You don’t want to come across as pushy or over-eager after a job interview. However, if your interviewer told you when to expect to hear from them and that time is long past, you are probably wondering if you should reach out.

If following up by phone is your style, Indeed has some steps to consider before taking that plunge.

One significant thing to consider is if it would be better to send an email. A phone call is an immediate demand on someone’s time and you are liable to catch a busy manager at an inopportune time. An email might be better received since they can respond at their own convenience.

However, if you feel you had a good enough rapport with the interviewer to do a call, make sure you don’t rush it. Give them the leeway of a week or so before touching base. But the most important step is to plan what you will say.

If you do a call you never know if they will pick up or if you will get a voice mail. To avoid being thrown off by the unexpected, rehearse the points you want to cover beforehand. You don’t need a whole speech, just notes to remember to mention who you are, the position you interviewed for, when you last spoke with them, and so forth.

Keep it short and get to the point. And perhaps avoid outright asking if you are hired, but rather offer that you are still available to answer additional questions if needed. It gets the same point across in a more subtle way.

If your call yields no new information, or even just a voice mail with no response back, you can probably start looking into other companies. However, taking the initiative with a call can also be well-received, as it demonstrates you are still very interested in the role.

Think over how the tone of the interview was and determine if you feel a call would be appropriate.

For more tips on how to prepare to follow up with a call, read Indeed’s post on the matter here.