Followup email/phone call after interview?

[NeoDevin]

I had an interview last friday, for the possibility of a job after I graduate in april. I was wondering how long I should wait without hearing from them before I send them an email/give them a call. Which should I do? Email or phone? And what do I say when I talk/write to them?

All the jobs I've had in the past I've gotten through people that I know, and didn't really have an interview for, so I don't really know what the normal/best way of doing this is.

Thanks

 

[mr_coffee]

When I got an interview with IBM I sent both managers I interviewed with an e-mail right afterwards telling them about my experience and how I thought it was a really great working environment and I look forward to working on "his/her" team.

I got an e-mail a few days later saying WE WOULD LOVE TO JOIN US ON OUR TEAM!

weeeee

 

[AsianSensationK]

Send an e-mail. Do it now instead of later. Don't follow-up with a phone call.

 

[k3N70n]

I know one large banking firm that a buddy worked at would never call you back until you tried to call them at least 3 times. So sometimes you should call, but maybe if you just doing get any response.

 

[mr_coffee]

Yah I think it all depends, my manager is SUPER busy he can barley have enough time to talk to his real employee's let alone answer phone calls from people he interviewed so you gota think about that as well.

Think about calling someone while they are in a meeting with executives or some clients?

 

[user101]

Email is the best option. They can read it if they want, and if they don't, they'll at least acknowledge that you sent the e-mail.

When I interviewed with General Dynamics last year, I sent both managers a thank-you e-mail and none of them responded.

 

[NeoDevin]

Ok, I sent them an email, wish me luck.

 

[berkeman]

Send an e-mail. Do it now instead of later. Don't follow-up with a phone call.

I disagree. Just call the HR person who coordinated your interviews. It's their job to interface with candidates and answer their questions. Just call up and say hi, and ask if there is any information on the status of the position.

 

[AsianSensationK]

I suppose it's no big deal either way. I just think it's tough to make a phone call because you normally talk to multiple people. If you don't get a hold of everyone, at least your note can be shared.

Anyway, the important thing is to follow-up on the interview.

 

[berkeman]

I suppose it's no big deal either way. I just think it's tough to make a phone call because you normally talk to multiple people. If you don't get a hold of everyone, at least your note can be shared.

Anyway, the important thing is to follow-up on the interview.

It probably depends on the company, but at each of the companies that I've worked for or interviewed at, there is a main point of contact for a candidate. That may be an HR person (like it is at my present company), or it may be a technical manager (like at Bell Labs). Either way, there is usually a single best person to contact for updates on the interview process' progress.

 

[AlephZero]

Either way, there is usually a single best person to contact for updates on the interview process' progress.

Contact whoever sent you the "official" invitation to the interview.

Except in a very small company, the people who interviewed you will not the people who make the formal decision whether or not to employ you. For example it is quite likely that no one person has interviewed every applicant, and there may be criminal records or security checks which are not organized by interviewers.

For future reference, the best time to find out how long the selection process will take is to ask while you are actually there (unless it is fairly obvious from the way the intervew has gone that either you don't want to work there anyway, or you won't be offered the job!)