The Best Ways To Write A Follow Up Email After A Phone Interview
You’ve just finished a job interview over the phone and you’re feeling so many emotions at once. You’re excited and anxious as you hope for that ultimate call letting you know you were successful. So what can you do in the meantime to increase your chances of a call back? You can write a follow up email to your potential employers! This will set you apart from the other candidates while also communicating your continued interest with the job. Here are the best ways to write a follow up email after a phone interview.
1. Thank the interviewer
Start by thanking the interviewer for their time. It probably took some effort for the interviewer to have aligned their schedule with yours, so be sure that you thank them for freeing up some of their day for you. You can start to write a follow up email with something like; “Thank you for your time earlier today, it was a pleasure to speak with you,” or, “Thank you for taking the time and considering me for this position.”
2. Be Optimistic
Be sure to be positive and optimistic when you write a follow up email. Try to find ways to highlight your best skills and talents and how they would be perfect for the job. Use what you now know of the job and what was previously posted about it to paint yourself as the right employee to hire. You can write something like; “From our discussion earlier, this job takes some hard work, dedication, and organization, which is what I am currently seeking.” Employers resonate with employees that show a commendable and go-getter attitude.
3. Remember Facts
Its always good to have taken notes during the interview or to have remembered some facts. This can open the door to more conversation and will show the interviewer that you were paying attention. You can mention a topic that was talked about or expand upon it when you write a follow up email. You can write something like; “I appreciate how the company focuses on X, I think that’s very interesting since …”, or, “I enjoyed our conversation about X because…” The interviewer will be impressed with your eagerness and knowledge on the subject.
4. Summary Statement
When finishing your follow up email, reiterate your experience. You are not repeating your skills at this time since you’ve already done that in the beginning of the email. Instead, you are connecting your previous work experience to the current job you are applying for. The goal is to show how your previous work experience is transferable and relevant to the position.
Continue by mentioning what you will bring to the position that will benefit the employer and the company and how that sets you apart from the rest of the candidates. You can say something like; “In my previous job I focused on X, and I believe this learned skill set will benefit the company by…”, or, “With my background in X, I believe the company will benefit from my previous experience.” Be confident in what you write in your follow up email and finish strong.
5. Proofread
Be careful in proofreading when you write a follow up email. Reread your email and even read it out loud to see if it flows and makes sense before you hit send. Be sure that at the beginning of the email you properly opened with “Dear Mr./Mrs. X,” and that at the end you finished with “Best Regards” or “Sincerely” followed by your name. These little differences are proper email etiquette and will speak volumes about your professionalism. You can include your phone number and contact information if not already known.
By writing a follow up email you are checking in with the interviewer and showing them your gratitude and enthusiasm for the opportunity. Be sure to send them the email in at least 48 hours when the conversation is still fresh in everyone’s minds. If you don’t hear back from them don’t worry, use this as a stepping stone for the next opportunity!
