Say Thanks!
Written by: Hannah Ferguson, Associate Pharmaceutical Recruiter
So you’ve just finished interviewing for a job and you are wondering what your next steps should be. Well, there are a few things you can do.
First, before you leave the interview, ask about next steps and when you should expect to hear back. That way, you have an idea of the timeline and expectations for their hiring process moving forward.
Second, and most importantly, send a thank you note within a day of the interview. It doesn’t need to be long or complicated, just something simple to remind the interviewer about your conversation. It shows that you are organized, enthusiastic, and appreciative of the opportunity and of his or her time.
The best tip I ever received about writing a thank you note, is to make it as specific as possible. The same generic note that can be sent to ten different people won’t go as far as a personalized thank you that shows you were actually invested in the conversation and remember who you were speaking with. Maybe reference a topic you discussed or something interesting you learned during your conversation – anything to make it personal to each interviewer. If you spoke with multiple people, you can either send a thank-you note to each one of them, or you can send the note to the hiring manager and mention your appreciation for each person’s time.
A thank you note is more than a simple “thanks”. It is an easy opportunity to reaffirm your interest and remind the interviewer of why you are a good fit for the position. It is also a second chance to highlight any skills, qualities, or information that you may have forgotten to address in the initial conversation.
Finally, if you are working with a recruiter who can give you insight or initial feedback, you can use this to address any concerns the hiring team my have. Recently, a client of ours expressed being unsure in a candidate’s specific technical skills. The candidate used the thank-you note to highlight examples of those skills, and she ended up being offered the job!
In the end, no matter how well or poorly the interview went, remember the importance of saying “thank you!”