There should be a follow-up, that’s not in question, but the manner and timing are a matter for debate. The best time to follow up is in the 24 hours immediately following the interview, meaning that things are fresh in both your mind and the interviewer’s. Your follow-up can also be used for damage control if something went wrong.
Making a positive contact at this time should reinforce the interviewer’s (hopefully positive) impression of you. Keep it short, thank them for their time and rehash some of the most important points that came up in the interview. When deciding how formal to be, you can take your cue from previously exchanged emails and the tone of the interview itself, but generally, in startups you can be relatively informal.
Here’s a basic template you can use to follow up after a job interview:
Hi {Interviewer’s Name},Thanks for your time yesterday. It was really helpful to get a better understanding of what you are looking for in the role.
After our conversation, I’m even more persuaded that it’s a position I can excel in. I know you are particularly looking for someone who can {X} and {Y}. While at {Company A}, I had great results with {X}. {Describe great results}. I also spent time doing {Y} at {Company B}, after which we saw {Describe results of Y}.
Let me know if you need anything else from me. Otherwise, I look forward to hearing from you {Time Frame that the Interviewer Mentioned}.Best,{Your Name}
If something went wrong, you can add something addressing that:
If you felt any part of the interview didn’t go as well as it might have done, such as you feel there was a question you could have answered better, address it in your follow-up email. Just use the same template as above, adding a sentence or two along the following lines.
Since we spoke, I have given some further thought to your question about {X}. To what I said at the time, I would like to add that {New Answer}.
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