Military Veterans and Spouses: How To Follow Up After An Interview

Military Veterans and Spouses: How To Follow Up After An Interview

Hoorah! You’ve made, or are in the process of making, your military transition. Military veterans and spouses, the hard part is over and a new life begins with a new career. At this point, your resume is completed, you’ve attended career fairs, communicated with employers, and interviewed for a few positions (get more career information here at vets.pipelineaz.com). Now’s the time to follow up on the interviews that you’ve attended. Following up is the next important step to land the career you want.

At the end of your interview, ask what the hiring timeline looks like. Once you have left the interview, the first step in following up is to send a handwritten thank you note or an email to the person(s) that you interviewed with (S.T.A.R. Interview Tips). According to the Harvard Business Review (Markman, 2020), handwritten notes are the best option and are more likely to be read. Show the employer that you are enthusiastic about the opportunity and express your appreciation for the interview. Keep it brief, with no more than two to three sentences. 

The second step is to follow up with the interviewer(s) with a check-in email at least a week after the expected date that you were told you’d hear back from them. Let them know you are still interested and are available to provide any further information they may need that would assist in helping to make a decision. Be sure to include the job title that you are following up about and the date that you interviewed.

The third step is to continue with your job search while you are waiting to hear back from those you have interviewed with. Do not stop moving forward; keep going! You can find great opportunities here at Vets.PipelineAZ.com for careers in Arizona. If you are offered a position that you’ve interviewed for, start building your professional relationship by sending a thank you email to show your appreciation. If you are not selected, this is an opportunity to respond by stating that you enjoyed the interview process and would welcome any constructive feedback they may have for you.

Thank you for your service and we wish you great success in your new journey!

This article is created in partnership with the Maricopa County Community Colleges and Pipeline AZ to help military and veteran communities transition back to civilian life, connect and succeed. Funding for this initiative is made possible in part by the Maricopa County Community Colleges Foundation.

Reference:
Markman, Art (November 2020). Career Planning. Harvard Business Review, November 05, 2020. 4 Ways to Follow Up After a Job Interview. Retrieved from: https://hbr.org/2020/11/4-ways-to-follow-up-after-a-job-interview

Contributed by Jane Denton, Project Manager-SR, Student Affairs-Veteran Services and Angela Ambrosia, Success Coach, Student Affairs-Veteran Services