Once you have completed an interview whether it was in person, via phone or video call, sending a thank you email after an interview is crucial. You’ve put in a lot of hard work towards acing the interview and are probably competing with 4 or 5 other candidates with a similar background and skill set. Reaching out to the recruiter expressing interest and appreciation will definitely help set you apart from the competition.
Is it really necessary? – Absolutely!
According to a TopResume survey, 68% of hiring managers and recruiters said that receiving a thank-you email affected their decision-making process about a candidate. Here is an overview guide with some essential tips on how to prepare and write the perfect thank you email along with samples.
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO WRITE A THANK YOU EMAIL AFTER AN INTERVIEW?
By writing a thank you email after an interview it allows you to leave a good impression on the potential employer. Results of a recent study showed that 1 in 5 recruiters and hiring managers dismiss candidates that have not sent a thank you note after an interview. Precisely for this reason, it is highly recommended to write a thank you email to reaffirm your interest in the position and make it clear that you want the job vacancy.
The email can be a short, a polite thank you follow-up to demonstrate some basic social manners and appreciation to the employers time. More importantly it suggests that you’re still interested in the position and eager to hear about the next stage of the hiring process.
MOST IMPORTANT ELEMENTS OF A THANK YOU EMAIL
Before writing a thank you email, keep the following important elements in mind to structure your note. Also, it will give you a clear understanding of how to layout your email and to not miss out on any essential information.
● Subject line
● Personalised greeting
● Appreciative introduction
● Topic discussed in the interview
● Establishing interest and excitement for the role
● Professional sign-off
Now that you know the elements that go into writing a thank you email, let’s dive into some best practices to be followed while writing each element of your email:
6 QUICK TIPS TO INCLUDE IN A THANK YOU EMAIL AFTER AN INTERVIEW
Now that you have an idea of the layout, it’s time to write the actual content and think about what you want to convey to the interviewer. Here are 6 quick tips of what you should include in each element:
1. Have a suitable subject line – Writing a clear subject line will ensure that you receive the attention of the interviewer and increase your chances of having the email read. As the interviewer may receive many emails, using clickbait lines may leave your email unopened and moved to the spam folder.
● Keep it short and simple.
● Straight to the point i.e “Thank you”
2. Start by writing a personal greeting to the correspondent
● Open with a personal greeting addressing the hiring manager by name i.e “Hello Jane” or “Dear Jane”.
● If there was more than one interviewer, send a personalised thank you email to each of them. Try not to group them all together under the same email.
3. Thank the interviewer for their time and be appreciative
● You can start with a “thank you” or “thank you for your time”
● Express a genuine gratitude for the time the interviewer spent with you.
4. Include a specific topic you enjoyed talking about in the interview or learned through your research about the organisation to show your genuine interest.
● Choose a subject that both you and the interview enjoyed talking about.
● Recall certain research or information you discussed with the interviewer that stood out to you.
● Mention something new that you learned from the interviewer that you found interesting.
5. Remind them again that you are interested in the position and that you are looking forward to hearing about the next stage in the hiring process.
● Identify specific reasons why you are interested in this particular role.
● Refer to certain work experience or skills that suggest you are the perfect candidate for the position. This will remind the employer of what key qualities you can bring to their organisation.
● Towards the end of your email, remain polite by including “please do not hesitate to contact me for any additional information. I look forward to hearing from you soon.”
6. Finish with a professional sign-off
● Make sure to thank them again one last time.
● End it with a “sincerely” or “best regards” followed by your full name.
● Below, you can also include basic contact details i.e telephone number and email address.
● If you want you can add any additional links e.g website portfolios or your LinkedIn profile.
Essentially you want to maintain a formal and professional tone in your thank you email. Avoid any informal language and try to keep it as professional as possible, keep in mind that the interviewer may forward your email to other colleagues in the team to review it. This is the time to showcase those good quality communication skills you have so give it your best shot. Optimise every opportunity you receive to create a competitive edge for yourself.
EXAMPLE OF SUBJECT LINES FOR YOUR THANK YOU EMAIL
These are some useful following subject lines when sending your thank you email, to a hiring manager or recruiter.
● Thank you for your time [Interviewer’s Name]
● Thank you!
● Thanks for the interview yesterday
● Thank you for your time and advice
● I enjoyed our meeting
● A follow-up and brief thank you
SAMPLE OF THANK YOU EMAIL AFTER AN INTERVIEW
Here is a sample of what your email should look like:
Hi [Interviewer’s Name]
Thank you for taking the time to interview me yesterday, for the job position in [Name of role] at [Company Name]. It was a pleasure to meet you and I thoroughly enjoyed our conversation about [Include topic you discussed].
The job role sounds exciting and I feel confident that my skills and will add considerable value to your company and that I would be an ideal candidate to succeed in this particular role.
I’m looking forward to hearing from you soon and hopefully working together in the future, please feel free to contact me for any additional information you need.
Thanks again for your time!
Sincerely,
[Your First and Last Name]
Make sure to always proofread your email before sending it and that it makes sense. Try to avoid any misspellings or grammatical errors, you can use apps like grammarly to make sure that everything is up to standard.
WHEN TO SEND YOUR EMAIL AFTER THE INTERVIEW?
Try to send a thank you email as soon as you can or within the 24 hours time frame. The sooner the better impression you are going to leave.
So go for it, and do your best!
HOW CAN WE HELP?
Learn more about how our interview preparation service can set you up for success and land your next job. Book a free initial consultation to see the difference it could make to you and your career.