A job interview is important because its your chance to present yourself as a suitable candidate for the role. Its helpful and often expected that you follow through with a written thank-you letter after the interview. Doing so will help solidify your chances and make a good first impression on the hiring team. You will be able to review and summarize your strongest skills and make sure the potential employer has your contact information. This article discusses how to write a proper post interview thank-you letter as well as gives you some examples.
Why is sending a post interview thank-you letter so important?
It will sometimes be expected as part of the interview for an employer to receive a thank-you letter after the interview. It can be a show of good manners and genuine continued interest in the position you interviewed for. A thank-you letter is like the finishing touch on a successful interview and can help reiterate the high points of your qualifications. Also, if the employer is deciding between two candidates every extra mile you strive for could really help.
It might be tempting to hand write a thank-you letter and mail it to add a personal touch and stand out from the crowd but, mailing a letter could take too long and the hiring process could be done by the time the letter arrives. That’s why it’s best to send an email stating your thanks, even if you decide to also send a handwritten letter though the mail. An email is a direct and efficient way to connect and influence the hiring team’s decision in your favor. Time is of the essence, and you would want to get your thank-you email out within 24 hours after of the initial interview
Here are some basic templates of what to include in your letter
Include these basic elements in your thank-you letter to make sure it’s as effective and clear as possible.
Subject line
Personalized greeting
Body
Reminder of your qualification
Invitation to contact you
Contact information
Subject line
When sending an email, a subject line of is important as it conveys the meaning of your message. Its best to choose something short and to the point. A good example would be “Thank you for the interview today”. If you are writing something more informal something like “Nice to meet you today” will do the trick.
Personalized greeting
Be sure to start your letter with the right personalized greeting like a salutation and the interviewer’s name. “Hello [Interviewer name]” or “Dear [Interviewer name] are both good options. Use the name you were provided with by the interviewer when you met, this could be their first name or a title such as Dr. Smith.
Body
The body of the letter is where you can express your gratitude for the interview. This is where you can thank the interviewer for their time and let them know you enjoyed talking with them. If you are interviewing for a larger company, be sure you include the title of the job you interviewed for to supply clarity. As an example, “Thank you so much for discussing the marketing manager position with me.”
Reminder of your qualification
In this section, provide a recap of your background and work experience. This information would already be provided in your resume and discussed during your interview, so this section can remain brief. Use this part to reiterate how your past work experience will play into the new role, and that you are a good match for the job. It could look something like this, “I’m excited to be able to apply my skills in social media and search engine marketing in the marketing manager role.”
Invitation to contact you
In conclusion to your thank-you note, invite the hiring team to contact you to hopefully continue the next steps in the hiring process. You can also use this section to provide the additional information they may have asked for including references or to set up a second interview. An example would look like “Please feel free to contact me with any questions or additional information.”
Contact information
Lastly, provide your contact information again. You should already have this information listed on the resume and application you supplied but, giving your contact info again in the email will make it so much easier to find. This way, you save the hiring team some time and effort showing you value their time and will be easy to work with. Be sure to provide both your email address and your phone number.
Examples of effective thank-you letters.
Here are some examples of thank-you letters to help inspire your own writing. Choose which example best fits your circumstance to get an idea of what to write:
- Short and quick thank-you letter
- Detailed and specific thank-you letter
- Informal and conversational thank-you letter
- Formal thank-you letter
Short and quick thank-you letter
This example provides a brief and straightforward manner of writing a good thank-you note:
Subject line: Thank you for the interview
Hello Don,
I wanted to thank you for talking with me about the available position. It sounds like it would be a rewarding position.
I’m looking forward to learning more about the company and I believe my skills are experience will be a valuable addition.
Please feel free to reach out if you have any added questions.
Thank you again,
Jane Smith
jsmith@email.com
302-465-7776
Detailed and specific thank-you letter
A more detailed thank-you letter may be needed if you want to give more information after the interview. More details can also show how much you paid attention and were engaged in the interview by referencing topics discussed during the interview:
Subject line: Thank you for taking the time to meet with me
Hello Don,
I wanted to reach out and thank you for speaking with me about the Marketing Manager position this morning. I learned a lot about the role and enjoyed my time touring the company. I appreciated seeing how the marketing and advertising teams work together to achieve their goals and optimizing performance.
Given the extensive opportunities for advancement and leadership, the marketing manager sounds like a rewarding role. I believe my education and experience as a marketing director fit in perfectly for this position. I’m looking forward to applying my knowledge and experience in this specific role.
If you have any follow up questions or would like more information, please don’t hesitate to contact me. I look forward to hearing from you.
Thank you again,
Jane Smith
jsmith@email.com
302-465-7776
Informal and conversational thank-you letter
If you have applied for a job or promotion within a company you already work for, or you know the interviewer, you would still want to send a thank you letter but it can be more informal and conversational.
Subject line: Great chatting with you
Hi Don,
I really appreciate you taking the time to chat with me earlier today. I learned a lot about the position from our conversation, and I’m inspired by your enthusiasm.
I think I would really thrive in this position and be able to utilize my current skills as well.
Feel free to contact me if you need anything else, I’m looking forward to it!
Thank you again,
Jane Smith
jsmith@email.com
302-465-7776
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