Have you ever thought of doing something creative after the interview to improve your chances of landing that job?  There are so many ways to access client information over the internet, making it easier to contact the people that have interviewed you……but be warned, honor the interview process and protocol and drop the creativity. 

In the ‘old’ days, you typically sent a Thank You letter to the hiring manager after your interview.  While technology has changed dramatically over the course of time, the protocol has realistically remained the same.  I speak with hiring managers all the time and they are surprised at how many people do not send a simple “thank you” note after an interview.  Not surprisingly, some of these managers screen out the candidates that don’t send something.

 The big debate amongst interviewers today revolves around 1.) email thank you’s or 2.) snail mail thank you’s.  Once you factor in the availability of hiring managers on company websites, LinkedIn, FaceBook or other networking groups, that list of follow up responses grows exponentially.   

There are times when a hiring manager will hand out a business card and give you the token “if you have any questions, give me a call.”  What do you do then?  Do you make up some questions just to take advantage of the offer?  Do you send an email thank you and follow up with a phone call?  Do you just call and say THANKS? 

My recommendation is pretty simple – when in doubt – DON’T.  A simple thank you letter by snail mail is usually appropriate.  Plan ahead draft the thank you letter and address a stamped envelope the night before your interview.  Drop off the ‘thank you’ at the front desk on your way out after your interview.  IF you have the email address, send a quick “thank you for your time” but a note in the mail could be the differentiator between you and the other candidate who didn’t think that was necessary.   

Stay away from stalking the hiring managers.  Stay away from Facebooking them and connecting with them on LinkedIn.  Consider the protocol, follow the standard protocol and when in doubt drop a note in the mail.   For more things you shouldn’t do after the interview check out this article: what-not-to-do-after-an-interview