in-basket for 2-3 days before actually being read.
6. Tell me how many times should you follow up if no one is responding you?
If you have to keep chasing them, then the answer is no. It is important to close things off in your mind and move on. If you keep dwelling on it and mulling things over in your mind, you will just get frustrated and irritated. No sense in stewing over it any longer if the company is keeping you in the dark. In my experience, half the companies out there will give you timely feedback. The other half will either leave you hanging indefinitely or eventually get back to you whenever they get around to it.
7. Tell me is it good to leave a voice message if the interviewer does not pick up you call?
Absolutely. Let technology work for you. Your mission is to either keep the hiring process moving or close things off so you can get on with your life. A voice mail will accomplish this.
8. Tell me whom you will send a follow up letter to?
Everyone who interviewed you. Make sure you collect business cards from everyone during your interview. This way you know the correct spelling of their name and title.
9. Please tell me is there ever a time when interview follow up letter could be longer?
Yes, but this is a rare exception. Sometimes you are asked an unexpected difficult interview question. You do your best to answer it, but on the drive home you say to yourself, why did I say that? What was I thinking?
And then miraculously, you think of the perfect answer and proceed to pound your fists on the steering wheel.
10. What is the difference between follow up letters and follow up notes?
Not really. I have been using the word, note, because it implies short or brief. Basically a job interview follow up note is a short letter.
