How to Follow Up Without Sounding Pushy

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By Lindsey Plewa-Schottland, Graduate Career Management Center Advisor

Your resume and cover letter are just two pieces of written communication that are part of the job search. Appropriate follow-up etiquette is just as important but there’s a fine line between being enthusiastic and being pushy. Lately, I’ve been working with more students on crafting the perfect email for their particular situation, but I created two templates below to help get you started.

When following up with someone you met at a networking event you want to 1) reintroduce yourself, 2) explain why you’re interested in speaking with them further and 3) be specific about what you’re asking for.

Sample networking follow up email:

Hi John,

It was great meeting you last week at the Direct Marketing Club’s happy hour. I was really interested in learning how you transitioned from accounting to market research and would love to learn more as I’m going through a similar transition.

Are you open to meeting for a coffee at a place convenient for you or speaking over the phone for 15-20 minutes?

If so, please let me know a few dates/times that work with your schedule over the next two weeks.

Thanks for considering,

Sally

Another common follow up email that is tricky to write but equally important, is following up after an interview. If you’ve already sent a thank you email and it’s been the allotted time frame you were supposed to hear from the company, you should definitely follow up. You want to 1) thank the person again for their time, 2) send a link to an article, networking event or anything they would find useful, 3) use a tone that’s positive, not pushy.

Sample interview follow up email:

Hi James,

Thank you again for meeting with me last month to discuss the tax internship. I came across this article and given our conversation, thought you may find it interesting. (link to article)

I remain interested in the internship opportunity and look forward to hearing from you regarding the team’s decision.

Thank you,

Sally



Lindsey Plewa - Schottland
Manager, Graduate Career Programs

Lindsey Plewa-Schottland joined the Graduate Career Management Center at Baruch College in the summer of 2012 as Manager of Graduate Career Programs. In her current role, she provides individual career coaching to MBA and MS students, delivers presentations on career-related topics and manages the center’s Graduate Assistants. Previously, she was a Career Coach for part-time MBAs and alumni of the Leonard N. Stern School of Business at New York University where she managed a professional development program for 200 students annually.  Prior to joining NYU Stern in the fall of 2008, Lindsey served as an Education Advisor at NYU’s School of Continuing and Professional Studies for two years. Lindsey holds a BA from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and holds a MA and two professional certificates, one in Adult Career Planning and one in Leadership Skills, from NYU.

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