How to write a thank-you note after an interview
A thank you email after an interview is always a good idea. It demonstrates politeness and is your one last chance to make an impact on the hiring manager. This being said, by no means do we want you to go over the top and write paragraphs upon paragraphs thanking the interviewer for their time. But instead, a short email is far more effective.
Here are our three tips to help you send the best possible thank you note after an interview:
Be prompt
Timing is key to the effectiveness of your thank you note. If you leave it too long before sending the email (anything later than two days is generally a no-no), the hiring manager might deem it pointless to read. After all, they may have already made their decision by that time and a late thank you note isn’t going to change anything now. It also looks forgetful and a little bit lazy if you wait days to reply. Alternatively, if you’re interview was in the morning send an email in the afternoon and if your interview was in the afternoon, send the thank you note in the early evening. Leave it no later than 24 hours to send your thank you and remember to be considerate regarding the timing of your email — hiring managers need sleep too you know!
Get to the point
Keep what you have to say in under 2-3 paragraphs. Whilst you may be tempted to try and ‘woo’ the interviewer over one last time an essay style thank you email is not the way to go about this. The hiring manager already has limited time and probably won’t bother reading anything they deem lengthy and time-consuming. Instead, it’s far more valuable to send a note that is short and sweet, to which the interviewer can read in less than two minutes. Make sure it’s not too wordy and overly complicated, as you want it as easy as possible to read. Remember this is a thank you note not a job application! You’ve already (hopefully) impressed the interviewer and this is just one last chance to end the hiring process on a positive note by thanking them for their time.
Show some personality
If you’re thinking of ‘googling’ a thank you note template and replacing the example name with the name of your interviewer… then you might as well not have bothered. It will come across as generic and be unmemorable to the recipient. If you want to leave a good lasting impression be personable and when writing the email, mention points you particularly liked or learnt during the interview. Did you share a joke or have something in common with the interviewer? Did you value their experience within the industry and the information they shared with you? It won’t hurt to mention these points in your thank you note. By doing so, it will jog their memory of not just your performance in the interview but also your personality.
Top Tip: we recommend sending a follow-up email rather than a literal thank you letter. Just because it’s fast, professional and likely to receive a reply using this method.
What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments below or on Twitter @BubbleJobs
Looking for more interview advice? Find it all here.