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.
What Should A Thank
Your thank-you follow-up email after the interview should include a few standard elements. The following features will make the thank-you letter more effective:
- Start with a personalized greeting, e.g. Hello
- Thank the interviewer for their time
- Express your interest in the job and explain how you will be a great match. Reaffirm that you have the capability to excel in the position
- Make the follow up letter after interview more personal by adding an experience/detail from the interview. For example, a conversation that both of you enjoyed.
- Offer to answer any more questions that they may have
- Tell them that you are eager to know about the next steps
Always Send A Thank You Letter Within 24 Hours Of The Interview
Always send your thank you letter the same day you interview, or no later than the following day. In todays digital age, email is the most efficient way to send your thank you letter in a timely manner.
You can also take a more personal approach by writing a handwritten note, although its not necessary. If you do hand write your legal thank you letter, ensure that it will arrive within a day or two of your interview.
Don’t Miss: Preparing For System Design Interview
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.
Short Interview Thank You Email Example
A short follow-up version may be most appropriate as a thank you email after a phone interview. In the short version, youll want to be concise:
Subject line: Thank you for your time
Dear Ms. Owekwe,
Thank you for taking the time to speak with me about the marketing coordinator role. It was great to meet with you and learn more about the position.
Im very excited about the opportunity to join Horizon Marketing and am particularly interested in the details you shared about the upcoming launch of the brand campaign. Im enthusiastic about the prospect of taking on some of the project management and bringing my experience in successfully coordinating cross-functional initiatives to the table.
After our conversation, Im confident that my background in marketing and my interest in brand growth will enable me to fill the job requirements effectively and support the vision of Horizon. Please feel free to contact me if I can provide you with any further information or samples of my work. I look forward to hearing from you.
Recommended Reading: Best Interview Clothes For A Woman
Should I Send An Email Or Handwritten Note After An Interview
It is usually best to send only one handwritten thank you note. Sending multiple notes might actually give your interviewer the impression of impatience, which is usually not a quality most employers look for in new hires. That said, it is usually acceptable to send both an email and a handwritten thank you note.
Is It Too Late To Send Thank You Notes A Week After A Job Interview
The thank you note is an essential part of a top-notch candidates repertoire during the interview process. And without question, it is a must after each and every interview. Why? Because its an expression of appreciation, courtesy and professionalism. And is a positive reflection of You to an employer.
In the world of thank you notes, handwritten and email are both acceptable forms in todays market and are, ideally, sent within 24 48 hours of an interview. But at times, there are circumstances that cause a candidate to procrastinate orforget to make the follow up effort. So time passes and the question arises as to whether too much time has passed for a thank you to be effective or worthwhile.
In your situation, it has been a week since your interview. Is this too much time in the rearview mirror to extend your appreciation? No. There is no statute of limitations on a thank you. Granted, I dont advise to let too much time pass, but to an employera late thank you is better than none at all. The key in dealing with the tardiness is to be genuine and express your apologies for the delay. Then, proceed with your additional sentiments. Below are a few examples:
Susan,
Bob,
Lee,
Also Check: Questions To Ask Cfo In Interview
Want Even More #gethired
I go live every Friday at 11:00 a.m. ET from to discuss important issues affecting job seekers and to answer your questions about looking for work. I recently spoke with Lezlie Garr, who is a career change coach and master resume writer, about the importance of keywords during your job search. You can watch the episode below or .
#GetHired Live will be off this week, but well be back next week with another exciting guest who can answer your questions!
What Should Be Included
Smith suggested including the following elements in your thank-you note:
- A salutation. Even if you have been referring to the interviewer in a more casual way, in the thank-you note, use the more formal form of address.
- A sincere and specific expression of appreciation along with a concise description of what is being appreciated.
- Remind them of something unique that they spoke to you about in the interview that they might not have discussed with other candidates. This will help the interviewer remember who you are.
- Confirm you’re a good fit for the role.
- Close with final expression of gratitude.
Augustine cautioned against recapping your entire resume in your thank-you note, since the interviewer has already reviewed it and discussed it with you during the interview, but summarizing your qualifications is appropriate.
As with your resume and cover letter, customize your thank-you note. Double- and triple-check it for grammatical and spelling errors. A typo-filled follow-up can easily ruin the stellar impression you made during the interview. If you met with multiple people, send one note to each person, if you have his or her contact information.
Read Also: Questions To Ask A Cfo In An Interview
Before You Send Proofread Everything
Email templates are only as good as the effort you put into filling them out and proofreading them.
Go over every detail and make sure it actually makes sense for your situation. If not, sending that thank you email or letter will do more harm than good.
Example: In the third sample email earlier in this article, it says, thank you for taking the time to meet with me.
If you had a phone interview, you should say, thank you for taking the time to talk on the phone with me.
Right?
Otherwise, its going to sound a bit odd, and they might suspect you just cut & pasted from a template. Not good!
So be careful, take your time with these sample emails, and make sure every single word makes sense.
Keep It Short And To The Point
Hiring managersare busy, so you want to make sure your thank-you email is quick and easy to read. So keep it brief the career coaches interviewed for this article all said a few short paragraphs is a commonly prescribed length.
That said, make sure the reader can tell you put time and effort into the email. Even though its short, it shouldnt read like it was dashed off as an afterthought.
You May Like: Prepare For System Design Interview
When To Send An After Interview Thank You Note
With any important piece of writing, planning is half the battle. Should you follow up over email, in a handwritten notecard, or on social media? And what should you write?
There are two vital factors to consider when writing a thank-you note after an interview: speed and specificity. Thank yous are not better late than never. In fact, most interviewers expect an email or letter within a day. That means time is of the essence, and you need to work quickly! As one Glassdoor recruiter puts it, it is vital to send a thank you email to your interviews within 24-48 hours.
Even though you must write quickly, you also need to personalize each thank-you note to the interviewer. Gone are the days where I would look at a template thank-you note and consider it worth my time to read. As Valerie LeClair, Grammarlys Director of Recruiting, once described to me,
Write from the heart! If a candidate is going to write a standardized, impersonal note, there is no reason to even send it.
But dont panic! Take a deep breath and reflect on your interview experience. Now, ask yourself these idea-generating questions:
- How did the interview go? Did anything weird happen?
- Did I flub on a question I know I have a better answer for?
- Did I forget to ask the interviewer one of my questions?
- Is there something additional this interviewer should know about me?
- Did I discuss anything interesting? Find any similarities to my interviewer?
Group Vs Panel Interview
A panel interview is an interview format with several interviewers and one candidate. In a panel interview, each interviewer will ask questions from their unique background that pertains to their role at the company. The panel is typically made up of people from teams you will be working with in the position. Panel interviews are typically used to get in-depth information about the candidate from several different perspectives for an important or competitive role.
Read more: How to Succeed in a Panel Interview: Tips and Example Questions
Because a panel interview consists of multiple interviewers, you have more people to impress. A panel interview thank-you letter provides a simple but effective way to express gratitude to all the individuals you met with. Its best to create individual thank-you letters or emails for each participating interviewer. . For this to be successful, it is important to collect their contact details so you can send a befitting thank-you letter after the interview.
For panel interview thank-you letters, its advisable to include unique angles from the conversations you had with each interviewer. That creates more connection and shows your genuine level of interest in the position. Since all the interviewers have a say in the hiring decision, this gives you more leverage to get the role.
Read more: How to Succeed at a Group Interview
Also Check: What Should Females Wear To A Job Interview
When To Send A Thank You Email After A Job Interview
Send the message soon after the interview, preferably within the first 24 hours, even if the interview was on a Friday . You do not want to be that last interviewee to send a thank you, in case other candidates are also smart enough to send thank you messages.
If you are unable to send the message in the first 24 hours, do not give up! Send the message anyway MUCH better late than never!
Its Safe To Skip Handwritten Notes
One thing that most everyone seems to agree on at this point is that an email is more appropriate than a handwritten letter of thanks. In Parsons original post, she detailed an experience where she didnt receive a piece of mail for a solid seven months after it was postmarked. A well-timed email is preferred by most professionals.
As a hiring manager, I absolutely believe in the power of a follow-up thank you note after an interview, Hillary Keller, chief marketing officer of the software company Flatirons Development, said. The old-school way of sending a handwritten thank-you note in the mail is now defunct , but a thoughtful follow-up email after an interview shows me that the candidate cares about getting the job after leaving my office.
Also Check: Questions To Ask A Cfo
Why Should You Send A Thank You Email Or Letter After An Interview
If you think its terrifying being interviewed, youre not alone. But let me tell you, interviews can be an equally traumatizing experience from the other side of the table.
I kicked off the search for my first hire at Grammarly earlier this year, and when the first on-site interview came around, I was terrified. Sitting there with my list of questions and my notebook, I tried to simultaneously project confidence, follow my companys values, ask the right questions, make sure my hair didnt do anything weird, and mask my nerves.
Sound familiar?
Even if interviews are a vital part of the recruiting process, the first round of the interview process can be awkward for everyone. Thats why its key to write a thank you note after the interviewoften the process has made them just as uncomfortable as you are! Thats why a killer post-interview thank-you note can help you make a great impression and land the job.
But dont take my word for it! Lily Zhang, a career expert at MIT, put it this way on The Muse:
Think of it this way: Your interview isnt over until you send a thank you note. You want to move the hiring managers from interview mindset to decision mindset as quickly as possible, so dont drag it out.
I asked Olivia Seastrom, a recruiter at Grammarly, what she loves about thank-you notes. She said,
A Guide To Writing A Memorable Thank
Sending a thank-you letter after an interview might seem old-fashioned, but itâs just as important to write one as ever. One survey from TopResume showed that 68 percent of hiring managers say that a candidateâs decision to include or not include a thank-you note after an interview affects their final hiring decision. But while sending a thank-you note has become expected, it’s not enough to simply send a note that says “Thanks for chatting with me” â you need to put some thought into it. In this guide, weâll show you how to write a thank-you note that will impress interviewers and increase your odds of getting a job offer.
Read Also: Questions To Ask A Cfo During An Interview
Template For A Thank You Email After An Informational Interview
Are you conducting informational interviews with people in your industry? Informational interviews are casual one-on-one networking sessions, and they are one of the best ways to build a professional network and get the inside track on jobs. If someone has taken time out of their busy schedule to meet with you, you absolutely must send them a thank you email. Because showing some courtesy is the best way to leave a good impression with this valuable new professional contact. Plus, its a great way to start an ongoing correspondence so that you can start to build a professional relationship long-term.
Heres my template for a thank you email after an informational interview or any personal meeting with a new contact:
Subject Line: Thank you from ]
Dear ],
Thank you for taking time from your busy schedule to meet with me today. It was great to discuss career opportunities in ] with you! Your comments were insightful and gave me lots of ideas for my ongoing job search. Im excited to follow up on your suggestions to ].
It was especially exciting to talk to you about ]
Again, your suggestions and time are so appreciated, and I hope to chat again soon! Please let me know how if there is a way I can return the favor, now or in the future.
Regards,
Why Write A Handwritten Thank You Note
Writing a thank you note by hand is a great way to demonstrate exactly how much you care. Writing a personalized thank you note by hand shows the person youre thanking that you have good intentions for continuing the relationship by showing them that they are valuable enough to merit a personalized thank you.
Don’t Miss: Questions To Ask Cfo During Interview
Summarize The Interviews Highlights
When it comes to the actual body content of the email, in addition to thanking the interviewer, you want to focus on referencing two or three high points from the interview.
Mine your conversation for highlights by reflecting on these questions:
- Did the interviewer make an interesting point?
- Did something you discussed excite you?
- Did you learn something new about the role or company?
- Do you two have something interesting in common?
In your email, say you enjoyed learning about X. Or that you appreciate that the hiring manager shared Y. Or, when you heard them say Z, you became even more interested in the role.
Giving a couple quick highlights demonstrates you were an active, attentive participant in the conversation. Interviewers are looking for more than just the ability to do the job.
