Best Interview Follow Up Strategy
Dear Deb,
Q. I had an out of state interview for a senior account executive opportunity and already sent my thank you note. However, the job I interviewed for is not available until the end of the summer, which is several months away. Is it possible to over-communicate and ruin my chances for the opportunity? I did receive initial positive feedback, and was wondering in this situation what the best strategy is for follow up?
A. Assuming that the company is still legitimately interested in your candidacy, if you touch base with them every 2 or 3 weeks between now and the end of summer that should be fine. Keep the lines of communication open and take the opportunity to add value when you do reach out. For example, you could send the hiring manager a link to a relevant article, or you could offer some insight regarding the industry from your own self-directed research. This proactive approach will demonstrate that you are engaged and are able to add value – even though you are not employed there yet.
Particularly in the case of sales executives, hiring managers like to see strong follow through skills. They want to know you are assertive, but not annoyingly aggressive. Call to check in on a periodic basis. If you are asked not to call until the role is officially available, stop. You don't want to be too pushy. This is a chance to show them how good you are at selling - and at listening.
If you have a question for Deb, please email debra@careersdonewrite.com. The Ask Deb blog appears weekly on Fridays at Careers Done Write.