You have just walked out of a job interview. You are relieved, thinking you’ve gotten through the toughest part of the job search process. However, there is one additional thing you should do before moving on: write a thank-you letter or email after the interview.
While it may seem a bit old-fashioned, writing a thank-you letter can make the difference between getting a job and rejection. These letters allow you to show that you appreciate the time of an interviewer. In fact, they could be enough to sway the hiring manager when they are deciding who to hire.
In this guide, we’re going to discuss how to write a thank-you letter after a job interview. We will provide a few tips on writing an effective letter.
Why Should You Write a Thank-You Note?
There are a few reasons you should write thank-you letters after your job interviews.
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The first is that writing one is polite. It’s a great way to demonstrate that you appreciate the time someone has given you to converse with them. That’s not all: writing a thank-you note also helps you remind an interviewer of your name, even after your job interview has finished.
These letters give you another opportunity to set yourself apart from other candidates. You can use them to show your character and to mention any points you feel the interviewer should be aware of.
When Should I Send a Thank-You Letter?
You should send the letter as soon as possible. Ideally, you should send it within one day of having an interview.
Sending a letter sooner rather than later is a good idea because the details of your interview will be fresh in your memory. If you write a letter days after an interview, some details may slip your mind. This will make it more difficult to write a good letter.
In addition, waiting a few days to send your letter may result in you forgetting to write one in the first place. The delay may reduce the effectiveness of the letter. If a company has already made a decision about who to hire, they will not take into account your thank-you letter.
How to Write a Thank-You Note
One thing should be clear: writing a thank-you note is a good exercise after an interview. But, how do you write it? To help you out, let’s discuss the main points you should mention in your thank-you letter after an interview.
Subject Line
The subject line is only relevant if you are sending an email, as opposed to writing a letter. It is something you need to get right. Simply writing “Thank you for your time” or “It was great to talk with you today” will suffice.
Greeting
Before you write the body of your letter, you should include a salutation. “Hello, [Name of interviewer]” or “Dear [Name of interviewer]” are good examples.
Thank-You Sentiment
You should start the body of your letter with a sentence or two describing how you appreciate the interviewer’s time. Thank them for giving you the time to showcase your skills, and be sure to mention the job for which you are applying.
This is an example of a thank-you sentiment:
“Thank you so much for talking with me today. It was wonderful to learn more about the full-stack engineer role and discuss how I can help improve your project.”
This example is simple, clear, and to-the-point.
Qualifications
While you should not think of thank-you letters as a mini-resume, it can be helpful to briefly discuss your qualifications and background. You will already have mentioned these points in your interview, so this section should be short.
Remind the company about the skills relevant to the position for which you are applying, and be sure to link it to the job.
Contact Information
Toward the end of your note, you should provide contact information. Again, the interviewer should already have this information. However, by including it in your email or letter, it is easier for them to contact you with next steps.
Who Should I Send a Thank-You Letter To?
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, CC’ing everyone else.
Thank You Note After Interview Templates
To help you write a more effective thank-you email, we have prepared two templates with different styles. Each of these templates should serve as a guide for the note that you write to an interviewer.
Short thank-you letter
This letter is short, to-the-point, and is a great one to send as a quick follow up after an interview.
Subject: Thank you for your time
Hello Lindsay,
"Career Karma entered my life when I needed it most and quickly helped me match with a bootcamp. Two months after graduating, I found my dream job that aligned with my values and goals in life!"
Venus, Software Engineer at Rockbot
Thank you for talking with me earlier today. It was a pleasure to learn more about the developer advocate position. I am excited about the possibility of joining Microsoft to assist you in cultivating stronger relations with developers.
I look forward to hearing from you about our potential next steps. If there is any additional information you need, please contact me at phil.richardson@gmail.com.
Thanks,
Phil Richardson
Detailed thank-you note
If you are looking to stand out even more, you should aim to get more specific in your thank-you letter. Here is a sample of a more detailed letter:
Subject: Thank you for talking with me
Hello Ms. Rudd,
I wanted to thank you for the opportunity to come to your office and speak about the position of developer advocate with you. It was excellent to hear about Google’s developer advocate team, and to learn more about how the position would work. The way in which your developer advocate teams are so closely associated with your programming team sounds like an ideal work environment.
The developer advocate role sounds rewarding, especially due to the mentorship opportunities offered by your company. My experience as a developer advocate at Airbnb, as well as my computer science degree, makes me a good candidate for this position.
I look forward to hearing back from you, and potentially working together in the future. If you have any follow-up questions, do not hesitate to email me at phil.richardson@gmail.com.
Kind regards,
Phil Richardson
Conclusion
Writing a thank-you letter after an interview is a good way to set yourself apart from the crowd. The gesture will you show that you are grateful for the opportunity to have an interview.
In this article, we’ve discussed how you could write a thank-you letter or email. However, there is another approach worth mentioning: consider sending a handwritten note.
Handwritten notes take longer to send. You may want to send a brief thank-you note using our first template, sending a more detailed one through the mail later. In the brief thank-you note, you can mention that you have also sent you a handwritten note through the mail to thank them. Alternatively, you could drop off the handwritten note at the offices of the business.
Thank-you letters allow you to set a positive tone after an interview. Using the templates in this article, you will thank the interviewer for their time effectively. You will also remind them why you are a good fit for the job.
About us: Career Karma is a platform designed to help job seekers find, research, and connect with job training programs to advance their careers. Learn about the CK publication.
