Wrapping up an interview for what will hopefully be your next nursing job should leave you feeling accomplished and relieved. The hard part is over—now, it’s just a matter of continuing to put forth a great impression by following up. The steps mentioned below will help showcase your drive, professionalism, and interest in the position, which could ultimately help you land the job.
The Importance of Following Up
Following up after an interview is a standard practice across most industries. To that end, taking the time to reach out to your interviewer will follow etiquette and demonstrate your professional skills. At the same time, it helps to keep you fresh in the employer’s mind, which is helpful when multiple candidates are being interviewed for the same position. Follow-ups also present the opportunity to discuss any important details you may have forgotten to mention, such as information about your credentials or education. Finally, you can use your message to remind the employer why you’d be a great fit for the position.
With those benefits in mind, here’s how to properly conduct a nursing interview follow-up.
Follow Up by Email
Ideally, you should send your follow up immediately after the interview. Send a separate email to each individual you met during the interview process. Here’s a brief overview of what to say:
- Start by addressing each recipient by name.
- Thank the interviewer for the opportunity to interview for the nursing position. (Be specific, and identify the role by name.)
- Review some of the specifics discussed in the interview. Ideally, these will also serve as a compliment.
- Reiterate your qualifications and experience.
- Discuss your excitement for the position.
- Wrap the email up cordially, and include your contact information.
While each follow-up email will look slightly different, here’s an example you could follow as a template:
Dear [interviewer’s name],
Thank you for the opportunity to interview for [position name] at [facility’s name]. I appreciate your time and I was impressed to hear about the strong company culture and continuing education programs you have in place. I’m confident that my five years of experience as a CNA, coupled with my nursing degree, will make me a great fit for this role. After meeting with the team and seeing the facility in person, that [company name] would be an excellent place to work.
I look forward to hearing from you. Please reach out with any questions. Thank you again for your time.
Best regards,
[your name]
Be sure to proofread each email before you send it. Reading it aloud can help you catch any errors that spell check may not catch.
What To Do After Sending a Follow-Up Email
If you and the interviewer have already discussed when a hiring decision will be made, wait one to two business days until after that time has passed to follow up again (if you haven’t heard anything by then). On the other hand, if a date for a hiring decision wasn’t discussed, it’s generally acceptable to call within one to two weeks.
When you reach out again, simply let the employer know you’re following up to see if a hiring decision has been made and that you’re still interested in the position. They should be able to provide an answer or give a general time frame as to when you’ll hear back from them. To ensure you don’t miss any correspondence, check your spam folder and add your interviewers’ email addresses to your address book. Keep your phone on you at all times, and have answers ready to discuss your availability for a follow-up interview, start date, and what type of offer you’re open to accepting.
Mutual Nursing helps to secure your job prospects from the start by matching nurses and employers whose needs and expectations fit together. By streamlining this process, we allow nurses to focus more of their time and attention on preparing for a successful interview. We stay involved in the whole process, from matching you to the perfect job through the actual start of your career. Get started by filling out an application online.