Interview like a Politician: Cement that Lasting Impression
Phewph. You did it. You’ve just walked out the door and are sitting in your car back in the parking lot doing a little happy dance to your favorite song.
You made an awesome impression. Totally crushed the interview, answered the tough questions, took your time, didn’t downplay your strengths and showed how you are the absolute best solution to the company’s problem. Well done. So what next? How do you cement that impression so that you’ll be top of mind to the hiring manager next week when they make their final decision. What if you’re first in a group of 25 interviews and only 8 make it to the next round? You don’t want to be forgotten and yet you don’t want to come across as annoying or desperate.
Here are a few simple post-interview steps you can follow to make sure you’re not forgotten and solidify your place at the top of the pack.
Within two hours after your initial interview, you want to send a short, simple and kind email to your interviewer. Don’t do it immediately from your car (that’s overeager) but give a decent window so that you could have enough time to get to a coffee shop and write it. Something like this would be perfect --
Subject: Thank you for your time today
Pat,
Thank you for your time today. I will think through some of the salient points we discussed and send you a more detailed follow up. Have a terrific rest of the week and weekend.
Best Regards,
Keril Sawyerr
After that, I take a moment to hand write a thank you note. Include a few specific points from your interview but mostly express your gratitude for taking the time to meet with you. A handwritten note will 100% separate you from everyone else. It’s much more meaningful and thoughtful than an email and shows your gratitude in a tangible way. I buy nice cards in packs of 6 so I always have one on hand and use a fancy fountain pen to complete the package.
I mail that card immediately, ideally the same day I interview. At the close of business (or first thing the next morning) I send an additional follow up email that looks something like this:
Subject: Handwritten Thank You Note
Pat,
Thank you again for your time and candid perspective during our meeting today; I really appreciated it. I am sending you a hand written note as a more personal way to say “Thank You.” Here is the USPS tracking number to make it easy to find: 9405803699300449154661. Have a great weekend.
Best Regards,
Keril Sawyerr
Once they’ve received my handwritten thank you note in the mail a few days later, I’m definitely in to the next round interview. Usually after I’ve been offered a second interview (for which I’ll repeat my preparation process ), I’ll send a third, more detailed email to follow up. This email is more than just a “Thank you for your time”. It is meant to show that I’m thinking critically about the issues we discuss in the interview room.
It might look something like this:
Good Evening Pat,
It was a pleasure speaking with you about the Midwest Select Account Manager position. As promised, I am following up with samples of some of the key points we touched upon during our conversation. We discussed prospecting, generating new business, keeping accurate information in Salesforce.com, and my cloud computing experience. Based on my experience, I am excited about the opportunity to make a significant impact in helping to grow this business; especially in the specific areas I mentioned above.
I have attached some documents from previous campaigns I have personally worked on. Please review them when you get a moment.
I’m very excited for the opportunity to become a contributing member of the team. I will give you a call after my interviews with Sam and Jamie on Wednesday.
Sincerely,
Keril Sawyerr
From this point forward, each interview process can be a bit different and it’s hard to apply too many hard and fast rules to post-interview etiquette. You may have six more rounds of interviews before anyone is hired and it could stretch into a couple of months. By then, you’ll have met with many members of the team and want to make sure that you continue to make a good impression both before and after each time you meet. Follow-up emails and kind gestures like thank you notes ensure that you’re not only remembered, but positively thought about throughout the whole process.
You DON’T want to go overboard, sending flowers or cookies or anything over the top. But in a sense, you and the company are going on a first few dates together, feeling each other out to see if you’re a good fit. Communication between ‘dates’ (aka interviews) is important and essential to getting the job.
I have full faith in your success and can’t wait to hear how your next interview goes. Comment below or send us a message.
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Phewph. You did it. You’ve just walked out the door and are sitting in your car back in the parking lot doing a little happy dance to your favorite song.