There Is a Fine Line Between Effective Interview Follow Up and Becoming a Pest.

After an interview, job search best practices tell you to follow up immediately with an email or hand-written thank you note with each of the interviewers. Email is more common these days, so the fact that you take the time to write a hand-written note may set you apart from the other candidates. Be sure to mention something specific about your skillset that you discussed during the interview and express your eagerness to join their team.

So, you have followed up as recommended and still have not heard back?  This is very common today, so do not take it personally. 

You can set the stage for following up while also gauging the interviewer’s receptiveness. At the end of the interview, ask the interviewer if they’d prefer that you call or email in a couple of weeks to check the status of the decision making process. If they ask you not to follow up – heed their advice. Annoying them will get you nowhere. Some hiring managers will be impressed by you taking the initiative to make the next contact.  Others prefer to control the flow of information. Most importantly – if you commit to following up in a specific manner on a specific date – make sure you do follow through.

You want to keep yourself “Top of Mind” without being a pest. If you still have not heard anything after a few attempts, it is time to change your approach. After a week, send the interviewer an invitation to connect on LinkedIn. Join some of the same LinkedIn groups and participate in the group conversations. Share articles of interest, demonstrating your expertise and proper professional social networking etiquette. Follow the company on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook, and comment on the company blog, should they have one. While there are no guarantees, by being persistent without being a pest, your perseverance just may pay off.