How to Follow Up from an Interview (Nursing)

00:01 Carol had a nice interview with her recruiter named Vicki.

00:05 At the end of the interview, Carol was even more excited about the position and hoped for the opportunity to work with the health care system.

00:14 She wondered what she could do to reiterate her interest in the position.

00:20 When you are interviewing for your position, you should consider a follow up communication to the interviewer.

00:29 First, after the interview, you should consider a short thank you note to be sent 24 to 48 hours after your interview.

00:39 This could be via email, but is more powerful if delivered as a note.

00:46 In your thank you note, write a brief message that could mention one or two things that you learned about the organization and reiterate your enthusiasm for the opportunity to work there.

01:00 This is not the time to add additional information you forgot in the interview or ask additional questions.

01:08 It is meant only to express your excitement at the opportunity.

01:14 Carol's message to Vicki could sound like this.

01:17 Dear Vicki, Thank you for your time yesterday.

01:20 And the opportunity to discuss a future career in the med-surg unit.

01:26 I particularly enjoyed learning about your orientation program and continuous training for new employees.

01:34 I look forward to hearing from you.

01:36 Thank you, Carol.

01:38 Consider this format in your initial follow up.

01:43 In the course of your interview, you should also ask and clarify an expected follow up date.

01:50 Perhaps the recruiter has interviewed for the position over the next 10 days and is expecting to make a decision at the end of two weeks.

02:01 What should you do if two weeks comes and goes? First, take a breath.

02:10 Healthcare recruiters can become very overwhelmed and fall behind.

02:15 They might be delayed for a number of reasons.

02:19 So, give them a few days of grace period.

02:23 If they do not respond a week after the agreed upon follow up date, then send a follow up message similar to the initial thank you note with a few more details.

02:37 Carol might write a note that sounds like this.

02:41 Dear Vicki, I wanted to follow up on my interview on Monday, December 9, for the med-surg RN night shift position.

02:50 I was wondering if you had an update about the position.

02:54 I enjoyed getting to know more about Burnett Hospital in our discussion, and was especially impressed by the commitment to continuous training and development.

03:06 I believe that my growth mindset could be a good fit for the organization.

03:12 Please let me know if there's any additional information I can provide.

03:17 I am excited about the opportunity to work with Burnett Hospital.

03:22 Thank you, Carol.

03:25 An exception to the timing of sending this follow up message could be if there is a major change in your status.

03:35 If you have been offered another position, have passed boards, have achieved a significant job related award.

03:42 Then, you could also send a follow up message updating the recruiter on your status change.

03:50 Lastly, if you are not selected for a job, then you can send a short follow up message thanking the recruiter for the opportunity and ask if they can share any information to improve.

04:03 Keep in mind, some recruiters may not take the time or be allowed to share such information.

04:10 If you do not get a response, then consider the conversation closed.

04:15 A follow up to a rejection message may sound something like this.

04:20 Dear Vicki, I want to thank you for the consideration to join the med-surg team at Burnett Hospital.

04:27 As I continue my job search, would you have any feedback on my interview or application process as a whole to improve for the future? Thank you, Carol.

04:39 These are quick notes that should take five to 10 minutes to complete and are a powerful way to stand out in your interview process.

04:50 Those simple a strikingly low number of applicants send follow up notes.

04:56 So, here's what I want you to do.

04:59 Stand out with two simple words. Thank you.