You have given a lot of interviews lately and feel that you aced some of them as well. You are super confident that an offer letter would be rolled out to you anytime now. You just simply relax and wait for the Hiring Manager to contact you. But this might not be a very intelligent move from your end. You may have aced at your interview, but that alone doesn’t guarantee that the job is yours. There are a lot of important factors that one must keep in mind and how you follow up with the Hiring Manager is one of them.
It is important to be careful about your action and the approach with which you follow up for that dream job. Many people don’t know this, but ideally one must follow up after:
- the introduction call
- sending the resume
- the interview
Following this also needs tact. There is a proper way of following up with your Hiring Manager and if you get it right, then there’s nothing that will stop you from landing your dream job.
Here is a list of eight follow up mistakes to avoid in future:
- Not sending the thank you note
Many people say that they forget to send the ‘thank you note’ to the Hiring Manager, but it is not actually their memory that stops them from sending it. Most of the times, job seekers are unable to figure out how to go about it. A simple note saying ‘thank you for considering me for the opportunity’ may look like a very simple gesture but is sure to make a great impression.
- Not proofreading the follow-up mail
There is nothing that could be worse than an email with typos. Even a single typo mistake can jeopardize your chances of landing a job. It may give out an impression that may be you are too casual about things. Remember, that not all spell checks are perfect. Read your mails at least thrice before sending it and look for any typos or grammar mistakes carefully.
- Following up too much
This is another mistake that candidates make. When writing a follow up mail, ask the Hiring Manager by when you can expect to get an answer. Once you get a reply with a tentative date, stick to it and don’t mail him/her before that date. Also, put a reminder on your phone for the date on which you need to follow up again so that you don’t forget to send the follow up mail.
- Behaving rudely with the Hiring Manager
There are times when the Hiring Manager delays communicating the status of your candidature. You may feel what is taking so long for them to give you a proper answer. There may be incidents when they will take some time to even respond to your emails or phone calls. This doesn’t mean you behave rudely with him/her. Remember, that they have to deal with a lot of candidates on a daily basis and taking approvals from the top management isn’t easy as well.
- Adding the Hiring Manager on Social Media
Sending out a request to connect to the Hiring Manager even if you send it on LinkedIn as soon as you are done with the interview is not a good idea. Sending a friend request on Facebook is an even grave mistake that people often make. This equals to intruding in one’s personal space.
- Talking about Salary
You must avoid bringing up this discussion before getting the offer letter from the Hiring Manager. Your first priority should be to get an offer letter. Once you get it, you can negotiate over it. But bringing up salary discussion before even getting the offer letter seems too presumptuous.
- Not responding to the emails or calls
You may have a few job offers in your hand, but that doesn’t mean that you start avoiding the recruiters and not respond to their emails or phone calls. Whatever you may decide, it is important that you present a clear picture to the Hiring Managers. You never know when you might run into the same Hiring Manager again in life.
Take the process of job search as nothing short of a networking activity. Even if you may don’t get a job, ending things on amicable terms will always help you in the long run.
About Megha Raizada –
Megha Raizada is a professional writer working with the premium job portal Naukrigulf.com. She has a keen interest in the global job market, but also loves to keep a track of everything interesting happening around the globe. When not writing or browsing the Internet, you will find her creating furniture out of used tires. You can reach her at Twitter and Google+.