If you have made it to the interview stage of the job-hunting process then congratulations! That is not always an easy feat in today’s market. It means you have left a good impression with the company and they are interested in finding out more about you. One way to make yourself stand out in the pool of potential employees is by sending a polite thank you email following a job interview.
It is just one more way to keep your name and your interview at the forefront of their minds as they go through each applicant. At Ascendo Resources we make sure to prepare all candidates for job interviews and that includes sending thank you emails after a successful interview.
Why Send a Thank You Email After an Interview?
Certainly, sending a thank you email is not required but it is strongly recommended. A well-worded thank you email can help your chances of landing the job just as easily as a poorly worded one can hurt your chances.
Why send a thank you? It lets the employer know you appreciate their time, and you are interested in the job. Many times, after interviews, employers do not know if the applicants are still interested in the job or not. So it is important to let them know.
How to Write a Thank You Email After an Interview
Just like anything, the more thank you notes and emails you send throughout your career, the better you will get at writing them. Here are the details that should be included in the thank you note:
- Greeting: always begin with a professional greeting or a formal greeting. Standard greetings would include “Dear Susan,” or “Hello, Susan.”
- Thank Them: you should always thank the interviewer for their time. Their time is valuable and they spent part of their workday with you. Show some appreciation for that sacrifice.
- Be Specific: note something that you talked about together. It could be something you enjoyed learning about the company or their personal life. This lets them know that the thank you note is specifically for them.
- Reaffirm Interest: it is important to let the interviewer know you are still very interested in the job and would love to hear more about the next steps in the hiring process. Make sure to let the interviewer know they should feel free to contact you with any questions or concerns about the job or about your job candidacy.
- Show Confidence: though not required it could rack up some goodwill with them. Let them know that you are confident in your ability to do the job and explain why. Keep it short. If you were interviewed by a panel of people, writing an individual thank you note to each one is recommended for a more personal touch.
If it is a face-to-face interview, remember to ask for business cards from those individuals that were involved in the interview, so you have their information and can send them thank you emails at an appropriate time. If it is a video interview, which is common nowadays, feel free to ask for their information at the end of the call.
How Long Should I Wait to Send My Thank You Email?
Do not wait too long because likely the interviewer will be interviewing other candidates and busy with other work duties. If you wait too long to send it, then they might not remember the interview and more importantly, not remember you. The general rule of thumb is to send out a thank you within twenty-four hours after the interview.
How Long Should My Email Be?
While it is recommended you keep it short, it is important to leave the interviewer with a good impression of you and your desire for the job. A general word range of a thank you email is between 80 and 150 words. It is better to be too brief than it is to be too long. If an interviewer has to read through a three-page email, they will get frustrated and likely not read it entirely. Keep it short and to the point.
What Else Should I Include in My Thank You Email?
Thrive to stand out! If you do not have anything specific to add here, think about one or two of the interview questions and add a little note. Let them know what you learned about the company or something that excited you about the prospect of working for them.
One Last Note
Aim to leave a good impression on the employer and one way to do that is to thoroughly proofread the thank you note and correct any mistakes.
The Ascendo team hopes these tips will help you craft the perfect thank you note and land the job! Ascendo can help with opportunities and advise you through the entire hiring process and beyond.
For more interview tips and preparation, contact one of our recruiting experts today and get started!