You’ve got a response from the HR department about an email or inquiry that you have sent them. Great! The way you handle this email is vital. You may get a simple automated “thank you for your application” email. You may get an email that tells you how to move forward in the process.
You’ve heard me mention many times that emails from schools, especially from a human resources department, need to be handled in a timely fashion. I stated earlier that I’ve spoken with many hiring managers and they shared with me some of their insights. You heard it mentioned before that the INTERVIEW process may begin during the hiring process. They may be looking for your timeliness in responding to emails and your completeness in submitting the application.
If you do happen to get an email from the human resources department that’s more than just an automated response, this is the time where you need to pretty much drop everything and respond to this email. You need to start out on a great foot with these schools. If you cannot, for some reason, respond as soon as possible, at least respond within 24 hours. This not only shows that you respond in a timely fashion, but that you take the email seriously.
Also, make sure that you monitor your junk email folder as some messages may end up in there. Another item that hiring managers have advised me that they have issues with is the email message itself. You’d be surprised at how many people send short and direct emails that are full of spelling and grammar errors. While you want to respond quickly, you want to do it effectively and professionally as well. Be positive and welcoming and, of course, double check your work. You do not want to run the risk of NOT getting a job because of a simple mistake.