How To Write A Letter After An Interview

Thank You Email Length: How Long Should Your Message Be

Some samples above are more formal while others are more casual. Youll notice that theyre all relatively brief, though. In my experience as a recruiter, a short thank you email after the interview is best. On average, I recommend 85 to 150 words.

And thats true whether youre writing a thank you email after a phone interview, Zoom/video interview, or a second/third in-person interview.

Its also true whether youre writing to thank a recruiter, HR person, hiring manager, or anyone else who spent time interviewing you!

Your message could go up to 200 words if youre very far along in the hiring process and have spent multiple hours interviewing with people from the company, but Id still aim to be brief and concise, rather than sending a full page.

Use your best judgement, though. You know your industry and prospective employer, so think about what type of message theyll appreciate. The advice above is simply what works best for the greatest amount of people, on average.

How To Deal With Not Getting An Answer From Your Interviewer

If your interviewer hasnt gotten back to you yet, it could mean theyre still interviewing candidates, they havent reached a final decision or, unfortunately, you didnt pass to the next round. However, theres no need to fret. Only after you send your thank you letter, should you follow up by sending a short and polite message asking for an estimate of when you can expect a decision. If theyre still deciding on candidates, this shows youre interested in the job, and youre on top of deadlines.

Who Should I Send A Thank

You should send a thank-you note to everyone with whom you have interviewed. For instance, if a recruiter interviewed you, then you should send them a note. Or if it was a hiring manager that conducted the interview, you should send them the letter instead.

You may not have the contact information of the person who interviewed you. In that case, ask the person who initially reached out to you if you can have the email address or address of the interviewer.

In the case of panel interviews, you should not send a personalized email to each interviewer. Instead, send a thank-you note to the person who led the interview, CCing everyone else.

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How To Write A Rejection Letter After An Interview

• Content Manager and Career Expert

Any hiring process can be an exciting and stressful time. Exciting because of the prospects of finding a candidate that will fit perfectly into your team and make it stronger, but also stressful because youll need to reject a number of unsuccessful candidates in the process. And dishing out the decline pie isnt fun at all!

While many employers dont bother informing unsuccessful candidates about their decision, its usually good practice to let them know you wont be taking their application any further. Not only will this put interviewees mind at rest , but it will also do good to your reputation.

Luckily, were here to help heres how to let them down gently in a professionally written rejection letter.

How To Write A Thank You Email After Your Phone Interview

The phone interview is one of the most important parts of the job interview process. To make yourself stand out to employers, you should send a thank you email after the phone interview to show your professionalism and politeness. Your thank you email should be brief and informative as you remind the interviewer why you’re the best fit for the position.

In this article, we explain why a thank you email after a phone interview is important, how to send one and include a template and examples of effective thank you emails to help you write your own.

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Use Good Quality Thank You Notes Or Paper

If you are going to hand write your note, use standard thank you notes you find in a stationery/card store. Dont use fancy and flowery cards unless they are appropriate for the business , and avoid very small cards since that will limit your ability to include sufficient information.

Thank you notes typically fold in half with Thank you on the top and the inside blank. Hand write your thank you on the bottom half or the right half of the inside of the note, depending on how the card works, so that your note is immediately visible without having to turn the card to view it when opened.

If you are sending a word processed note, be sure to have good quality paper in your printer with, hopefully, matching envelopes for you to use.

Template For A Thank You Email After A Job Interview

An in-person job interview is a huge opportunity. And employers tell us that the way candidates follow up is an important indicator of their interest in the position. Candidates who go silent after the interview come across as disinterested. So if you really want the job, take the time to write a sincere, customized email immediately after you end the interview, and send it the same day.

Subject Line: Thank you from ] ]

Dear ],

Thank you, again, for the time you spent with me today. I really enjoyed meeting you and exploring how I might be able to assist ] as the new ].

After our conversations, I am even more confident that this position is a job I would enjoy, as well as one where I can be successful and make a valuable contribution.

I am particularly excited about ]

You mentioned that the decision on this position will be made in ]. In the meantime, if there is any additional information you need from me please let me know and Ill get it over to you!

Again, I appreciate the chance to interview with ] and am grateful for the time you spent with me.

Sincerely,

There you have it! Follow these templates, and make extra sure to customize them to your own voice and situation. Before you know it, youll be perfecting your interview follow-up and hearing back after more interviews. Ill wish you luck with your next interview, because I know youve got the thank you email covered.

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The Benefits Of Sending A Follow

An effective thank-you note does more than just express your appreciation. It helps you make the case for your candidacy and gives you another chance to impress the hiring manager. A Robert Half survey reported that 58% of hiring managers thought thank-you messages were somewhat helpful, and 22% said they were very helpful.

To get started on your note, review examples of follow-up emails and letters. Then, customize your message to reflect your goals.

Explain What Makes You The Best Fit For The Role

You can use this next section to reiterate any skills or qualities you may possess that make you well-suited for the position. View the job posting as you type this email and mention any preferred skills they have listed that you may have as well. You can also reference your notes if you took any during the interview and use those to connect yourself to the position or company.

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What Do You Do While Waiting For A Reply

After interviewing for a job, you should line up other job opportunities and get ready to ace those interviews as well. To prepare excellent thank-you letters, you can use our Cover Letter Builder, which ensures your letter is typo-free and professionally formatted. Once inside the builder, simply add your recipients and your contact information, and follow the steps above to create the letters body.

In the meantime, be prepared for your employers final answer, but dont stress if it feels like its taking too long. There are other jobs out there, and you should prepare for them by updating your resume!

Rewriting a resume every few months can get tiring, but our user-friendly Resume Builder makes this process so much quicker. All you have to do is fill out the required information, and the builder formats it in a snap. Our builder also offers resume-writing tips and auto-suggested phrasing that make you sound like a pro.

Before you know it, youll be way ahead in your job search and getting job offers in no time.

Refined

This simple layout features a traditional font and the clever use of section borders to help each section of your resume stand out.

Standout

This distinctive two-column resume template identifies your name and professional experience in a bold color and clean presentation.

Original

A clever design that breaks each of your professional accomplishments into distinct sections while following a format that will pass applicant tracking systems.

AcclaimedBold

Create Your Subject Line And Greeting

Once you’ve taken the necessary notes, you can build your email. Start with a subject line that briefly and clearly explains the reason for your email. This can be something like, “Thank You- Interview.” You can also include your first and last name after the words, “Thank You” for additional clarification.

Your greeting can be something simple to start your email. You can write a friendly, but professional greeting like “Hello ” or “Dear .”

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How To Write The Perfect Thank You Letter After An Interview

The thank you note is an art that must be practiced and perfected. Here are a few examples of really great thank you emails, cards, and messages along with some helpful tips to write the perfect thank you letter after an interview.

A typical thank you note outline should follow a format similar to this.

Pro Tip: Include more information about conversations discussed during the interview. This shows you were listening and that something stood out to you.

1.The Hand Written Note

Pros: Shows you took time to sit down and write a letter.

Cons: Takes time to get to your interviewer because it has to be sent in the snail mail.

While not every letter is as fancy as this one letters should be written on a higher quality paper, in cursive, and be to the point. This letter thanks Kelly for a specific thing that she did for the writer and notices something about the company.

Side note: Seal Wax Kits can be really inexpensive has them for roughly $8.

2. The Email

Pro: Instant communication to hiring manager post interview

Con: Can get lost in the email shuffle

This is an excellent example of a follow up email. It is clear, concise and right to the point. It thanks the interviewers, expresses interest and then follows up with next steps.

3. The Combo

Pro: Buys you time to send a letter

Con: None Really

An Informal Short And Sweet Follow

Hi, John,

It was great meeting you and chatting with you about the today! Our chat was very inspiring, and it was good to learn more about the role.

It sounds exciting, and I think I am the right candidate for the job, thanks to my years of experience in .

Thank you for the opportunity. Please contact me if you want to discuss it further.

As you can see, this email is relatively informal. Its probably better suited for younger companies and those that have a more casual company culture. It can also work after an unofficial and informational chat with a potential employer.

Also Check: What Questions To Ask The Interviewer At The End

Does Sending A Thank

It can, if the note is well written.

“There are times when the candidate has a terrible first round, usually due to nerves,” Smith said. “But they took the time to write a sincere and well-considered note explaining their interest in the role and how their experience makes them uniquely qualified.”

Other times, Smith notes, there are phone screens instead of in-person interviews, and those who write a thank-you note are automatically invited back for an in-person interview. Sutherland had a similar experience.

“I got my college internship at The Detroit News because I handwrote a thank-you note,” Sutherland said. “How do I know? One day in the newsroom that summer, the editor told me I was the only one who wrote a thank-you.”

“While not every recruiter or hiring manager cares whether a candidate sends a thank-you message, I’ve never heard of a single one, in any industry, think poorly of a candidate for sending a thank-you note,” she added.

Editing Your Work: A Thank

I love to edit all sorts of writing, but I know this isnt true for everyone! Since editing can be a time-consuming step, here are two checklists you can use to make sure your email is flawless: one for real letters and one for emails. Dont worry, editing shouldnt take longer than five minutes, so youll still get that email out in time!

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Recap Of Your Qualifications

Next, provide a short recap of your experience and background. The interviewer should already be aware of these qualifications after reading your resume and meeting with you, so this section should be brief. Connect your qualifications to the position and its unique requirements to express why you are such a strong candidate for the job. For example, you can write, My social media and search engine marketing expertise would make me an excellent candidate for this marketing role.

How Long Until You Hear Back After The Second Interview

The hiring manager will often provide a specific date by which they will contact you by. If that date has passed, feel free to send a follow up email to get an update.

If they failed to mention a specific date or timeline, give it a few days before reaching out.

Read Also: What To Say In A Phone Interview For A Job

Writing The Body Of Your Follow

The body of your follow-up email should be short and to-the-point. Most employers prefer to receive a short and sweet follow-up email after the job interview without any unnecessary info.

So be clear and direct about why youre following up. Dont be timid. However, you should be polite and respectful, no matter how long youve been waiting.

How to write a follow-up email after an interview:

That last point is critical. Even if youre about to send a second or third interview follow-up email after two weeks, writing a rude message or showing frustration wont make the employers decision-making process move any faster, and it could even cost you the job.

Keep Your Message Brief

Since the interviewer may quickly scan your email, you should keep the content brief and simple. As you reread your email, try to delete any unnecessary information that may not be relevant to the interview or to your qualifications for the position. This will make it easier for the interviewer to quickly read your email and return to their work.

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After The Thank You Notes Are Sent

If you dont hear from them for a couple of weeks longer than you expected, dont panic. MUCH could be going on that has nothing to do with you at all. But do reach out to see what is happening. Do NOT contact them daily or even weekly for a decision.

NEVER suspend your job search while you wait for a decision from an employer, even if the job is your dream job.

Restarting your job search can be challenging and, if youve been turned down, you may be more discouraged because you need to re-start your momentum.

About the author

Online job search expert Susan P. Joyce has been observing the online job search world and teaching online job search skills since 1995. A veteran of the United States Marine Corps and a recent Visiting Scholar at the MIT Sloan School of Management, Susan is a two-time layoff graduate who has worked in human resources at Harvard University and in a compensation consulting firm. Since 1998, Susan has been editor and publisher of Job-Hunt.org. Follow Susan on Twitter at and on , .

Evaluate The Job Offer

If you get a job offer, how should you respond? You may want to accept the job immediately if you feel that the employer is offering you a fair wage. You also may want to take some time and think it over, especially if you have other opportunities to weigh. Either way, express your enthusiasm and ask to take some time to consider the offer.

The only way to know if an offer is fair is to compare the offer to the regional average and evaluate the offer against your personal and financial considerations.

To compare the offer against the regional average:

• Consider your locationâboth city and stateâand determine how much salary and benefits someone in your field and position earns.
• Consider your education, experience, and skill level.
• Determine whether the offer includes benefits such as medical insurance, life and disability insurance, sick/vacation/personal days, and an employee retirement program.

Use Salary.com’s Salary Wizard to find out how your offer stacks up against the average. Answer a few questions to get a free report that graphs your salary compared with the regional average.

To evaluate your job offer against your financial considerations, answer the following questions:

• What are myâand my family’sâliving costs?
• How many hours will I work each week?
• How much time and money will I spend getting to work ?
• If I’m asked to relocate, what are the costs of moving and living in another city?
• How much will I pay for child care?

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