Question for those who interviewed with small shops and got an offer—any tips?
Last week, I interviewed with a small real estate development shop. The interview felt pretty good—I got to speak directly with the co-founder, and he seemed satisfied with my hard skills. He mentioned they’d be interviewing a few more people and would likely update me in about a week and a half. There might also be an in-person interview next.
I sent him a thank-you message the same day. Now, after almost a week, I’m wondering: should I send another message to check in and express that I’m still interested? I really want this position, but I also don’t want to come across as pushy or annoying.
For those of you who’ve landed offers at smaller shops:
- Did you follow up again during the waiting period?
- What helped you stand out in these kinds of interviews?
Would love to hear your experiences and advice!
Based on the most helpful WSO content, here’s how you can approach this situation effectively:
Follow-Up Timing:
How to Follow Up:
Subject: Follow-Up on [Position Name] Interview
Body:
"Dear [Co-Founder’s Name],
I hope this message finds you well. I wanted to follow up regarding the [Position Name] role I interviewed for last week. I remain very enthusiastic about the opportunity to contribute to your team and would love to hear if there are any updates regarding the next steps in the process. Please don’t hesitate to let me know if there’s anything further you need from me.
Best regards,
[Your Name]"
Standing Out in Interviews:
Networking and Persistence:
Final Tip:
Good luck! Smaller shops often value persistence and genuine enthusiasm, so stay professional and confident.
Sources: Thank You Email After Interview, Unemployed and living in parents' basement, losing hope, How to get out of “questions” mode during a networking call, "The Ask" - How to?
Send them a quick note like you suggested on Monday. With small shops, there’s always a good chance they’re spinning 50 different plates and trying to do way too much—especially if they need to hire people to take some of that load off. Easy for soft deadlines to drag.
I’m at a “small shop” and I agree with CRE. Just follow up with your contact.
The only thing we focus on other than hard skills is culture fit / interest. If we think you’re not excited about the role and you aren’t a fit culturally then we move on. It’s not great advice but that’s the truth for us. Best of luck.
It's a small shop. Everyone is being pulled in 50 different directions. With CRE, these guys (and gals) all have a list of things they never seem to get to - they're just always answering the next email or emergency that finds them.
Make it easy - just drop them a note that you're ready to start whenever, you are ready/willing/able to jump in immediately and add value, and ready to just be a member of the team.
Most of the firms are just looking for people to help who don't need a ton of hand-holding. You don't need to know anything, just be self-sufficient.
On the standing out piece... do you have a connection to the firm? It could be personal/family/Capital Relationships. Otherwise I can see the firm going with the devil they know, but that's just my 2 cents.
My first job after my MSRE was with a small/midsize developer. The way I even learned about this company is because I was very interested in investing in a specific submarket of my city that was very hot and the city was handing out zoning relief for denser development like candy. I would go out there every week touring new developments, looking at sale comps, and researching projects that developers were proposing. As I was researching this market, I would come across this developer over and over again as they had tons of developments in this market. There was no open position at the developer, but I was so interested in what they were doing that I cold emailed the CFO/head of acquisitions to talk about their projects and attached my resume just in case. He invited me to the office and while I was waiting in the meeting room, he comes out with my resume in hand and I realize that this actually might be an interview. We essentially spent the entire interview talking about their projects, which I am very familiar with as the plans are all public. At the end, he informed me that his analyst just quit a couple months ago and he's been meaning to hire someone. He offered me the job on the spot.
As for whether or not you should reach out again. I think you should. In my experience, I've found that usually the older, more senior folks appreciate enthusiasm and hunger.
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