Should I send a post-interview follow-up email?

The world of job interviews is hard and if you’re wondering about post-interview follow-up emails, keep on reading. The point of this email, according to some, is to boost your rating as a candidate. However, some fear it will be seen as desperate. Check out what we think about the whole thing!

Closing minutes of the interview

What to do once the interview comes to an end? Well, the interviewer will probably say something along the lines of “Thank you, we’ll be in touch!”? That’s usually when your gut feeling kicks in and you can kind of tell if the interview went well or not. This is the moment of truth. Their tone and their body language reveal a lot. This is kinda when you learn what kind of a post-interview follow-up email you should send.

The moment of truth

When we talk about post-interview follow-up emails, it’s a two-way street. For once, you will most definitely get an email from them. Their post-interview follow-up email will either be a “We’re happy to inform you” or a “We regret to inform you” email. The decision can be made a few hours following the interview or, sometimes, a few days later.

What do you then?

If it’s a positive email, people reply straight away and you get into a conversation about the next steps. Happy days!

But what if it’s a rejection? Usually, this is the moment when you lose interest in the company entirely; you ignore the email and shut off your computer. You simply do not want to hear it. Usually, people get on with their lives, trying never to think about it again.

Ah, yes…but what if there was a way to reverse the course of the events? What if there was something you could say or do to make them see you indeed are the perfect candidate? Could it be that a simple post-interview follow-up email might change their minds?

Not giving up – post-interview follow-up emailing

If you really think you did well, you should say so. You can thank them for their time and ask them why they are not moving forward with you. Share your enthusiasm for the role and the company once again. State it clearly in your post-interview follow up email. However, there are some rules in place!

Do not use online templates for “Thank you for your time” emails nor “Thank you anyway” emails – it has to come from you, straight from your heart.

If nothing else, ask what you can improve and what is it exactly they are looking for in a candidate. Use this opportunity for personal and professional growth.

No one can guarantee sending those emails after a rejection will change their minds, but it certainly can’t hurt! If nothing else, you will know that you have done everything you could. You fought hard for the role you want…and it costs you literally nothing. Since you already lost the position – what risk are you taking by sending a post-interview follow-up email?

You never know, it might just be the thing that gives the interviewer a nudge and turns the odds in your favor.

Back to job hunting

If they come back with a negative reply or if they don’t reply at all – don’t worry! There are other companies and other jobs available, and with our professional career services, you are bound to get ahead. You can also request a free CV review. We’ll take a look and advise what’s holding you back.

However, if you’d like to write your own CV, we’ve got just the thing for you: a step-by-step CV writing guide. Apply the principles outlined in this book and land more interviews. You can get it right here.