This is an All Ears English podcast, episode 63 Get the Job in English How to Ask About the Status of Your Application.
Welcome to the All Ears English podcast where you'll finally get real native English conversation and fluency for business and life.
We believe in connection, not perfection, when it comes to learning English.
Now here are your hosts Lindsay McMahon, the English adventurer, and Michelle Kaplan, the New York radio girl, coming to you from Boston and New York City, USA.
If you have just had a job interview in English, what are three key things you can say in a follow-up email to make sure you get the job?
Find out today.
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Hello, Lindsay.
Good day.
How are you?
Hello.
Hello, Jessica.
Excited to have you.
Once in a while, we get to hear your voice on All Ears English.
We're excited to have you here, guys.
Jessica is always hanging out over on the IELTS Energy Podcast from All Ears English.
So if you are taking the IELTS anytime in the next year, you got to go over there.
Right, Jessica?
Yeah.
Yes, definitely.
Guys, check out the other All Ears English podcast, IELTS Energy.
We have such a good time over there.
I am pretty much always there.
Lindsay sometimes is there.
Aubrey is sometimes there.
Even Michelle has made an appearance.
Even Michelle, our whole team.
Yeah, guys, our team is amazing.
We love to podcast together.
So you will hear different combinations of the four of us you know in different episodes on our different podcasts.
So get into it.
Get to know each of us.
We're all different, right?
I mean, Jessica, where are you based in the world?
Where are you?
I am based in Portland, Oregon, which has become a bit of a trendy city in the past decade or so.
It's a cool spot, you guys.
I know.
It's awesome.
What would you say, Lindsay?
You know, you're not super far from me in terms of America because America is so big.
That's right.
Yeah, I am based in the West now.
So I'm in Colorado.
And you know, I'm loving it out here.
I'm loving the attitude of the people in the West.
And it's just all good.
The lifestyle is more relaxed.
Totally.
Oh, for sure.
I love it.
West Coast is the best coast, guys.
So one of the best things that has happened to me actually, besides living in Portland, is getting a job with All Ears English.
And so we're going to talk about today, guys, how can you follow up after a job interview?
Because you know what, guys?
Taking action, going after your opportunities, following up that is so key to getting that success right.
It really is key.
And when I think about this, Jessica, I think about culture, right?
I wonder if this is cultural.
I wonder for our listeners, if you guys are in Japan, you're in Korea, you're in Taiwan, is this common in your culture or is the expectation more to sit back and wait?
What do you think, Jessica?
Any idea?
I would suspect just from my experience of living in Taiwan for about seven years.
And Lindsay, you spent years in Japan.
That's right.
From my experience, it is a more indirect culture, right, over there.
So I would expect this to not be the norm.
However, guys-
If it is not considered rude, like if it's not going to turn off the employer, you know what, guys?
Stand out.
That's my advice.
Show your positive determination.
Show your willingness, your desire for the job, right?
That helps you stand out from the hundreds of other applicants possibly.
Exactly.
And it brings to mind a key phrase for our listeners a little bonus today guys, that you should write down right now.
It's stay top of mind.
Stay top of mind.
It's so good because...
Our minds kind of have a bias, this recency effect.
Sometimes, when I'm interviewing companies or consultants or something whoever that we're going to work with, sometimes there's a little bit of bias for the first person we meet or the last person we meet.
I have to admit it.
It's true.
No, it is true.
Yeah.
When I was an IELTS examiner, it was the same.
You know what I mean?
Like the first candidate sticks out and the last candidate sticks out.
23 people I'm talking to.
But also it's like there's another idiom, end on a high note.
It's this idea of like finishing strong.
You know what I mean?
So if you are the last person, if the manager has gone through 50 resumes that day, talk to John.
And then the next day, you're the only person to call and check in or email and check in.
Then it's like, oh, that person.
Oh, yeah.
You know what?
Let's go with that guy.
It's so true.
It's amazing if we just take this extra step because not a lot of people do it.
And so this is how to combat the fact that if you were stuck right in the middle, right?
Your resume was right in the middle of that pile, or you were interviewed at noon and the interviews were all day.
This is the way to stay top of mind.
So let's give our listeners today some very clear phrases about how to follow up.
Maybe by email, let's imagine.
Yes. right?
You know, we will tell you if it should be written or spoken, because you might call, you might stop by.
But let's be honest, these days, you'll probably email.
So the first phrase is, I just wanted to follow up on our interview.
So that's how you'll begin the communication.
I just wanted to follow up on our interview.
And that's a complete sentence.
So a full stop.
And then you can continue.
Yeah.
Now Jessica, on this show, you know, and all there's English.
Michelle and I like to talk about the word just in, inserting the word just in into a phrase like that.
What are your thoughts on this insertion of just?
How does it change the meaning as opposed to I wanted to follow up?
It makes it more let's see a little more relaxed, but it also makes it a little more polite and indirect right.
Yeah.
Putting less pressure on the person.
It's less demanding.
Yes.
Right?
So if you just say, I want to follow up, that is kind of rude.
It's robotic.
Robotic.
Yes.
Right.
But if you're like I just wanted to follow up, it's like, oh hey, it has a much more relaxed vibe to it.
Exactly.
And you'll see in our other episodes guys, there are times when you don't want to use, just because it may play away from what you're saying.
It may convey different, I don't know, levels of confidence.
But in this case, it's nice to start here and just not be too intrusive.
Right.
So that's good.
Agreed.
Yes.
Okay.
What a native way to be relaxed.
I agree.
Just one word.
It's so native and natural.
And then what else could we say if we wanted to?
I like the idea of thanking the person.
Always.
Always.
Oh, my gosh.
Guys, we can never say please and thank you too often.
And that is a big difference between English and a lot of other languages how often we say please and thank you.
I'm telling you guys, we say it all the time.
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And so that's the next phrase, guys.
I wanted to thank you for your time.
I love this so much because it's like we're complimenting the other person in a way you know, like oh, thank you.
You were so kind to spend time with me.
Yeah.
I mean, they had to, but still, this is so polite.
Always thank me.
I completely agree with you, Jessica.
You cannot go wrong.
I find myself saying thank you multiple times and times in an email.
Like I'll open up with a thank you.
A lot of thank yous.
I say please a thousand times.
I wrote an email to all the parents on the soccer team that I'm coaching.
And I read back over it because even native speakers have to read a couple times.
I read back over it and I realized I said please in every single sentence.
The fact is manners never go out of style.
Totally.
It's another way to stand out, guys.
So I wanted to thank you for your time.
I love it.
That's so polite.
What's the next phrase?
Yeah.
So I wanna skip down here to the next phrase that you would be likely to say guys, if you are following back up with your interviewer okay,
So the next natural thing you could ask that interviewer would be is there any other information that you need from me?
I love it.
Oh, my gosh.
What this phrase does, guys.
It shows them that you are willing to do whatever it takes to spend more time and that you have whatever they would need right.
References, explanation of the last job, tasks or responsibilities, like whatever they need you have.
So this shows confidence and work ethic and desire.
So much is contained in that phrase.
Is there any other information that you need from me?
And it also keeps the conversation open.
Anytime you ask a question, it's like, oh, well, now they have to answer type thing.
Totally.
It's great to end on a question.
That's what I was just going to say.
Instead of saying please let me know if you need any other information.
It's actually very strategic to make this a question, because then that person might feel an open loop in their mind.
In psychology, we know human beings need to fill open loops.
They need to close those loops so that interviewer may feel the need to write back to you and touch base.
And now you've got the conversation going.
This is also a really good opportunity to insert some creative and unique ideas that would help the business.
I know that when Aubrey joined us and you guys have heard Aubrey on the podcast she sent us in that first follow-up email some really great episode ideas.
Yeah.
Right?
Totally.
Aubrey stood out from other candidates from the beginning.
She followed up.
Yes.
I love that.
So good.
So good.
So Jessica, I mean, those are the thing.
Maybe we'll leave it at that for today.
So Those are the ways that you guys can follow up directly with the interviewer at another date.
We can talk another episode.
We could talk about what you could expect to hear back, like what the interviewer might say in an email.
What do you think about that, Jessica?
Yes.
Perfect, perfect.
So the idea today, guys, is to go after those opportunities.
Be active.
Don't wait for the opportunities to come to you, right?
And now you have the language to do just that.
I love it.
I love it.
So good.
So guys, follow, subscribe to All Ears English.
Don't miss it.
And pretty soon.
In the next couple of episodes, we're going to talk about how to understand Hollywood movies.
Jessica, you are a big movie buff.
I know.
I'm a huge film nerd.
Oh, I'm excited.
All right.
Let's get into that soon.
So guys, listen to the next episode and enjoy our show.
Thanks, Jessica.
My pleasure.
Bye, Lindsay.
Bye.
Thanks for listening to All Ears English and if you believe in connection, not perfection, follow our show wherever you listen to podcasts to make sure you don't miss anything.
See you next time.
