Why should you write a short thank-you email after an interview? The reason is simple thank you notes make a difference.
According to one survey by Topresume, 68% of employers and hiring managers say writing a short thank-you note matters after a job interview.
In the same survey, 16% of interviewers (1 in 5) said they ruled a candidate out. This is because they did not send a post interview thank you email or note. This means a short thank-you email can affect a hiring decision.
31% of qualified candidates did not send a short thank-you note after every interview and 7% of candidates never sent thank you notes at all.
A survey by CareerBuilder determined only 57% of candidates send thank you notes after an interview.
As these numbers show a short post-interview thank you email could be the difference between getting the job of your dreams at a potential employer or ending up in a role you hate.
Writing a thank-you email is easy to do and leaves a positive impression.
The best and quickest way is to send a thank-you email within the first 24 hours after your interview. Make sure you have the email address of the hiring manager.
The manager may have multiple interviews that week and you want to stand out from the crowd.
When you’re represented by an agency recruiter send a short thank-you email to them. They can then pass it on to the hiring manager.
Don’t forget this important step in the interview process!
How to Write a Short Thank You Email After an Interview
When writing a short thank-you email after an interview you should make sure the email hits on these seven important points.
Use A Concise And Clear Email Subject Lines
- Thank you for the interview yesterday
- [Company Name] seems like a great place to work
- Thank you for meeting with me!
- [insert first name] it was great meeting you
Thank The Interviewer For Their Time
Start the email with the interviewer’s first name as seen in the samples below. Express your gratitude and be authentic in your writing. If you talked to multiple managers send them each an email if you have their contact info.
A key tip is to ask for a business card when you talk to each employee. If they don’t have one ask for their company email.
Remember If you are talking to 3 or 4 people in an interview it is crucial to make a good impression with each one. A thank-you note goes a long way towards this step.
Mention A Specific Point You Both Spoke About
Personalize your email and talk about a specific problem, experience, or skill the hiring manager needs. Specify that this is one of your strong points and why you would be a great fit for the position.
Explain how you could use that skill or experience to achieve success in the job role.
Convey Interest In The Job Opportunity
The interview follow up is key. Show interest! Many employers never get back to candidates because they don’t think they are interested. 1 or 2 short sentences should be fine. You want to show interest and detail why you’re a good fit but not seem desperate.
Ask Them If They Have Any Other Questions
It happens all the time after an interview. An employer may get caught up in the interview talking about all sorts of things and forget to ask a key question.
This will give them the opportunity to check those last few questions off their list if needed.
Ask What The Next Steps Are In The Interview Process
Is the employer hiring in the next two days or the next two weeks? This will help you plan for other interview opportunities during your job search instead of waiting around with no answer.
Include Your Contact Information In The Email
Include your full name, email, and phone number. Each employer is different, some may prefer texting, email, or a quick direct phone call. You can even create an animated email signature, to make sure you stand out from all other candidates.
Be available for all three if you can and don’t let your voicemails sit in your inbox unlistened to for days when you are interviewing with companies.
Short Sample Thank You Emails After The Interview
Sample Thank You Email Template #1
Sarah,
I appreciate you taking the time to meet with me today about the [ insert job title] job opportunity. I enjoyed learning about the role and where you see the company headed in the new few years.
I feel confident my experience with [insert applicable skill] and [insert applicable skill] will translate into similar success as your new [ insert position]
I can see by the types of projects you are working on that [insert company name] is an exciting place to work. I am highly interested in joining your team and contributing to its future successes.
If you have any more questions or need additional information from me please don’t hesitate to reach out. I look forward to hearing back from you about the next steps.
Again thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Smith
Phone: 555-555-5555
Email Address: example123@gmail.com
Sample Thank You Email Template #2
Hi Kevin,
Thank you for meeting with me at your office this afternoon.
I enjoyed hearing about the company’s long-term goals related to the development of your latest software features. It was also interesting to hear how the software engineering department will go about adding them to their roadmap.
[Insert company name] seems like an interesting place to work with the many exciting projects you’re working on.
I feel my experience programming with Python would be a great addition to your team. Several of the projects I have worked on using Python should help close the skills gaps you mentioned.
I would relish the opportunity to work with you and your team. I’m excited to see what the future holds for the software development team.
If you have any further questions or need anything else to move the process forward please let me know.
Regards,
John Branch
555-555-5555
example123@gmail.com
Sample Thank You email Template #3
Hi Melanie,
Thank you for speaking with me today about your [insert role]. I enjoyed learning more about the business development position and the type of person you are looking for.
I feel my 6 years of experience as a business development manager in the solar power industry would translate well when talking to potential