Checklist
Interview follow-up checklist
This is for the days after an interview, when it is easy to send a message too fast, too often or without anything useful in it. Use it for the thank-you note and for any status check-ins. It takes about 15 minutes to write each message.
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Why these rules
The employer's own timeline is the best clock you have, which is why the first section asks you to get it before you leave. Hiring often moves slower than candidates expect, because of schedules, other candidates and approvals, and silence is not a reliable sign of rejection or acceptance. A thank-you note within a day keeps the conversation fresh, and a check-in after the stated window gives the employer a fair chance to reply. More than a few messages tends to look pushy, and one message to one main contact is easier to answer than several.
These are rules of thumb, not guarantees. Large organizations, public-sector employers and senior roles often take longer, and some processes finish in days. If you have another offer with a deadline, it is reasonable to write sooner and say so honestly; never invent a competing offer.
Where this comes from
The checklist condenses this site's guides to writing a thank-you email and to how long to wait before following up, and reflects common career-centre advice to send a short, specific thank-you promptly and to follow up politely once after the stated decision window. The business-day ranges are widely used rules of thumb, not measured figures.