How to do the "HOW" in Follow-Up: PART 1

Wow, what amazing response I received on the "When to Follow Up" article! There was quite a conversation over on LinkedIn as well. Thanks each and every one of you - I love getting feedback!

So now the big question that came up in conversations on LinkedIn was "Okay, but HOW do I follow up?" (Especially, "HOW do I follow up without feeling like a stalker?)

That's a fair question, right? No one wants to feel desperate or overbearing . . . or even worse, be perceived as desperate or overbearing.

To deal with this question, I've broken this article into two parts. So, let's get started.

Here are a couple of simple rules.

First, you need to set a framework of when is permissible to follow-up with the decision makers or HR manager. Get an idea from those with the power what their personal time frame is. Perhaps you'll hear - "We'll be making calls this afternoon and would want you to be able to start on Friday" or perhaps "We're just looking at this point and if we find Mr./Mrs. Right, we'll open a position for them." Often, it's somewhere in between.

As a side note, I suggest you ask this question from more than one person! If you are in an interview situation where you are interviewing with multiple individuals on the same day, the answer to this question can give you some hints of who's in the know, and who might be your best ally when it comes to follow-up power. More on that later.

"Antsy" in the "When to Follow Up" did well. He got clear direction on the company's time line. He followed up at prescribed intervals to make sure he was not forgotten. All these are good things.

Second, THANK EVERYONE, AND DON'T BE BORING. This should seem obvious, but it's a tiny little detail like this that can put you above and beyond the rest in stack.

Send at least one immediate thank you email to everyone you have contact with at the company. This means being very good with names (and sometimes making friends with the receptionist). Did the SVP pull an unannounced potential colleague into your interview? Make sure you get their name and title.

Then, within 24 hours, send every single person a follow up note. Please notice I did not just say "Send everyone a thank you note."

Interesting story: My very first position out of college was as an assistant in an executive search firm. I happened to be sitting in for the receptionist during her lunch break, and had a pleasant five-minute chat with a potential candidate while he waited for his meeting. The next day, I received an email from this candidate, thanking me for making his brief wait interesting and mentioned something we discussed during our conversation.

As soon as I received this email, I walked into the office of the CEO of the organization with a printout of the email and a copy of his resume. I, the new college graduate filling in for the receptionist, told the boss, "This guy is fantastic, talk to him" and walked out.

Sure enough, the CEO was on the phone with that candidate within hours, setting up an interview schedule with a very prestigious client. His paperwork had not even completed the internal "processing" yet. But because he was nice to the "receptionist," the candidate skipped to the front of the line. That candidate ended up accepting a brand new position with our client soon thereafter.

Tip a: If you don't get the business cards of every single person in the interview, ask the receptionist if you can get the emails of the people you spoke with as you head out the door. Make sure you get theirs as well.

So, what do you put in that dreaded follow-up note? I'd like to explain why I hate calling these "thank you notes." First of all, thank you notes are what you send Aunt Bertha when she gives you that tacky sweater at Christmas. It what you do to be polite, not because you want to. Oh, and what else?

It's BORING.

What is often in thank you notes?

"Thank you so much for your time today. I so enjoyed our conversation on _______ and would love to follow up with you. I am eager to join your organization. Please call me soon. Regards, X."

Now put yourself in the interviewer's shoes. You interviewed six people yesterday, one right after another. They are all fuzzy and swimming around in your brain. How is the generic message above going to resonate with you?

The answer: it's not. You brain is going to glaze over once again. This candidate has done nothing to stand out.

So, when you are writing your first follow-up note, continue the point of your interview message. Why are you doing any of this in the first place? To convince them you are the best person for the job.

Follow through on a conversation topic that might need to be addressed ("Here is a copy of the article about me in Forbes Magazine I mentioned. As you can see, Forbes called me the "next up-and-coming start on the industry horizon.")

And yes, every single follow-up letter needs to be personal and every single person you connected with needs to receive one.


The next blog article will discuss what to do AFTER that first note, while you're waiting for their answer. Stay tuned!

Julie Mendez, CJSS
JSM Career Coaching