It is during this period, immediately following your interview, that it is appropriate and polite to send a follow-up letter. Often, submitting a travel expenses provides a natural vehicle for dropping a note to the key people you have met.
The cardinal rule on follow-up letters, assuming you did a respectable job with the interviews, is to never introduce something new that will expose a different side of your personality.
MISCONCEPTION
Follow-up letters should be a testimony to how much information you gathered in an interview.
REALITY
Interviewers frown on a recap of the interview in a follow-up letter
Probably the single most embarrassing moment in my years of interviewing involved a follow-up letter from Howard, a marketing executive who was working for a prestigious consulting company. I presented him to my client as a level-headed, hard-working person who could step in and make an immediate impact. Then, after two days of successful interviews, a letter arrived at my client's office. It started "I had a startling dream last night that we were at dinner with the board of directors. We were being praised for a wonderful product rollout ..." This strange and totally offbeat follow-up letter caught the CEO, CFO, and me completely off guard. To this day we still wonder about the motivation behind the letter that darkened the dreams of a potential senior VP of marketing for a $200M company.
An effective follow-up letter should have only three objectives.
- To show appreciation
- To assure the company that you would like to work there
- To ask for the job
The follow-up letter is especially valuable if you have a laid-back, passive personality. Many candidates have lost opportunities because the interviewers underestimated their interest and excitement in the company and the job. A follow-up letter may be your best avenue for removing any doubts about your level of interest.
MISCONCEPTION
Creative, offbeat follow-up letters will hold the attention of potential employers.
REALITY
Offbeat correspondence my lead employers to think your actions are unpredictable, creating a liability for the company
But never try to show your interest by recommending or suggesting changes in the employer's mode of operation or management style. I recall an unusual case when Tracy, a young woman who was the leading candidate for a personnel manager's position, sent an individualized letter to each of the five people she interviewed with. Each note analyzed the strengths and needs of the recipients and their departments. Needless to say, Tracy scared the hell out of everyone and eliminated herself from the competition. Tracy's overselling was interpreted as presumptuous, negatively impacting on her chances of making the team.
An Exception to the Rule-The Need to Clarify
One situation justifies a more lengthy follow-up letter. Once the interviews are finished, if you think your discussions didn't cover all the critical areas that could get you the job, an involved letter may be in order.
To give you an illustration, Bob interviewed for three hours at dinner in a very relaxed atmosphere. This potential VP of sales appeared professional, intelligent, and well-spoken. Bob asked many probing questions about the financial condition of the company and clearly demonstrated an understanding of the accounting side of the business. However, the fact that Bob neglected to ask questions about marketing or sales strategies concerned both the CEO and me. Conversation about those key areas was so light that we considered dropping him as a candidate. Then Bob's follow-up letter arrived
Realizing that the conversation never focused on important sales concerns, Bob carefully listed several sales and marketing issues he wished to discuss at a future date. In this case, the in-depth follow-up letter kept Bob in the running, awarded him another meeting, and eventually landed him the job.
Follow-up letters are expected by potential employers. Don't let your final representation interfere with all the hard work it took to get to the finals.
