Job Interviews -- The Real Reasons Why You Need to Follow
Up
by Mary Brent
Effective follow-up after a job interview is often a key reason
why someone gets a job, even though there are other equally
qualified candidates. Many candidates treat follow up as an
optional add-on to their job search. Read on to see why that's
just not the case.
There are several reasons why you should follow up.
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Sometimes, out of sight is really out of
mind. Your phone call or letter can help the interviewer
remember you over other candidates.
We like to believe that hiring decisions are made logically
and not influenced by extraneous considerations like whether
you follow-up. In practice, that's rarely the case, as
most executives involved in recruitment will tell you.
Following up will ensure top-of-mind recall. That is sometime
enough to give you an edge over the competition.
Also consider that while getting a job may be a top priority
for you, hiring a new hand might be a very urgent need
for the employer. Even if it is a priority for the organization,
it might get lost in all the day-to-day fires the decision
maker has to deal with. A phone call from you might be
what it takes to give the decision higher priority. |
Apart from that, your phone
calls and letters are an opportunity to reaffirm your
strengths and even assuage some of the interviewer's concerns.
You are likely to be in a position to do this well, because
at the interview, you learnt something of what they're
looking for. You have the information to make your follow
up more effective.
Some employers want to see who follows. This is often
true of jobs in sales. If you don't follow-up, what does
it say of your aggression and persistence? Why should
they give you the job? |
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Finally, you get a much greater sense of control if you follow-up
rather than wait passively for a phone call. A feeling of control
is just what you need to help you deal with the stress of hunting
for a job. And this is true irrespective of whether you get
the job nor not.
Post-interview follow up is a great way to get better results
from your job search. Make sure that effective follow up is
part of your job hunt arsenal.
Mary Brent is an expert on job interviews and careers. Her
numerous articles offer valuable tips for interviews, ways
to write effective thank you notes and more.
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