It’s just as important to follow up after the phone interview as it is after a face-to-face interview. Not only does it demonstrate your professionalism, it adds a little sparkle and shine to you as a candidate. It makes that interviewer think more positively of you in general.
After the phone interview…what to do
First, send a thank you email within 24 hours of your call—ideally, send it the same day. Don’t take the time for a handwritten note here. Speed works in your favor. Decisions on who to move forward will be made quickly, so you want to have as much positive impact as you can to tip the scales in your favor. Send a thank you email.
What to say in a thank you email
Make sure your thank you is a substantial one. Don’t just say, “I appreciate getting to speak with you.” Customize your note for the conversation you had with them. Tell them how you know that your skills in A, B, and C can help them reach their goals for X. If you had some additional thoughts about how you’d be a great fit after you hung up the phone, now is the time to express those. Make sure to express your enthusiasm for speaking with them in person about the job, and then say when you’ll call them to set it up. (See a phone interview thank you note example here.)
Send everyone a thank you email
If a recruiter set up this phone interview for you, send the recruiter a thank you note, too. On the other hand, if an HR person called you to set up this call with the hiring manager, send the HR person a note to thank them for their help and say what you learned that makes you excited about this opportunity.
Are you having phone interviews with multiple team members before they make a decision about bringing you in to interview in person? Send each of them a thank you email.
If necessary, use your thank you email as damage control
Send a thank you email even If you think your phone interview didn’t go so well. Don’t just let it go as a loss. Do some damage control by addressing whatever you think went wrong. Correct any misconceptions or include information you know you forgot to mention in the call. A damage control note might not work, but it definitely won’t if you don’t try.
Phone interview follow up demands good communication
The key to handling this critical time after the phone interview is good communication. This is so important throughout the interview process.
Use every opportunity you have to further the conversation. Don’t be shy about expressing your interest and pointing out your fit for the job.
Find out more
See my series on Phone Interviews: The 37 Most Essential and Extraordinary Tips That Will Get You To the Face-to-Face.