Whether you just came off a job interview or it\u2019s been several days since, the anxiety of waiting for a decision can be a lot to handle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What\u2019s a typical wait time to hear back after an interview? What does it mean if you\u2019ve been waiting longer than that? And what should you do to rescue the situation if nobody contacts you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We\u2019ll answer all those questions and more in this article.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Phrased differently: How long after an interview should you follow up?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Most recruiters and hiring managers will typically aim to update you within a week of their interview<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With that being said, the actual timeline is a lot more varied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In some cases, especially if the interview took place earlier in the week, you could hear back within a few days, or sometimes the very next day<\/strong> after your interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In other cases, especially where there are a high number of candidates interviewing for the position, you might hear back two or even three weeks after<\/strong> your interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As a general rule, though, a week is a reasonable amount of time to wait for a response before hitting the panic button.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Being invited to a second or third job interview means you already showed promise in your first interview, not to mention fewer candidates will be up for consideration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In other words, your chances of getting the job are inherently higher<\/strong>, which means you can probably be a little more lenient on the one-week timeframe, if only by a few more days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While phone interviews are a completely different type of job interview experience, they mostly follow the same timeline as an in-person interview<\/strong> when it comes to hearing back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you think about it, the interviewer still has to go through the same candidate selection process, the same interview questions, and the same post-interview evaluation process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It doesn\u2019t help to dwell on reasons for not hearing back from your job interview, but that doesn\u2019t stop you from wanting to know, right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are the likely reasons the recruiter or hiring manager still hasn\u2019t got back to you, going from best-case to worst-case scenario:<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019ll be honest, it\u2019s not a good sign<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s not to say you definitely didn\u2019t get the job, you still might. It\u2019s just a less likely outcome the more time passes, particularly once you cross the one-week mark, and even more so after a first interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Again, if your interview went well<\/a>, it\u2019s entirely possible the recruiter or hiring manager is busy with work, forgot to reach out, is still tied up in the interview stages, or just put the job opening on hold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The reality is, it\u2019s impossible to know why you haven\u2019t heard back from your job interview until you reach out and ask.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before we talk about how to follow up, the first thing you should do is make double sure you haven\u2019t already had a reply.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While this might sound silly, it\u2019s entirely possible you did<\/em> get an answer from your interviewer and you somehow just missed it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Maybe they reached out by email or physical mail when you were expecting a phone call, or perhaps you checked the wrong inbox or the email went to your spam\/junk folder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Whatever the case, it\u2019s important you give one final look over all channels to avoid making yourself look silly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You\u2019re 100% positive you didn\u2019t get a reply? Well then, strap yourself in because it\u2019s time to engage in operation follow-up:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now, the channel you use to follow up is just as important as what you say, if not more so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What I mean is, if your prospective employer used email throughout most of your communication thus far, it\u2019s a good idea to send your follow-up message through email, too \u2014 at least for the first<\/em> follow-up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This will increase the chances your follow-up will be seen and ultimately responded to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The goal of a follow up isn\u2019t<\/em> to give the interviewer a hard time about not getting back to you, it\u2019s to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n In order to achieve both of these things, you need to be strategic with what you say<\/a> and how you say it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here\u2019s a script you can adapt:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHello Mr. Thomas, I hope you are well. I interviewed with you last week for the management position and I\u2019m just wondering if a decision was made yet? Please let me know if there\u2019s anything else you need from me. Thank you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n While it\u2019s tempting to push a little harder in your follow-up, it\u2019s important not to come across as desperate or bossy. Keep it concise, and maintain a friendly but professional tone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After your first follow-up, you should give them enough time to respond before attempting to follow up again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you followed up by phone and didn’t get a call back<\/a>, you\u2019ll want to allow 2-3 working days<\/strong> before calling a second time. After that, it\u2019s likely the message wasn\u2019t passed on or they simply forgot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you followed up by email, you\u2019ll want to allow 3-5 working days<\/strong> before sending another email, or, you might even consider calling them instead \u2014 assuming you have a phone number to call.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In many cases, especially if you were unsuccessful, interviewers will make up a story<\/a> or simply not get back to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I know, it sucks. People suck. That\u2019s just how it goes in the job-hunting world.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat About After a Second or Third Interview?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
What About After a Phone Interview?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Why Does It Take So Long to Hear Back?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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<\/li>What If You Don\u2019t Hear Back After a Week?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
What to Do Before Following Up<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How to Follow Up After an Interview<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. Pick the Right Channel<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
2. Say the Right Thing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
3. Allow Enough Time<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Hard Truth: You May Never Hear Back<\/h2>\n\n\n\n