Keep Making an Impression After Your Social Work Job Interview: The Art of Following Up

by Jennifer Luna Jackson, MSSW

     You’ve prepared, researched, applied, and interviewed. Now what? The job search process doesn’t end until you have started your first day of work at your new job.  

    The following tips will set you up for success in the days following your interview. During your interview, don’t forget to ask the employer, “What are the next steps in the hiring process? What is your timeline for hiring?” Many job seekers are so relieved when the job interview is over that they forget to ask these important questions. Without this knowledge, it can feel like entering a black hole.  

Take a minute to reflect.

    After you have finished your interview, take a moment to reflect on the questions that were asked, the culture of the organization you experienced, and the work style of your potential supervisor. Write down any questions that you may or may not have expected. This will help you with your next interview. Many times, when interviewing, you may notice something unique about the working environment or culture of the organization. Take note of this, especially if it was an element that impressed you. These are golden nuggets that will make your thank-you note stand out. For example, you might write, “When I was waiting for my interview, I was particularly impressed with the  customer service of the staff at the reception desk. They made everyone feel so comfortable, including the social workers, the anxious clients, and an anxious job seeker!”

    Finally, as we all know, an interview works both ways. Make sure that you write down any questions that you may have forgotten to ask the interviewer. These will come in handy when you get a second interview.

Write a thank-you note.  

    Did you know that most job seekers don’t write thank-you notes?  According to an Accounttemps survey of human resources, only 24% of job seekers send thank-you notes. However, 80% of the hiring managers found them helpful when reviewing applicants. Thank-you notes should never be left out of the job search process. If you think about the other side, job recruiters have quite a few tasks to accomplish to select the best applicant. They must create a good job posting, gain approval from supervisors and human resources, sift through résumés, and schedule and conduct interviews. Even if the interview was not quite what you expected, the interviewer should always be thanked for giving you their time. A well-crafted thank-you letter gives you the opportunity to plug your skills and reiterate something that stood out about the interview or the organization. If you have interviewed with a panel, it is not necessary to send the thank-you letter to the entire panel, but do mention their names in the letter that you send to the lead interviewer. Aside from this, it’s just good manners to always send a thank-you.

Sample Thank-You Letter

Date

Name

Address

Dear Mrs. Perez:

I would like to thank both you and Ms. Fox for taking time to meet with me to discuss the position of Geriatric Social Worker. I enjoyed learning about the Johnson Center and the many services it provides to older adults and the community.  I was delighted to learn about the integration of technology your agency uses in order to keep families connected through Facetime and Skype. After speaking with you and learning more about your organization, I am confident that my experiences in working with older adults and their families, case management, and coordinating volunteers offers the leadership qualities that make me an excellent fit for the job. Enclosed you will find the report I wrote on long-term care alternatives that you requested. Please feel free to contact me if you have any further questions. I look forward to hearing from you soon. Again, thank you for your time and consideration.

    Thank-you letters should be written within 24 hours of the interview. This correspondence can be written by hand, emailed, or in the form of a formal letter sent by mail. It’s important to gauge the culture of the agency when selecting the type of correspondence you would like to send. For example, if it is a casual nonprofit, perhaps a handwritten thank-you note is in order. If it is a formal agency, such as a government or legislative position, you may want to send a formal letter. If the interviewer tells you that the selection process will occur within the next couple of days or sooner, definitely send a thank-you letter via email.   

Connect through LinkedIn.  

    Now that you have finished your letter, it’s time to connect with the interviewer and other participants through LinkedIn. This will give you additional visibility to the interviewers and also an opportunity to gain knowledge about the job and the field of practice through the eyes of the interviewers. You can also see who they network with, what organizations they belong to, what causes they care about, and what groups they participate in. When sending the invitation to connect, make sure that you personalize it. For example, write, “Hello, Ms. Diaz. It was great to learn about your organization today. I would like to invite you to connect with me on LinkedIn.”

Begin preparing for the next interview.  

    Often, there will be two interviews scheduled in the hiring process. If you have been invited back for a second interview, congratulations! This indicates that you are being seriously considered for the position and you impressed them in the first interview. In these interviews, you can expect new faces, more specific questions, and perhaps a tour of the organization. You may be asked to do a presentation, so they can assess your knowledge of the organization and your communication skills. If this is the case, always practice with someone who will give you honest feedback and coaching on your presentation skills.  

    You may also use this time between interviews to do a search on local media outlets to find out if the organization has been in the news lately. Perhaps they have had a successful fundraiser that you could mention, or there may be a piece of legislation that might affect the organization positively. These are great ice breakers and will show that you have done your research. Just remember, keep the news positive! You will also have the opportunity to ask questions. Remember the notes that you made after the first interview? This information will help guide you in preparing your questions for the second interview.  

Don’t stop your job search.  

    Remember, your job search ends on your first day of work. Don’t put your job search on pause while you wait for an offer. When you break the stride of the job search process, it is more difficult to jump back in. Continue to set an adequate amount of time (10-20 hours per week) for your search, and fill that time with research on various job search platforms, licensure preparation, informational interviews, networking, and applying for jobs. Remember, each time you apply for a job it will get easier. The more time you put into the job search process, the more confident you will be when you interview.

Jennifer Luna Jackson, MSSW, is a social worker, career coach, and trainer. She serves as director of the DiNitto Center for Career Services at the University of Texas at Austin, Steve Hicks School of Social Work. Jennifer has been invited to present regionally and nationally on social work career development topics, including personal branding, career development, and the professional development cycle for social workers.