How to Write a Follow-Up Email After an Interview?

Once you’re done with your interview, you heave a sigh of relief. Now, you may choose to wait for communication from the interviewer, as do many. But in some rare situations, sometimes you may not hear back. Why? Because you didn’t follow up. They would have really liked you, but you didn’t seem very interested in the job to them. So if you’re still waiting for that offer letter or that call you were expecting, go ahead and write a follow-up email!

1. Follow up email after the Interview

If it’s the same day you’re following up, it should be a thank you email. It should be
short and the message should be concise. Summarize your interview and thank them for their time. End with what you were told to expect (a call in 3-4 days, or an email by the next day). Write this within 24 hours of attending the interview.

2. Email Subject Line

Email subjects are generally very important as they decide if the person opens the email or not. In order to be on the safer side, you can directly hit reply to the interview call letter email and retain the same subject so that the recruiter knows where it’s coming from. It’s one of the best options. There are chances they might even open it immediately to see what you’ve asked.

3. Email Body

Don’t be fussy about this. Keep it very simple and to the point. Be clear because clarity is always appreciated. You wouldn’t want to beat around the bush. You can mention how excited you are to hear back and you wanted to know if there was any update on the same, yet. For follow-ups after a few days, you can tell them how much you’re interested in the position and thankful about whatever you learnt in the interview and that you’re eager to hear about where this is going next. Keep this whole request short. Write in clear different paragraphs. Avoid writing all matter in the same paragraph. Break it from every 2-3 lines. Most importantly, run a spell check and proofread everything thoroughly before you send it across. Any mistake in your email wouldn’t look very good.

Now, there’s a thin line between sounding pushy, desperate or anxious. It might turn the other person off. So it’s very important you maintain a tone of enquiry rather than desperation. In all likelihood, the recruiter will surely reply to the same and give you an update on the decision, if it’s made or not and when it will be communicated to you. It’s normal for people to take at least 2 weeks to reply because there’s a possibility you were among the first batch of candidates they interviewed and they and they need to talk to a couple of other candidates before making a decision.