Nursing Interviews: Basic Post-Interview Etiquette

Many job seekers become elated after having been granted that prized interview. After all, it is extremely easy for our online applications and electronically-submitted resumes to forever disappear into cyberspace without notice, so we are naturally pleased when human resources personnel or recruiters call us to schedule the much-coveted interview.

However, the interview should be viewed as getting half a foot into the door because impressing the interviewer(s) might not always be enough to push you past that invisible gate. In addition to making a wonderful first impression on the people who interview you, some basic post-interview etiquette is in order. Without further delay, here is a list of the steps that an applicant should take after the interview ends.

Learn the names, official titles, and contact information of the interviewers

This step can be easily accomplished by asking for personal business cards immediately after your interview concludes. If the individual or people who interviewed you do not have any business cards available, do not be shy about jotting their names and email addresses down onto a piece of paper that you brought.

Write a thank-you note

A well-written thank-you note will reaffirm your seriousness and interest in the position. The purpose of the thank-you note is to thank the interviewers and company for their time and interest in you as an applicant. Thank-you notes must be short (preferably no longer than a small paragraph) and should quickly get to the point. Time is of the essence, so prepare your thank-you note no later than 24 hours after your interview ends.

Sending the note via email is perfectly acceptable. Furthermore, an emailed thank-you note can quickly be distributed to other recruiters, nurse managers, or anyone else who might have input in the company's hiring decisions. If you get the hunch that the person who interviewed you is the traditional type who prefers pen-and-paper memos, feel free to write your thank-you note in a tasteful greeting card or on professional stationary and mail it.

Follow up without bombarding anyone

Wait approximately one week to send an email or place a phone call to follow up with your interviewers if they have not given you a specific time frame. If they have specifically said, "You should hear something by the end of the week," follow whatever time frame they have given. Do not bombard the people who interviewed you with multiple phone calls before the first week has elapsed.