For example, ask the hiring manager how long the post-interview process might take, if you can expect to hear from the company whether you got the job or not, and when you might hear something. You can also ask what the best way is of contacting the hiring manager if you have questions.

It’s also likely that the hiring manager won’t be able to give you an answer right away. They may have more candidates to interview, or they might need to discuss all of the candidates with a larger group of people.

For example, you can say something like “Dear Jim, I wanted to thank you for the opportunity to interview for the assistant manager position at Jim’s Bakery. I really enjoyed the interview, and I’m so excited about the new products that Jim’s Bakery is innovating!” Don’t ask for an update about the position in this note, just use it to thank the manager for interviewing you.

If the hiring manager gave you an actual date by which they’re hoping to make a decision, wait a few days after that to follow up. The dates they give are usually optimistic, and other things may have come up.

You can say something like, “Dear Jim, I hope things are going well. I was wondering if you could provide me with an update on the assistant manager position I interviewed for on May 5, 2017] Please let me know if I can provide you with any other information; I look forward to hearing from you. ”

You can say something like “Dear Emily, I hope you’re doing well. I wanted to check on the status of the coordinator position I interviewed for on January 10. I’ve since received an offer from another company, but I’m still eager to hear from you about joining ABC Consulting. Could you offer me any update on the position? Thanks for your time. ”

If you don’t hear after three check-ins, it doesn’t necessarily mean you won’t get the job. But it does mean that the timeline is definitely longer than you initially thought, and you don’t want to waste energy on it when you could be working on following up on other leads!