Following up with an employer is one of the essential tasks you need to do as part of your job search process. You should follow up every interview with a polite note stating again that you are very interested in the job and thanking the interviewers for their time. This can either be a letter or e-mail.

They should be sent within 24 hours of the interview, and sending one later the same day is preferable.

But why is it so important? There are 3 reasons.

1) Demonstrate Your Interest in the Position

A nice thank-you note is important to demonstrate your interest in the position. If they are deciding between candidates, the one who sends the thank-you note follow-up may be the one they may choose over the one who doesn’t.

A follow-up also shows that you have the kind of qualities employers look for. You are attentive to detail and, yes, have good follow-up on tasks. A person who follows up on interviewers is the kind of person who will also follow up on every work duty. That can be invaluable.

2) Focus on Key Areas

A follow-up can help you refocus the interviewer on your skills. Something like “as I mentioned in my interview, I was part of a team that drove production up 15% over previous levels” will keep your key qualifications in the minds of busy managers who have many demands on their time.

In addition, you can use the follow-up letter to focus more on areas that you either didn’t have time to cover in the interview (but which seem important) or didn’t realize would be important. If you have experience in software that they mentioned, for example, but that wasn’t specified on your resume, your follow-up can be an opportunity to mention it.

3) Avoid Getting Knocked Out of Consideration

The third reason is very related to the first. It shows good manners and good attention to detail to follow up. But some employers may actually use follow-up notes as a screening tool. If you don’t send one, they may not consider you further, no matter how qualified you are.

It’s a good indication of how much emphasis employers place on detail and the ability to follow up.

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