What To Write In An Interview Thank You Email

Who Should I Write The Thank You Email To

Email a thank you to each person with whom you interacted.

If you met with four or five different people during an in-person interview, send an email of thanks to each of them.

Also, be sure to write something unique to each person you thank.

You never know when they might compare notes literally and you dont want them to see that you used the same wording in every single message.

How To Write An Effective Thank

Get everyones name right. Make it a point during or immediately after the interview to jot down the names and titles of everyone involved in the conversation. Often group members will hand you their business cards at the end of the interview. If they dont, make sure to double-check the correct spellings of their names by reviewing the companys website or LinkedIn.

Be graciousand grateful. The most important part of a thank-you letter is right in the name: thank you. Thank the hiring team for their time and attention and for answering your questions and clarifying the role.

Look at templates and examples before composing your message. Use examples to guide your writing, but be sure to customize your note. Canned language wont impress the hiring team.

Send your letter ASAP. Ideally, you should send your note or email right after the interview. Dont let 24 hours go by without conveying your thanks.

Should I Send A Thank You By Regular Mail Or Email

This is one of those areas where technology has facilitated easier ways to communicate and express thanks.

In short, its perfectly fine to send a thank you email rather than a handwritten thank you note sent by the good ol postal service.

In a survey of HR managers, 94% state that an email is an appropriate way to express thanks after an interview.

The other two most acceptable methods are:

• Handwritten note

Only seven percent believe its okay to send a thank you via social media.

Even fewer find a texted thank you after an interview acceptable.

There are some situations when you might send a traditional thank you note in addition to sending an email.

Does the company have a formal and conventional feel?

If so, they might appreciate a traditional thank you note sent by mail.

Are you seeking a job in the nonprofit sector?

If so, this is an industry where a handwritten thank you might show you are a great fit.

Do you feel that you had a great connection with the hiring manager?

If this is the case and you want to express a personal thank you, it might be an appreciated gesture.

Because a thank you via email is generally preferred, our focus during the remainder of our article is how to write a great thank you email after interviewing with a company.

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What To Do If You Are Invited For A Second Interview

Depending on the company you are interviewing with, you may be asked to come in for a second interview. This often happens with larger companies with more elaborate recruiting systems. However, small companies also use multiple interviews to ensure you are the right fit for their team.

If you receive a phone call or email asking you to come in for a second interview, you want to collect as much information as possible about who you will be speaking with and how it may be different from the first interview.

For example, you will want to ask questions like:

• Will I be meeting with the same team members as the other day?
• Is there anything specific that I should be ready to discuss?
• Should I expect to be tested on any particular skills?

Make a note of all of this information and then prepare accordingly.

Be Specific With The Title

Ensure the title of your email refers directly to the person who interviewed you. In situations where more than one person interviewed you, you can send different emails to each using the same template. Such titles as “Dear Human Resources” may indicate that you didn’t pay attention to your interviewer during the interview. Using the personal names of the interviewer gives your email a personal touch that leaves a good impression.

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Job Interview Thank You Email Basics

Whether you feel like a rockstar after your interview or you think it could have gone better, its best to get into the habit of sending an interview thank you email following every interview. If you interviewed with more than one person, send separate emails to each interviewer, even for a panel interview.

You might choose to send a handwritten thank you letter. Handwritten notes are rare these days, so youll stand out from others. However, snail mail can take days to arrive. Since the recruiting process often moves quickly, its best to send an email thank you letter so its received in a timely manner.

Every interview thank you email has the same foundational information:

• Subject line
• Contact information and closing salutation

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If you want to create a strong professional brand and leave a lasting impression with employers, you need to master the post- interview thank you email.

As soon as you leave a job interview, its best to follow up with a sincere, professional, and engaged thank you email. Make sure they know you appreciate their time and attention in meeting with you!

Before we dig into the mechanics of a great interview thank you email, though, know this: sending an email is not a replacement for sending a handwritten thank you note to your interviewer. I always advise folks to do both after an in-person interview. But it will take a day or two for your beautiful thank you card to arrive on your interviewers doorstep. Email has the advantage of delivering an instant dose of gratitude to the people who have the power to give you the job of your dreams.

When writing your post-interview thank you email, keep these three things in mind:

To help you out, I built three email templates for you to follow. Use these templates as a guide to build your own personal rockstar thank you email to send after job interviews!

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When And To Whom You Should Send Thank You Emails

Hiring managers recommend you send a thank you email quickly.

Jeff Kelleher, Talent Management Specialist at Combined Insurance, states, My suggested rule of thumb is to send a thank you email within 48 hours of your interview.

Vienne Cheung, a Partner at Motu Novu in Boston, recommends that you send an interview follow-up email within 24 hours: For me, I read that as a candidate that is eager to work with us.

Make sure you either send emails to everyone you met or reference the other people in the thank you email to the hiring manager.

Gretchen Skalka, a Senior Manager at TBC Corporation, notes, The hiring manager usually puts some thought, some strategy behind the selection of people to co-interview. It also shows that they were paying careful attention to the entire room and content of the interview, and not simply focusing on the hiring manager.

How To Write A Thank You Email After A Phone Interview

As you write your thank you email, you should focus on the items discussed in your interview and highlight any skills or qualifications you’d like the interviewer to remember. Follow the steps below to write an effective thank you email once the phone interview is complete:

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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.

Why Is A Thank You Email After Interview Important

A thank-you email after an interview has lots of benefits that you can take advantage of.

It is a perfect combination of good manners and showing interest in the job position.

Just like you are not sure if the interview went well, the hiring manager would be in doubt if you still want the position.

A thank-you email after an interview can help with that and increase your chances of getting the job.

Furthermore, you can always include any links or mention important facts that you could not get to share during the interview.

So it is essential to write a thank-you email to the interviewer and re-assure them of your interest in the position and share whatever you might have missed.

But make sure you do so within 24 hours.

Some hiring processes move along faster than you would expect.

You would want your thank-you email to arrive and be noticed before the company has made its decision.

So dont waste any time and send it within a day after the interview has ended.

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Internal Interview Thank You Email Template

Often a crucial step in making yourself competitive in the hiring process, the thank you interview email can be simple and direct. Use this internal interview thank you email template to help you craft your own email following a promotion interview:

Subject: Thank you for meeting with me

Dear ,

Thank you for taking the time out of your day to meet with me about the . I enjoyed speaking with you about the opportunity.

As you know, I have years of experience in , with specific skills in . I’m prepared for the challenge would provide and would relish in this new opportunity.

I’ve been a loyal employee of for . I truly feel at home here. The make this an incredible place to work and continue to grow in .

Let me know if you need any other information from me to help you make a decision about the position. I look forward to speaking with you again soon.

Sincerely,

Second/final Interview Thank You Email Example

After a second and potentially final interview, it’s best to follow up and show interest in moving forward with the job offer. In this third sample email, it’s best to recap the entire interview process.

Dear George

I want to say how incredible the entire interview experience has been. We’ve had the opportunity to cover what the company is looking for. How the job title is going to differ from other positions.

During this entire process, I have been nothing but extremely impressed with the team.

Wanted to reach out and tell you I appreciate what we’ve done together.

I look forward to hearing from you and the team after you’ve had the opportunity to review me as a candidate.

If there’s anything else I can provide, please let me know. I would be happy to speak with the HR representative who is running this placement if there’s anything I need to answer.

Thanks again, George!

Patrick

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What Is A Thank You Email

A thank you email is a message you send to an interviewer, hiring manager or prospective employer to thank them for interviewing you as a potential candidate. After a job interview, you can send an email to the person who interviewed you to thank them for their time, point out some talking points from the conversation you found insightful, and emphasize how you are the right candidate for the job based on those specific examples. An effective thank-you email shows respect and gratitude to the recipient and refers back to the interview discussion in a meaningful way.

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Who To Write A Thank You Letter To

You should write a thank you note to each person that interviewed you.

Most interviews are one-on-one, making it clear that you should send the thank-you email to the person that interviewed you. This person may not be the same person that contacted you to set up the interview.

Some interviews consist of two or more interviewers simultaneously. In these situations, you can send an email directly to all of the interviewers. If you had a personalized connection with the specific interviewers, you could create a unique email to each individual separately.

Finally, there are situations where you may have multiple one-on-one interviews with different people within the same company. You may meet with several rounds of people, from the hiring manager to your potential colleagues. In these cases, send an email to each individual you spoke with for an extended time.

Note: You may not have an email address to directly contact each person, but you can always try to find the individuals on LinkedIn. You can also try to guess their email based on the corporate email structure. Ex: If Susan Trout’s email is [email protected], you can assume that the other coworkers’ emails will be the first letter of their first name followed by their last name @company.com.

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Why Are Thank You Notes Important

You should send professional thank you notes for a few reasons:

• Its common courtesy. While people may not always expect it, receiving a thoughtful thank you note makes your business contacts feel valued and can strengthen working relationships.

• It shows professionalism. Taking a few moments to express gratitude communicates respect. It also shows that you know how to be attentive and conduct yourself politely in professional relationships.

• It sets you apart. A well-written, timely thank you note gives you the chance to make a lasting impression. Sending a thoughtful message especially one with specific details or points of conversation ensures you wont be forgotten.

• It encourages a gratitude-oriented mindset. Practicing gratitude can help you be happier overall, in addition to leading to increased work performance.

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The Bottom Line On Interview Thank You Emails

Many think that thank-you notes are trivial, but thank-you notes, done well, are a great way to differentiate yourself from other candidates. Take the time to follow the Email Thank You Dos and Donts, and send your thank you notes very quickly. If you forgot to send immediate thank you messages, send them as soon as you can better late than never! Good thank you notes demonstrate the high quality of your work, and all the characteristics you may claim, like: attention to detail, ability to communicate, comfort with technology, and knowledge about the job and the employer.

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If Youre Writing A Thank

• Did I include a relevant subject line? Is everything spelled correctly there?
• Have I addressed the person Im thanking correctly? Am I spelling their name and email right?
• Did I make my point in under five sentences?
• Did I mention a specific topic, common interest, or question relevant to my discussion with this person?
• Did I say thank you at some point in the note?
• Are my signature, email name, and email avatar photo all in alignment to project a professional image?
• Did I use Grammarly to edit this note for correctness, clarity, and word choice?
• Did I proofread this email?
• Did I hit Send within 24-48 hours?

If you did all of these things, congratulations! You deserve to grab a book and a snack and take a break. The hard part is over.

Need more help following up after interviews? Check back for more insights next week.

How Soon To Send A Thank You Email After An Interview

Aim to send your post-interview thank you email the day after your job interview, between 12:00 pm and 3:00 pm. If your interview was on a Friday, then send your email the same day, in the evening instead of waiting a day. .

Always make sure the email is sent within 24 hours of your interview so that your conversation is still fresh in the interviewers mind.

If you decide to send your thank you note as a letter in the mail, you should still send it within one or two business days of your job interview. They wont receive it as soon, because the thank you letter needs to get delivered, but its best to send it soon after the interview so the employer receives your note relatively quickly.

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What To Do In A Panel Interview/group Interview

Take the business cards or contact information of every person in the panel interview. And send a separate thank you note to each person that attended the group/panel interview. Never send a group thank-you email to everyone involved.

Be sure to do this for any type of interview where multiple interviewers or multiple people were involved in asking you interview questions.

Ask About The Next Steps

It’s great to be forthcoming about what comes next in the hiring process. This shows enthusiasm in the job. Asking something like, “What else can I provide to be helpful and move forward to the next steps?” is a great way to show your passion for the position.

Here is an example:

Looking forward to hearing what the next steps in the interview process might be. Very excited about this opportunity!

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