Take a break! Good interview follow-up starts while you are still in the interview

Once your interviews are complete and thank you notes have been sent, arguably the hardest part of the process begins…the waiting game.

It could be weeks before the company has feedback for you. From your perspective, pacing can be frustrating and difficult to understand.

However, it is a simple fact that while the job must be completed, the timeline can be complicated due to a variety of operational issues. The company’s radar screen is fully illuminated; this position, and you, represent only one “blip”.

Of course you want to know as soon as possible about the status of your application. So after a few weeks you think about calling. But is now the right time? You don’t want to wait too long… you don’t want to be perceived as a pest or someone who is desperate… you just want to know when to pick up the phone.

Remove some of the ambiguity and keep things simple by laying the foundation for your follow-up…while you’re still in the interview.

At the end of the conversation, you should ask the hiring manager for a rough timeline. Ask him what the next steps will be and how soon he expects to complete all interviews for the position.

If he tells you that he anticipates completing all interviews within two weeks, you know that you can call to inquire about the status of the job in three weeks (an additional 7 days after the stated time period is recommended).

Of course, you may find that a decision hasn’t been made yet, in which case you should ask the hiring manager when they think you’ll know more.

The point here is to know when to make the first call.

Candidates often walk out of interviews without asking for a time. If you are the first person they interview, your wait time will be very different than the last person on the list. Clear up some of the ambiguity by asking this simple question.