How do you follow up with a recruiter?
I'm a sophomore in college, and I attended a career fair a few days ago. I talked to a lot of recruiters and many of them gave me their business cards so I could keep in touch in them or ask them any questions. I'm not sure how I would follow up with them, or what I should say, and I would love to hear your insights as to what I should do! #college #computer-science #career #interviews #networking #recruiting
4 answers
Ken’s Answer
Hi Albert!
The best step to take after such an encounter and after any interview is to send a handwritten thank you note as soon after the interview as possible. Use the small foldover cards that you can get at a drug store. You will stand out, as not many do this. In the card say that you appreciated the opportunity to meet and talk and site something that you remember that was significant in the interview. Then say that you would like to follow up in a few days. That will give you an opening so that you can call in a few days and ask about the next step in the interview process. By saying you would like to follow up it is possible for you to say to the call screener that he expects your call.
When I was doing college recruiting, I did not seriously consider a candidate unless he/she followed up. I had too many people talking with me only to find when following up on the interaction that they really were not interested. If something looks interesting follow up, and you will be pleasantly surprised.
Best of luck! I got very few thank you notes during my time in HR, and they really made a difference when I received them. Keep me posted. I would like to follow your progress.
Thanks for the advice Ken! If I were to get an interview, I would definitely follow up with the steps you suggested. Do you know if I should follow up with the recruiter even if I just met them at the career fair? If so, where would I send the thank you note (half of the business cards I received only have their email and phone numbers)?
Albert
Follow up with anyone and everyone. If you have a phone number make a follow up call to thank the person and ask about the next step. Always assume there is a next step. Electronic communication is always your last resort as it is less personal and does not allow for dialogue and personal interaction.
Ken Simmons
If I may ask, how would you know when to call, and what would you talk about during the call, aside from thanking them for the opportunity to talk to them? Sorry for all of these questions, this is my first time in this process. Thanks again for the help, I really appreciate it!
Albert
I agree with the dialogue here. There is something about a "hand" written correspondence that makes it very personal. When a note or card is received it has a different meaning to it. Someone actually took their "time" to put their thoughts to paper in a personal way that includes the cost of a stamp and the paper to write it. Or even going to a store to find that special card that is just right for the occasion to personalize with your own writing. In this day of everything digital, hand written correspondence is becoming a lost art.
Paul Hauber
If you sent a thank you card, it would be good to wait three days to make sure that he got it. Then you can follow a script similar to this: However, I feel it is better to use a phone call for this purpose as you can carry on a dialogue, answer questions, and insert information that might make you more appealing. ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/how-following-up-can-help-you-land-the-job ##
Ken Simmons
Preeti Dharwadkar
Preeti’s Answer
Hi Albert,
Would recommend connecting with them on LinkedIn and reference career fair and take it from there.
Thanks,
Preeti
Thanks for the advice! I think that's a great idea, and I don't know why I didn't think of it sooner. I will do it right away!
Albert
Vikshith’s Answer
- Email, Don't Call
Between sourcing through thousands of resumes, back-to-back phone screens and interviews, endless administrative tasks, and traveling, recruiters don't have a lot of bandwidth for phone chats on every candidate's status.
So, skip the phone and send an email. It leaves a paper trail, it allows the recruiter time to properly look up your status information, it eliminates those annoying games of phone tag, and it prevents what I call drunk dialing the recruiter. (Nerves replace alcohol, but the result is the same: leaving a lengthy, nonsensical voice mail that hurls any candidacy consideration down the proverbial drain.)
And keep it simple. A few sentences reminding the recruiter of something specific you discussed or asking for information on next steps in the process is the best way to get a response and keep your positive recruiter rapport intact. For example:
"Hi Mary, I applied to the Senior Marketing position 12345 two weeks ago and would like to get some information on the hiring process timeline. I'm very eager to learn more about this position, and any updates you can provide would be greatly appreciated."
- Show Interest, Not Desperation
Hey, it's okay to show your enthusiasm when following up. But you shouldn't break out the knee pads and start begging for an interview during your initial check-in (I’ve seen it happen). Be subtle and succinct. Remind the recruiter of your interest in the job, and back it up with specific examples of why you'd be a good fit . This doesn't need to be a dissertation or regurgitation of the information on your resume—just 1-2 bullet points that quantify what you bring to the table:
"As I mentioned in my resume, I created strategies that increased market share by 12% in my previous role, and I know I can make the same type of impact in this position."
End. Scene.
- Don't Invade Personal Space
In other words, don't get too familiar, too soon by being overly casual or personal with the recruiter. Even a great initial interaction with the recruiter doesn't give you license to follow up with social media invites, emails to personal accounts or websites, or asks for recommendations. Recruiters interact with dozens of candidates a week to fill roles, not interview potential BFFs. And they don't appreciate candidates invading their personal cyberspace with inquiries about application statuses or hiring team contact information.
Play it safe and keep it professional. Ask recruiters up front when you should follow up or if they’re comfortable with you reaching back out to ask about your status. Failure to respect personal boundaries could send red flags on your personal judgment or have you labeled as a potential stalker. And that’s risky business for your job search prospects.
At the end of the day, let common courtesy and common sense be your guide. If you haven’t heard anything two weeks after applying to a position, you’re in the safe zone for following up with the recruiter. And if you’ve followed up twice and still get radio silence? Take that as your cue. It’s probably time to move on to the next great opportunity.
Hi Vikshith! Thanks for the thoughtful response, I think I will send an email to the recruiters that I will may be seeing again in the near future (for interviews, etc), and I may send a thank you card or something of the sort to the recruiters who belong to companies that I will apply to in the future.
Albert
Azaelia’s Answer
What stands out to me is a card in the mail or a follow up letter. Otherwise the best way would be via email as a lot of us are usually on the phone.