In today’s busy job market, not every candidate receives a follow-up message from an employer letting them know that they didn’t get the job. While some recruiters do have the time to handle these follow-ups, doing so via email or mail, others simply leave the candidates hanging.

Thankfully, there’s one thing that candidates can do to increase their chances of getting a job – send a follow-up email after the interview.

How to Write a Follow-Up Email

In general, follow-up emails after interviews have a standard format that they need to follow but with a few customizations. This allows the sender to personalize the message a little without going too far off track. A typical follow-up email consists of the following:A Subject Line – The subject line is important because it needs to convey the fact that you interviewed with the company, as well as how grateful you are for the opportunity. In most cases, something like “Follow Up on Yesterday’s Interview” or “Thank You for Your Time Yesterday” does the trick.

Professional Greeting

Greet the person who interviewed you by name. If they introduced themselves as “Bob” or “Mr. Smith,” then follow suit in the email.

First Paragraph

Use the first paragraph to thank them for the interview, as well as mention the position that you interviewed for. Make sure to point out that you’re grateful for both their time and the fact that you were invited to interview for the job.

Second Paragraph

In the second paragraph, you can be a bit more specific about your experience during the interview. Make sure to mention the business’ name, as well as one or two of the things that you and the recruiter discussed. If there was a skill that the interview made clear was important, here is the place to mention it.

Third Paragraph

Use the final paragraph as a method of pointing out how you’re different than the other candidates. Point out that you’re ideal for the job and why. If you want to elaborate on anything that was discussed during the interview, do it here.

Ending The Email

Your email should end in a typical professional manner. Use “thank you,” “best,” or even “sincerely.” In addition, type out your full name, as well as your contact information, including your phone number and email address, just to make sure that they know how to contact you.

When to Send a Follow-up Email After an Interview

Another key to a successful follow-up email after an interview is the time frame. You don’t want to send the email too quickly after the interview, nor do you want to wait too long. In general, the first email should be sent no more than 24 hours after your interview. This means that if you interviewed at 1 p.m. on a Tuesday, send the follow-up around noon on a Wednesday.

If you don’t receive a response to the initial email, don’t worry too much. The recruiter is more than likely busy and doesn’t have time to get back to you right away. However, if it’s been more than three days and you haven’t heard anything, you can send a polite follow-up once again. It’s okay to remind them of your initial email, as long as you place it in terms such as, “I know you’re busy, but…”

Benefits of Sending a Follow-Up Email

There are a number of benefits to sending a follow-up email after an interview. Not only is it a polite thing to do, as well as indicative of your good business etiquette, but also:

• It allows you to include more information about yourself that maybe you couldn’t work into the interview.
• It gives the recruiters and interviewers a good way to remember you.
• It shows that you really want the job.
• You can express your sincere gratitude for them selecting you to interview for the position.
• It shows that you have solid communication skills.

Of course, there are just a few examples. There are plenty of other benefits as well.

The Takeaway

As you can see, there are a number of reasons why you want to send a follow-up email after an interview. Not only does this show the recruiter that you’re a good communicator, but it also provides them with additional information that may help them realize just how perfect you are for the job. If nothing else, at least they’ll easily be able to respond and explain to you why you weren’t chosen for the medical sales rep position, so you can take that constructive feedback, make improvements for your next interview, and grow.