How many days after an interview should I follow up on the status of the interview?

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biboy2012

What is the recommended number of days to call back and follow up with the employer on the status of the interview? Make a phone call after two days? or three days? or five days? Do you think it shows my interest for the job and may increase my chances of success?

Thanks in advance!
 
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Wes Bucey

Prophet of Profit
Re: How many days after an interview should I follow up on the status of the intervie

What is the recommended number of days to call back and follow up with the employer on the status of the interview? Make a phone call after two days? or three days? or five days? Do you think it shows my interest for the job and may increase my chances of success?

Thanks in advance!
Of course, you realize now this is a question you should have settled before leaving the interview.

Typically, candidates are advised to include the following before leaving an interview
  1. get a real feel for whether the employer is still interested
  2. express with conviction whether the candidate is still interested
  3. ask for a time table for each of the following

  • the employer to fill the position
  • the employer to determine if candidate is still in the running
  • a contact person to follow up
Candidates should send (same day or following day) an email thanking the interviewer and reinforcing candidate's interest in the position, asking again for affirmation and timetable of decision(s)

So, if you haven't sent such an email yet, do it now!

If you haven't heard anything after one week past the interview (if you haven't done ANY of the above), call the interviewer, apologize for the delay in followup and start from #1 above.

Same thing goes if you haven't heard anything one week past any of the timetables you receive. Most folks feel one week is not "harassing" compared to shorter times, whereas longer delays convey a sense of disinterest on the part of the candidate.

I usually advise an attempt to establish voice contact versus strictly email, since it is psychologically harder to blow off a candidate over the phone than by email.

When making phone contact, always ask up front "do you have time to talk? if not now, when would be a good time?" Don't waste a phone call without getting some sense the deal is still "live." If the contact won't give a window of time, the candidate has some rethinking to do to assess whether he understood the positive signals from the interview correctly or whether the contact is actually "in the loop" to be able to provide the answers.

:topic:
there is a chance some interviewers may simply be professional interviewers and not have access to the decisions by the actual decision maker. It's something candidates should try to determine during the interview. It's one of the reasons to confirm the correct followup contact.
 

insect warfare

QA=Question Authority
Trusted Information Resource
Re: How many days after an interview should I follow up on the status of the intervie

In most cases, I would like to think that if you prepared everything else sufficiently (resume, cover letter, thank-you letter), then the employer would call you (not the other way around) as the ball would be in their court. I've not had great particular success in calling employers to bug them about a potential opening, as I think they perceive the action as being desperate and over-eager.

But, if I had to, I would send a follow-up letter within a day or two of the interview, just to show appreciation and interest in the job. This would also give me a chance to mention something that maybe I forgot to say during the interview.

Brian :(
 

somashekar

Leader
Admin
Re: How many days after an interview should I follow up on the status of the intervie

What is the recommended number of days to call back and follow up with the employer on the status of the interview? Make a phone call after two days? or three days? or five days? Do you think it shows my interest for the job and may increase my chances of success?

Thanks in advance!
After the interview, it is the call of the organization. If you do not get a call from them within reasonable time, like a few days to weeks., it is to understand and not waste calls on them.
 

Wes Bucey

Prophet of Profit
Re: How many days after an interview should I follow up on the status of the intervie

After the interview, it is the call of the organization. If you do not get a call from them within reasonable time, like a few days to weeks., it is to understand and not waste calls on them.
I think that may be a cultural thing, not valid in many American and European companies.
 

somashekar

Leader
Admin
Re: How many days after an interview should I follow up on the status of the intervie

I think that may be a cultural thing, not valid in many American and European companies.
I am not so sure, but what I am sure is that neither me nor the OP are from USA or Europe ... :)
 

Jim Wynne

Leader
Admin
Re: How many days after an interview should I follow up on the status of the intervie

Of course, you realize now this is a question you should have settled before leaving the interview.



Typically, candidates are advised to include the following before leaving an interview
  1. get a real feel for whether the employer is still interested
  2. express with conviction whether the candidate is still interested
  3. ask for a time table for each of the following
  • the employer to fill the position
  • the employer to determine if candidate is still in the running
  • a contact person to follow up

Asking for contact information is generally not a good idea, because it affords the opportunity for the interviewer to ask the candidate not to call. In fact, unsolicited phone calls are usually not a good idea because one has to consider that many people might have been interviewed and many people might be making phone calls, and the calls become a real PITA after a while. Also, an interviewer is highly unlikely to tell a candidate if she's been eliminated at the time of the interview, so there isn' much point in asking that question either. It is a good idea to ask how soon the position is expected to be filled.

Candidates should send (same day or following day) an email thanking the interviewer and reinforcing candidate's interest in the position, asking again for affirmation and timetable of decision(s)


So, if you haven't sent such an email yet, do it now!
An email followup is fine, but an actual postal letter has a tendency to create a more positive impression in many cases, in part because it's so rare. People who do hiring get lots of email, and it's easy for one to get lost in the shuffle. People don't get a lot of snail-mail these days though, so a letter tends to stand out more.

If you haven't heard anything after one week past the interview (if you haven't done ANY of the above), call the interviewer, apologize for the delay in followup and start from #1 above


Same thing goes if you haven't heard anything one week past any of the timetables you receive. Most folks feel one week is not "harassing" compared to shorter times, whereas longer delays convey a sense of disinterest on the part of the candidate.

I usually advise an attempt to establish voice contact versus strictly email, since it is psychologically harder to blow off a candidate over the phone than by email. <snip>
Again, I don't think it's a good idea to call unless a call has been solicited. It's very easy to put off a phone call. "Sorry, we haven't made a decision yet, but we'll let you know when we do." Again, a response like this--which is what's likely to happen, is tantamount to saying "Don't call us, we'll call you," which is exactly what you don't want to force someone into saying.


:topic:
there is a chance some interviewers may simply be professional interviewers and not have access to the decisions by the actual decision maker. It's something candidates should try to determine during the interview. It's one of the reasons to confirm the correct followup contact.
Whether or not the interviewer is also the decision maker is nearly always self-evident. The followup should always be with the interviewer, regardless of whether or not he's the decision maker. If screening is being done, it's being done for a reason, and circumventing it is probably not a good idea.
 

sagai

Quite Involved in Discussions
Re: How many days after an interview should I follow up on the status of the intervie

I do not really see a point to call the company.
Cheers
 
K

kgott

Re: How many days after an interview should I follow up on the status of the intervie

What is the recommended number of days to call back and follow up with the employer on the status of the interview? Make a phone call after two days? or three days? or five days? Do you think it shows my interest for the job and may increase my chances of success?

Thanks in advance!

I tend to ask "what is your time frame for making a decision on this?"

If I dont hear from them, well, thats my answer. I dont know how things work anywhere else but here if they want you they will call you to arrange a medical etc.
 
S

ssz102

Re: How many days after an interview should I follow up on the status of the intervie

i think five days after interview is the best way to ask the situation
 
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