Following up might feel like a complicated topic, but it can actually be quite simple! Whether it be new people you meet in your search process or those you’ve lost touch with over time, remember that others generally like to get messages that show they’ve made an impact on others and that they are remembered.

To simplify things for you, here are responses to three frequently asked questions:

How soon do I follow up after sending the initial email if I don’t hear back?

If you are familiar with The Two Hour Job Search, you have heard of the 3B7 practice for following up on an initial outreach email. It is a great way to keep this part of your search simple, and focus your attention on other things. In short, for the companies you are targeting, you write an outreach message to one person at a time. If you do not hear back from that person in 3 business days, try someone else. In 7 business days, send your email to the person again, creating one more opportunity for them to reply. Keep repeating until you find a booster at the company, then stop. You don’t want to alienate a booster!

What do I do after an informational chat? Should I follow-up with everyone I meet?

Sending thank you notes is an important habit, and we encourage you to write them to the people who generously share their time and insights with you. You definitely do not have to keep in touch with everyone you meet, and the best advice is to trust your judgement. Like other parts of your life, you meet lots of people superficially, and some are those you would like to keep in touch with. As time passes, develop a sense of whether you are not selective enough (more correspondence than you think is worth it or you can keep up with without damaging your reputation with slow responses), too selective (noticing that you rarely find someone who interests you enough), or even that there is something in your search that needs troubleshooting (for example, your chats are ineffective or your search is not targeted towards your interest areas).

What are some ways to follow up, exactly?

1. Send a “status update” a couple weeks after informational interviews. Your chats should be generating plenty of interesting suggestions that further your search and professional development. If they are not, it is a cue that you should make some changes. (Please connect with a coach to troubleshoot together!) Read your meeting notes and take time to investigate their recommendations. For each, attempt to understand the rationale for sharing, its relevance to you, and how much time to invest. After you follow through on some of their suggestions, you have got something interesting to write back about that accomplishes a few things. First, they know you were listening and truly valued their input. Second, they get evidence that you are serious about the field, organization, or role because you’re spending your time to become a better candidate. Third, you stand out and earn credibility because your attentiveness, communication and follow-through demonstrate the qualities that correlate with being a strong employee.
2. Ask if they are active on any professional social media or publishing platforms and follow them. You could even set up a Google alert. Simply reading the posts of a person you admire has lots of learning benefits, and finding the right opportunity to comment, ask a question, or make a remark based on your own specialization is even better. You will also begin to see who else they connect and communicate with, potentially leading to future informational chats or someone else to follow online. It is an organic way to discover and develop your own network. Finally, becoming a part of a small community is FANTASTIC for you professionally. While you are searching, it is great to become and be seen as someone who has earned a place and belongs. It shows you are no longer an outsider attempting to start in a profession, but someone who simply has not gotten the job yet.
3. If something in your day-to-day life reminds you of them, write a note. From time to time, you will think about someone you have met. This might be prompted by the news, a memory, something you learn, or anything else. Rather than keep it to yourself, use the genuine cue to write a few sentences to say hello. This would look like: a sentence or two to share the reason for writing, a few sentences updating them about you, and perhaps a question about them. If you build the habit you will learn how to send these out in just a few minutes and without stress. Remember, it is not an intrusion and easy to get right. People really like getting notes like this!