Creating the Right Impact with a Job Interview Thank You Letter

Job Interview Thank You Letter TemplateSaying thank you is a great reflection on your personality in every aspect of life.  Some common expressions, used regularly, go a long way in helping you when you wish to climb that ladder of success and make it to the top.  Writing out a job interview thank you letter may just clinch that position that you were aspiring for when you sent out that resume letter and attended the interview.

When Should You Send the Thank You Letter?

Ideally, the job interview thank you letter should reach the interviewer or the organization within the next 24 hours.  The letter could either be sent through email though studies indicate that a hard-copy of the letter sent in the same format and header style of the resume and cover letter makes a good impact.  This could be faxed or sent through the post. At all times, make sure the letter sounds professional and sent in a business letter format.  If you are sending a brief email note, include your return address and date of sending the letter.

Is there a specific format for the letter?

Several templates, formats and guidelines are available online for sending out the important job interview thank you letter. Choose the most appropriate and ensure that you use the same formatting that you used when you sent out the resume letter and cover letter. Thank the interviewer for the time given to you.  Make sure you mention the date and the time of the interview when you remind them about the position for which you were interviewed. Try to write a few lines about the impression you formed of the company and let them know how keen you are to take up the job.

Square Peg in a Square Hole

In a few lines, you can refer to the specific qualifications and let the organization know that you are the man for the job. Emphasize what you can do to make the company grow if you are selected and why you feel you can give them what they are looking for. Try to restrict these important lines to within five sentences.  Refer to some salient observation made by the interviewer or a quip that you both shared so that you are remembered when you send the job interview thank you letter.  If there is an important decision to be made by the interviewer about selecting you or two other candidates, these guidelines could tip the scale in your favor.

Clearly Indicate Your Contact Information

The interviewer or the employer should be able to reach you as soon as possible if they require your services immediately or have further queries.  This information should be given with your address.  Mention in your job interview thank you letter that you are available for another meeting if they wish to discuss any more details and that you are standing by to hear from them at their earliest. Reiterating your qualifications and interest in the job is a good business etiquette that yields positive results.

Support Your Interview With A Thank You Letter After Interview Email

Thank You Letter After Interview EmailA thank you letter that is sent out after an interview gives the interview just the support that it needs; especially if the interview did not go quite as well as you hoped it would.  It could be that you are brilliant at the job you are interviewing for and you are convinced that you are the right person for the job. Unfortunately, you fumbled; left a few things unsaid and felt you did not answer the interviewer’s question adequately enough. All is not lost yet. You still have one last card to play in the form of a thank you letter after interview email.

What a Thank You Letter After Interview Email Does

Demonstrates Your Professionalism – Sending your interviewer a thank you letter exemplifies your professional attitude and shows that you are sincere about getting hired by the company. It also displays your professional etiquette, which is something every organization looks for in their employees.

Helps You Iron Out The Glitches -  In addition to simply extending the courtesy of thanking the interviewers for their time, a thank you letter after interview email offers you the unexpected opportunity of carrying on the conversation from where you left off when you walked out of the interview room.  It allows you to allude to any particular question or to a certain conversation and expand on it or explain your point of view. If you left something unsaid during your interview, this thank you email is your chance to say what’s on your mind. If you feel you may have been misunderstood during the interview, here’s your chance to rectify the misunderstanding and do some crucial damage control. 

Makes You Unforgettable – Interviewers typically see several candidates either on one day or over a span of few days and at the end of it all, it can be really difficult to keep track of every single person. By sheer oversight, your name may not end up on the shortlisted list. However, when you send a thank you letter after interview email, it will jog the interviewer’s memory and put you in the running once again. 

Thank You Letter After Interview Email or Post?

Unless a company is anti- email, you are better off sending your thank you letter after interview by email rather than by traditional mail simply because email is so much faster. Your thank you email will reach the concerned individual within minutes unlike regular mail, which could take at least 3 to 4 days. This can be especially advantageous if the company is in a hurry to make their decision and hire somebody to fill a vacant post. 

A Final Thought

Make sure you provide all of your contact details – phone number, cell number and email address in your thank you letter after interview email so that the interviewer can easily reach for the phone or the computer and send you a message without having to rifle though tons of files looking for your contact details in the original resume.

The Fine Art Of Sending An After Interview Thank You Email

After Interview Thank You EmailSending your interviewer a thank you note is a small but significant gesture that can change the very outcome of the interview. In fact, it could be the key to getting that much sought after job and these days, with emails gaining unequivocal acceptance as a form of informal as well as formal communication, it is not inappropriate to send an after interview thank you email.

Why Email?

That’s probably the first thought that comes to mind: Why bother with email?  You are more familiar with traditional mail and after all, candidates have been sending ‘after interview thank you notes’ by regular mail for hundreds of years and it seems to work just fine. Is it necessary to jump on the email bandwagon and send and after interview thank you email?

Actually, yes. Sending a thank you note by email offers you the distinct advantage of speedy delivery. Whereas a letter sent by traditional post would take at least three to four days if not more to get delivered, the recipient will receive your after interview thank you email within seconds of you sending it off. In a scenario where you know that the employer is likely to be making a quick decision, time is of essence and an email will give you that much needed edge that a postal service will not. Even if you know for sure that the selection process is likely to go on for a while, you should still send a thank you email and follow that up by a traditional letter. The interviewer is sure to be very impressed by your persistence and is less likely to forget you in a hurry.

What Should an After Interview Thank You Email Include?

An after interview thank you email is essentially just that- an email sent to the interviewer to say thank you for taking the time to see you and interview you. In addition to being basic courtesy, a thank you note acts as a follow up sales letter that emphasizes the fact that you are very interested in the job. After you’ve thanked the interviewer in a sentence or two, recap your qualifications, your skills and your goals and reiterate how you can contribute significantly to the company’s success and more importantly, its bottom line.  If there were any doubts that you would like clarified or if there are any issues you would like addressed, now is a good time to do so.  Also, if you feel very strongly that you did not answer a question as well as you think you should have, take this opportunity to rectify that.

What if there was More Than One Interviewer?

If you were interviewed by more than one person, you will need to send thank you emails to each of them. However, it is important that you do not send the absolute same after interview thank you email to everyone. While you can keep the basic format and contents similar, you should add a personal touch by customizing the thank you note for that particular recipient.

Last but not least, take time to proof read your after interview thank you email before you click ‘send’.

Thank You Letter After Interview Email – Tips to Make Sure You Are Remembered

While most people think of a thank you letter after interview email as a gesture of courtesy, it’s actually much more than that. It is in fact a chance for you to leave the interviewer with a great final impression. When written properly, this email can make a difference in whether or not you get the job. Since only about ten percent of all people who are interviewed actually send this thank you letter, you can bet you’ll be one of the few people interviewed that is actually remembered.

Say It Again

One of the best benefits of a thank you letter after interview email is that you can reiterate your best qualities. While you do want to offer a courteous thank you for the chance to interview with the company, you also want to show why you are a good choice for the open position. Take a moment and think about which of your skills, qualities, and training best meet the needs of the company in terms of the job. Those are what you want to focus on in your thank you letter. Let the employer see that why they should hire you and what you bring with you.

Not too Long and Not too Short

A thank you letter after interview email does not need to be a complete recap of your resume and cover letter. However, it does need to be at least three to four paragraphs long. The first paragraph should include your thanks for the interview, as well as few things that you liked about the company. This should be something that you learned during the interview. The next paragraph is where you want to grab the reader’s attention. Focus on those skills mentioned above and why you want to work for the company. The next paragraph should let the interviewer know that you are still interested in the job opening. You don’t want there to be any doubt. You may want to add another paragraph if you forget to mention some things in the interview that you feel were important.

How to Close the Letter

You will want to close the thank you letter after interview email with another mention of why you are a good choice for the job, a thank you for the interview, and your email address and phone number. This will allow the interviewer to contact you quickly and hopefully, it is with an offer of a job! Once you’ve proofread the letter carefully, make sure you have the right email address and the correct spelling of the interviewer’s name. Only use email if you have previously received correspondence from the company regarding the interview. If not, then you should either send your letter by traditional mail or hand deliver it.

A Final Thought

A thank you letter after interview email only takes a few minutes to compose, but it can have an effect on your chances at landing the job. It is also only polite and courteous!

Sending Tips for a Job Interview Thank You Email

If you have just finished a job interview, you’re probably relieved that it’s over. However, while the interview may be a major influencing factor for any employment, you’re not quite done yet. After the interview, it is a good idea to send your interviewer a job interview thank you email. This helps to keep the interview fresh in the mind of whomever you just spoke to. Below, you will find tips for sending this email and ensuring that you make a great second impression, too!

When to Send a Thank You Email

You should send an interview thank you email within 24 hours after your interview. This is when the interviewer still can remember your meeting and it shows that you appreciate the time he or she took to speak with you. Since only about ten percent of all interviewee actually take the time to complete this step, it’s certain that such an email will be appreciated.

What to Say in a Thank You Email

While the actual intent of an interview thank you email is to thank your interviewer, there is another reason, too. You want to provide a short reminder of your qualifications, experience, and skills. You also want to show that you are still interested in the position and that you really want to work for this company. The key is to be succinct but very effective.

Begin by thanking the interviewer for their time and add a sentence or two about what you liked about the company. Discuss at least one thing that was spoken about during the interview, as this will make the interviewer more likely to remember you. Strongly state how your experience and qualifications would be an asset to the company.

Lastly, summarize your skills and make sure you include that fact that you still want this job. Include your phone number and email address after your complimentary closing. Proofread the email carefully. Now is not the time to have mistakes.

Where to Send a Thank You Email

You certainly want to make sure the email address is correct. If you have had any contact previously through email, it is more than acceptable to send an interview thank you email. However, if there has been no communication through email, then you should deliver the thank you letting by hand or through the mail.

When sending the email, place the correct wording in the subject line. For example, it might read “Assistant Manager Interview – Thank You.” You should also double check the spelling of the recipient’s name. If you can’t remember it from the interview, then contact the company or look on their website. You don’t want to spell the name incorrectly.

A Few Final Thoughts

A job interview thank you email is an essential part of a successful interview. Unfortunately, not everyone sends it. Employers do report that there are times when a thank you letter after an interview can actually sway a close decision for a job. You need every bit of help you can get to ensure that you get the job, especially in today’s tough job market.

Follow Up With a Thank You Letter After Interview

If you recently had an interview for a job opening, you should follow up with a thank you letter after interview. It’s an important courtesy, but unfortunately one that isn’t as common as it once was. In fact, employers report that only ten percent or so of all interviewees take the time to send a thank you letter after interview. However, those same employers report that it’s often a deciding factor if the decision is close as to who will be offered the position.

When to Send an Interview Thank You Letter

You should send this important letter within 24 hours of your interview. If much of the interaction between you and the interviewer has been through email, it’s quite appropriate to send an email thank you. However, make sure it’s the correct email address and that you use the subject line. For example, you could put “Customer Service Interview – Thank You.” This will help ensure that your letter is read and not disregarded as spam.

If you are mailing or dropping off your thank you letter after interview, do so as soon as possible after your interview. Most companies today fill their open positions quickly. You certainly don’t want the company getting your letter after they have already made their decision.

What to Say in the Interview Thank You Letter

You should begin by thanking the interviewer for their time and mention a thing or two that you like about the company. This letter should also highlight your most important skills or qualifications that are best suited for the open position. You don’t want a letter that is as long as your cover letter and you don’t want to simply rehash your resume. You should keep this letter short and to the point.

End your thank you letter after interview by expressing your continued interest in the position. After the complimentary closing and your name, include your phone number. If you are mailing or dropping off your letter, print it out on a good quality resume paper. Don’t handwrite the envelope, but print it out so it looks professional.

Proofread the letter and the envelope carefully. Check for spelling, punctuation, and grammatical errors. If possible, have someone else check over it, too. It is often easy to miss errors in something that you have written. An error in this short letter can often be devastating to your employment prospects with the company.

A Few Final Thoughts

A thank you letter after interview may seem somewhat outdated with all of the electronic options available today, such as email and texts. However, it’s an important part of the job interview process. Not only is it polite, it provides the employer with another visual image to relate to your resume. If the interview went well, this letter could actually be part of the deciding factor that gets you the job offer. It would be really awful to find out that another applicant received that job offer because he or she took the time to write this quick letter.