The interview went well. You’re certain you’re about to get a phone call offering you the position.

But then days pass and you hear… nothing.

Then another week passes and the interviewer calls you to let you know he gave the position to someone else.

What the heck happened!!!!?

You did nothing is what happened. You didn’t send a thank you letter to your interviewer. You didn’t follow up in a few days to see where the interviewer was in the hiring process.

The end of the interview is not the end of the interview process. You must follow up.

Now, proper follow up will not guarantee you a job. But it doesn’t hurt and can definitely help.

The first thing you do is send a thank you letter. This can be e-mail or by mail, although most companies are amenable to e-mail thank yous. But this shouldn’t be just a “thank you for meeting with me” note. No. In the letter you should reiterate why you think you’re a great match for the position. You also ask for the job again, just as you did when you left the interview (“I’d love to work with you and I hope you’ll choose me for the position”).

If possible, add something to the conversation. Perhaps you and the hiring manager discussed his idea for growing his business. In your thank you letter, offer an idea of your own.

At the end of the letter say that you’ll call to follow up in a few days. If you don’t hear from the interviewer in about five days, it’s perfectly acceptable to call your interviewer.

Keep the call short and say something along the lines of (either to the person or in his or her voice mail): “I met with you January 3 for the marketing position. I enjoyed chatting with you and I’m calling to see where you are in hiring process. I hope to hear from you soon.”

If you feel you didn’t do well in the interview, you can use your follow up/thank you letter to clear up some misunderstandings. Mention some additional resources you wished to give the interviewer about something the two of you discussed. Offer additional documentation of your skills and abilities. If possible, ask your references to send praising notes to the hiring manager on your behalf.

If you do nothing else, at the very least, send a handwritten note thanking the interviewer for the meeting. That is the absolute minimum you must do after a job interview.

For more post-interview tips, contact a recruiter at Winston Resources. We can help you find great opportunities at some of New York City’s top employers. Contact us today.