Navigating the interview process can be a time-consuming and stressful challenge. From scouring job boards, perfecting your resume, and crafting compelling cover letters to preparing for (and acing!) several rounds of interviews, you’ve held onto the hope of making it to the finish line. Once that last interview is out of the way, it’s tempting to breathe a sigh of relief and settle in to wait for the hiring manager’s decision. But there’s an important last step that’s often overlooked.
Sending a thank you email after the last interview may seem like a simple – even old-fashioned – courtesy. But it’s much more than that. It’s a powerful way to help you stand out from other candidates by reinforcing your interest in the role, highlighting your professionalism, and keeping yourself at the forefront of the interviewers’ minds.
While a thank-you note is a strategic way to remind your interviewers that you are the perfect candidate for the role, many hiring managers expect to receive one. If you don’t send one, a hiring manager may interpret that as disinterest or a lack of professionalism – both of which could hurt your chances to land the role, even if you were a strong contender.
The good news is that this is one of the fastest and easiest steps of the interview process. By following a defined structure, adding personalization, and promptly sending the email, you’re sure to make a strong final impression.
Why A Post-Interview Email Matters
Although sending a thank you email to the members of your interview team may seem like a trivial formality, surveys reveal that the majority of hiring managers expect a thank-you email. In fact, the thank-you email is so highly regarded that skipping it could cost you the role.
Austin Belcak discusses the importance of the post-interview note in a comprehensive piece at Medium. Belcak points out that:
The data reveals that close to 80% of hiring managers feel that thank you notes are helpful when deciding between candidates. 22% of employers are less likely to hire a candidate who does not send a thank you and 91% actually like being thanked (imagine that!).
Despite the importance that employers and hiring managers place on thank-you emails, only 24% of candidates send one. It’s easy to see that sending a thank-you note can provide an incredible advantage over other candidates.
Beyond being a courtesy that employers appreciate, a thank-you email demonstrates your professionalism and genuine interest in the role. In a Reddit thread on the topic, a hiring manager commented: “Thank you notes aren’t a deal breaker if I don’t get one, but I do notice if someone sends me a thoughtful one.” While it’s rare for candidates to be so evenly qualified that a “tie breaker” – like a thank-you email – would determine the outcome, those notes can spur a positive impression that helps keep you top of mind.
A well-crafted email demonstrates several attributes about the sender, which can have a positive impact on the hiring committee’s decision. Thank-you emails demonstrate the following skills:
- Courteousness, which is a highly valued soft skill in the workplace, particularly for roles that require interaction with teams, vendors, and clients;
- Gratitude for the interviewers’ time;
- Strong communication skills;
- The ability to follow through on all tasks, big and small; and,
- Professionalism.
Post-interview thank-you emails are more than a simple thank you. They’re also a quick and easy way to demonstrate several soft skills that employers value and a way to keep your name on the hiring manager’s mind.
Timing Is Everything PLUS Common Mistakes To Avoid
Timing your post-interview thank-you email is a bit like Goldilocks’ porridge. You don’t want to send it too soon or too late, but at just the right time.
While it’s advisable to send the email within 24 hours of your interview, sending it too soon may make it seem rushed or insincere. Waiting too long may make it seem like you’re not truly interested in the job.
Spend some time thinking about how the interview went and what you would like to focus on in your email. And then, take your time crafting the email, using the tips below. In his piece at Medium, Belcak suggests sending the thank-you email about 2-24 hours after the interview.
In addition to getting the timing right, it’s important to avoid common pitfalls. One of the biggest mistakes is sending a generic thank you note that isn’t personalized to reflect your interview experience. If you copy and paste the same thank you note following each interview, it’s unlikely to catch anyone’s attention.
Personalize your thank you note by noting something specific from your conversation with the interview team. You could add depth to one of your answers, reiterate something interesting that you learned about the company, or make reference to a personal connection that cropped up during the interview, such as a common reading or travel interest.
In addition to personalization, correct grammar is important to highlight your communication skills and professionalization. Check carefully for typos, avoid overly casual language, and axe long-winded explanations. Your email should be concise, polished, and error-free. Consider using a spell-check tool, utilzing an artificial intelligence tool, or simply reading it aloud before hitting the “Send” button.
Finally, a thank you email is just that: a note to express gratitude. It’s not a vehicle to rehash your qualifications for the role. Be careful that you don’t oversell yourself. Keep your message concise and focussed on your gratitude for their time, a personalized reference, and a brief reminder of your fit.
Subject Lines And Core Email Structure
We’re all familiar with email fatigue and picking through our inboxes, trying to prioritize which messages to open and respond to. For this reason, it’s critical to write a subject line that is concise, professional, and easy to identify at a glance. Experts recommend that the subject line for your thank you email include your name and a brief reference to the interview so that the topic of the email is immediately clear. Some examples include:
- Thank you from [your name] for the [job title] interview;
- I appreciated your time today – [your name];
- Thank you for the opportunity – [your name]; or
- Following up after the interview for the [job title] role – [your name].
Although these subject lines may not seem catchy, it’s important to include key details and maintain professionalism. Also, avoid overly casual subject lines such as, “Hey, thanks for the interview!”
Once you have a compelling subject line, it’s time to craft your email. All your post-interview thank-you emails can follow the same basic structure as long as you don’t copy and paste the same wording in every email. Instead, try to create an email that addresses the following points:
- Express thanks in the opening lines for the interviewer’s time and insights;
- Personalize the email by mentioning something specific from the interview, such as a piece of trivia about the company that you didn’t know before or a shared interest with the interviewer;
- Offer additional information, if it’s appropriate, to follow up on something that was discussed in the interview, e.g., something that you couldn’t remember in the moment;
- Briefly reiterate your fit and interest in the role, in one to two sentences;
- Include your contact information; and,
- Close the email with a brief, courteous sign-off, such as “I look forward to hearing from you,” or “Thank you again for your time.”
A post-interview thank-you email should be sent regardless of whether your interview was in person, via web conferencing, or over the phone. However, you might consider tailoring your tone slightly depending on the interview format. In-person interviews tend to be more formal and may include several members of the hiring committee. Web-based interviews, and especially phone interviews, which are just one-on-one, tend to be less formal. While you might ease up on the formality of the thank you email in these cases, it’s still important to maintain professionalism and avoid being too casual.
Conclusion
Writing a post-interview thank-you email is one of the simplest things that you can do to make yourself stand out as a candidate. These emails are not difficult or time-consuming to write. By embracing a professional tone, avoiding common mistakes, following a structured outline, and sending the email about 2-24 hours following the interview, you will make a lasting impression on the hiring manager.
