For a successful follow up, the candidate should make sure the phone interview ends with a positive note. Thanking the interviewer for the opportunity is the simplest way. The candidate should ask for the contact details from the interviewer, at the end of the conversation, to enable a proper follow up. Details required for a follow up are the interviewer's name, phone number and email address.
A thank you email is the starting point of a follow up. It consists of a few sentences expressing gratitude for extending the opportunity through a phone interview and the candidate's interest in working with the company. The letter should also contain the candidate's name with the date and time of the interview. The thank you email should be sent immediately after the interview.
The actual follow up begins 2 to 3 days after the phone interview. The decision to follow up depends solely on the candidate's performance in the interview. Following up helps in expressing one's interest in the company and also defines the character and attitude. It makes the candidate excel among a list of probable candidates.
Follow up is done in 2 to 3 days time form the interview. It can be an email, printed or a handwritten letter. Emails are quick and printed letters look professional. A follow up email should contain the name of the candidate, time and date of the phone conversation. It should basically reflect the candidate's interest in the company and the reason that he would fit best in the job. A follow up email creates good impression and gives an example of the communication skills. A letter less than ten lines would suffice.
Sometimes candidates will have to follow up the interviewer for 1-2 weeks. It is better to make a phone call to the interviewer and talk about the interests and know about the company's decision. If the company is yet to decide about the further steps, it would be good to fix a time to call back again. Phone call follow ups are more reachable than emails, since the recruiter may be busy to answer a huge list of follow up emails. A 3 to 4 minute talk would serve the purpose. Frequent calling may not be advised.
The advantages of follow ups are good impression, positive about communication skills and it increases the chances of getting a job.