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From the OWL resource Letters Concerning Employment

This resource was written by Lindsay Trawick and Purdue OWL.
Last full revision by .
Last edited by Allen Brizee on August 5th 2009 at 3:31PM

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Follow-Up After No Response to our Interview

The follow-up letter required when you receive no response to an interview is the subtlest of the follow-up letters. It is normally employed for two reasons: either the company is painfully slow in making decisions, or you have other offers pending and you want to hurry the decision along. If you have other offers, you must in all fairness contact the firms who have spent money and time on your interviews and visits to the firm before accepting another position. The main purpose of the letter is to request that a decision about your application be made.

What do you include?

  • Restate the position you interviewed for.
  • Make specific reference to your visit to the company or your interview.
  • If given a deadline by your interviewer as to when you should expect to hear from the company, state it. Also include any deadlines you have received from other companies.
  • Request that action be taken to either inform you of the status of your application or make an employment decision.

Remember to use an appropriate tone when writing this letter — you don't want to cause the scales to tip the other way!

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