Interview preparation
Draft an interview follow-up with a useful detail
A good follow-up is short and refers to something said in the interview. Thank the person, name one topic you discussed, and mention any item you agreed to send. Leave out guesses about how the conversation went and any offer you did not make in the room.
A text to start with
I interviewed for [role] at [organization] on [date] with [interviewer name and title]. One topic we discussed was [specific detail from the conversation]. In the interview I agreed to send [item, or none]. Draft a thank-you note of under [length] words that mentions that topic and the item. Use only what I have written here. Do not add promises or praise for how the interview went.
Example request. Change the details to fit your situation.Follow-up note worksheet
Role and organization: [ ] Interview date: [ ] Interviewer name, title and spelling: [ ] Topic we actually discussed: [ ] Where it appears in my notes: [ ] Item I agreed to send, if any: [ ] Who asked for it: [ ] When I can deliver it: [ ] Thank-you draft: [ ] Unverified judgments about how the interview went, to remove: [ ] New commitments needing my decision: [ ] Date sent: [ ]
Claims the interview did not support
Lines like "I think we clicked" or "I'm confident I'd be a great fit" describe how the interview went without evidence. Another issue to check is a new commitment, such as offering a work sample or references nobody asked for. Check that the discussion detail matches your own notes, not what seems likely to have come up. Confirm the interviewer's name, title and spelling against the invitation. If you agreed to send something, the note should say exactly that and nothing more.
Ask another agent to check the result
Read this draft against my notes. Remove any new commitment, any claim about how the interview went, and any detail my notes do not support. List each removal with its reason. Leave the thank-you, the discussed topic and the promised item as written.
Check details before sending
Compare the draft with your interview notes and the original invitation for names, titles and the date. Delete any sentence you cannot support from memory. If you agreed to send an item, prepare it first so the note matches what you can deliver. Send the note yourself and record the date.