Applying for Machine Operator Jobs? Here’s How to Follow Up After an Interview

The Right Way to Follow Up After a Machine Operator Job Interview

Recently finished interviewing for your dream machine operator job? Maybe you think the interview was a slam dunk and it’s only a matter of time before the hiring manager calls you with a job offer. However, if you don’t hear back from them, now is not the time to give up. The average hiring process takes 23 days so, before you put that job interview in the past, you should reach out and follow up with the employer.

How Long to Wait Before You Follow Up?

The first step you should take in following up after a machine operator job interview is to send out a Thank You note. This should be done within two days after the interview. This can be handwritten and mailed or emailed to the hiring manager or person scheduling the interviews.

Only one in 20 candidates send out Thank You notes, according to Livecareer, so this immediately sets you apart and keeps you at the front of the hiring manager’s mind.

If you are not informed about the next steps and when you can expect to hear back during the interview, it is best to wait a week before you follow up.

Being too eager and immediately following up – or sending multiple emails asking about the next steps – puts you at risk of annoying the hiring manager or recruiter. In turn, this can damage your chances of landing the machine operator job.

How to Follow Up After an Interview

Once it is time to follow up, you need to do so in the right way. There are some basic steps you can follow that will ensure you do not annoy the decision-maker.

The first thing you should do is contact the person who said they would be in touch. This will often be the person who interviewed you or the recruiter.

The next step is to decide the medium of communication. Email is often the most convenient way, as calling without knowing the recruiter’s schedule will make it difficult to get through to them.

Don’t appear too pushy when writing your email. Here’s some tips:

• Start your email by addressing the person by their first name. This helps the email to appear personal, not been copied and pasted, and is more likely to grab their attention in their busy inbox.
• Mention that it was a machine operator job you were applying for and the date of your interview. This information will make it easier for the recipient of your email to identify you.
• Confirm that you are still interested in the position, and that you are waiting to hear about the next steps in the hiring process.
• Ask for an update on where the company is in the hiring process and when you can expect for a decision to be made.

An example of how you can write this kind of email is:

Hi [insert hiring manager or recruiter’s name],

I hope you are having a good week. I came in to interview for the machine operator position on [insert date]. You mentioned that candidates would hear back about next steps this week. I haven’t heard anything, and was hoping you would be able to give me an update?

I look forward to hearing from you.

Kind regards,

[Insert your name]

Keep your follow-up concise. Get straight to the point whilst also being friendly. There is no need to write an essay – this will simply waste the recipient’s time.

To Sum Up

Hiring managers can get busy and unintentionally forget to respond to all their candidates. Thus, it is always good practice to send a follow-up email. This will often be met with the same courtesy, and you’ll receive a rapid response.

Once you have a response about next steps you can put your mind at ease rather than spend the next week worrying about why you haven’t heard from an employer.

Contact Coast Personnel for help finding your next machine operator job – and be kept in the loop with your application and interview feedback.