Post-Interview Etiquette

May 14, 2005 9:57 AM

Is it a good idea to follow up on an interview to see if or when you'll be hired? If so, how soon after the interview?

I interviewed for a position as an electronics tech for a university. The interview didn't come until @6weeks after the application period was over. I interviewed for the position 1 1/2 weeks ago and haven't heard back yet. My friend also interviewed for the position and hasn't heard anything yet. They gave me no contact information to follow up, but since it's with a university it was easy to get contact information for one of the people in charge of the hiring process. Should I follow up or just wait it out and see what happens?

posted by drezdn to Work & Money (9 answers total)

You should certainly follow up--there's nothing rude about calling when you've been waiting for so long.

As a general rule, not hearing anything for so long afterwards is not a good sign--it usually means that the hiring manager doesn't want to face up to making a lot of uncomfortable "No thanks" calls afterwards. At a university, though, things may be a bit different. It wouldn't surprise me if they were just taking a long time to get things done.
posted by LairBob at 10:15 AM on May 14, 2005

I agree with LairBob above - nothing wrong with calling to follow up.

Also, for what it's worth, after an interview for a job that I am interested in, I generally send a brief email 1 or 2 days later thanking them and expressing how excited I would be for the opportunity to work there. Perhaps a tactic to use for your next interview, although I don't see anything wrong with doing it for this one even though a couple of days have passed already.
posted by jclovebrew at 10:29 AM on May 14, 2005

I've always followed up by e-mail or telephone every 1.5 to 2 weeks after applying for a job, after interview #1, etc. You can always use the pretext of giving them a new piece of information to justify getting in touch, if you feel it will be awkward otherwise (e.g., I just wanted let you know that I'm going to be out of town this Friday; or, It occurs to me that you might like to get in touch with some more references; etc.).

I wouldn't worry too much about 1.5 weeks. In my experience (which, admittedly, is not vast, and which has been in small, eccentric offices), I have always had to wait months between applying for a job, interview(s), and being hired. In several cases, it was clearly my badgering that got me the job in the end. Also, your persistence can help you get another job in the same office if you don't get job #1. That just happened to me.

(Jclovebrew's advice is also good, if moot. I try to write a very brief hand-written note to the person who interviewed me, and put it in the mail the next day.)
posted by armchairsocialist at 10:38 AM on May 14, 2005

In my opinion, a handwritten note is much more appropriate and effective than an email or call.
posted by ajr at 11:04 AM on May 14, 2005

Is it a good idea to follow up on an interview
Yes.

to see if or when you'll be hired?
No. You follow up to express that you're still very interested and can meet with them again if desired and you look forward to hearing from them. You *don't* call every week to ask if you'll get the job.

If so, how soon after the interview?
Keeping the above in mind, I think it's fine to start calling right away.
posted by scarabic at 11:33 AM on May 14, 2005

I think it can also be useful when following up, if you didn't get the job, to find out why you didn't get the job. Often it's just a fairly useless vague "The other guy was more what we were looking for", but anything that gives you a clue is potentially useful information.
posted by -harlequin- at 12:33 PM on May 14, 2005

Remember when George Costanza had a job interview that got interrupted, and he didn't know if he got hired, so he just started showing up and working? You might try that...
posted by raster at 1:33 PM on May 14, 2005

It never hurts to call and remind them that you're interested. In my experience it's also the only way you'll find out they decided not to hire you. They always promise to call and let you know, but if they're not hiring you, they never call. The thank-you note is also a good idea.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 6:26 PM on May 14, 2005

All this is good advice- a followup is good. But rather than phrasing it as "I still like you, do you like me?" try wording it as a thank you note, thanking the person with whom you interviewed for meeting with you. Try to point out a good quality you may have projected to jog the interviewer's memory, then end by saying you're looking forward to working for the college.

Look at what's going on in the interviewer's world, though: I know my wife graduated with her BA today, and I would guess most of the school was pretty busy getting ready for graduation. They have a definite schedule, and their most pressing priority probably has to do with graduation until that's over with. So I don't think 1 1/2 weeks is all that long.

My wife will be teaching high school or middle school in the fall and has been interviewing also. She's rather frustrated by how slow the process is going. I keep telling her that they are more worried about getting the kids through finals than hiring next year's teachers; your situation could very well be similar.

So, send a quick thank you note and sit tight. And good luck!
posted by Doohickie at 8:11 PM on May 14, 2005