How To Create A Post-Interview Thank You Note

During a job search, there are a plethora of little details a candidate can make that can lead to landing the job or being rejected. Perhaps one of the easiest—and most forgotten—tasks a job seeker can do is to send a “thank you” note after their interview.

In fact, ZipRecruiter CEO Ian Siegel called not sending a thank you note the No. 1 mistake job seekers make. Taking the time to send a note of gratitude shows that you’re truly interested in the job and willing to go the extra mile. If a hiring manager is between two candidates, the thank you note could be the deciding factor. If you’re looking to craft the perfect thank you note, consider the following tenets.

Send it soon

While you don’t need to send your note the second you leave the interview, it’s best to do it quickly while the interview is still fresh in your interviewers’ minds and while you remember key points you’d like to address.

Sending one too quickly risks your note looking canned or generic, but you should strive to send it within 24 hours after your interview, writes Upwork’s Sean Cope. Indeed says that 24-48 hours is acceptable, adding you want to do it quickly but to make sure you carefully craft your note. Context is important as well. If your interview was at the end of the day on a Friday, waiting until Monday to make sure it doesn’t get lost in the weekend shuffle is fine.

Send it to everyone you spoke with

You want your thank you note to be as personable as possible, so if you had more than one interviewer, make sure they each get their own note.

“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.” –Apollo Technical

If you can add a personal anecdote specific to each interviewer, thank will make your response much more genuine, show that you’re a good listener, and prove that you’re willing to put in a little extra work. Christopher Littlefield adds to make sure every name is spelled correctly and to address each person by the name they introduced themselves to you.

Be brief

A good thank you note doesn’t need to be long. If you are clear and can address your points quickly, the note should only be around 300 words or so.

Ian Segal says that if you address the following points with one or two sentences each, you’ll be covering the necessary ground:

  • Thank your interviewer for their time
  • Reiterate your interest in the role
  • Mention a detail you learned about them or their experience
  • Remind them why you’re the right candidate for the job

“Your follow-up is not the place to add all the things you wish you had highlighted in your interview,” –Lourdes Olvera-Marshall

Be specific

When answering the above prompts, make sure that your responses are as specific to the job and interview as possible. Sending a thank you note is good, but if that letter sounds generic or scripted, it won’t come off as sincere.

How can you make your note sound personal? MasterClass says to include something you learned about the workplace culture, something you discussed during your questions, or new insights about the job. Tying it back to something you discussed shows that you’re a good listener and that what you discussed really stuck with you.

“If there was an anecdote or a shared interest that both you and the interviewer seemed to connect over, you may briefly nod to that in your email, but only if it feels natural and appropriate.” –Deborah Acosta

Add value

While you don’t want to rehash your entire interview and cover things you forgot, you do want to point out the value you’d bring to the position and to reiterate your sincere interest in the role.

JobHero suggests that you elaborate on something you discussed in that interview, such as adding a suggestion or an idea that can highlight the skills you’d bring to the position. That’s why being specific can help—you can add to the points you’ve discussed with tangible ideas to show your knowledge and passion.

Be sure to actually directly thank the interviewer as well!

Wrap up

If you’ve embraced these tips, you’ll have created a brief but value-loaded note to your interviewers in a timely manner. Crafting the perfect thank you note only requires a little bit of time, and you can even have a template to work off of to save you even more time. But that little extra time will be noticed after your next interview!

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Job Searching Tips To Ignore in 2021

With the abundance of career advice outlets and career resources, it can be challenging to know what guidance is most applicable to you and your status. Regardless of your situation, there is sure to be outdated or irrelevant information that crosses your screen. Our friends at Monster recently revealed five common thoughts and strategies you’re better off disregarding. We breakdown a few examples below:

Keeping Your Resume Brief

Have you ever been instructed to limit your resume‘s content to one page? Throughout my collegiate experience, I had professors offer that same advice. However, I had other professors that insisted job-seekers fill two complete pages and professors who did not oppose any length. So, what’s the correct direction to take? If one of your primary concerns is a hiring manager’s thoughts on your resume’s length, it will serve you best to reevaluate your priorities. 

If you possess extensive experience that applies to a job description at-hand, it would be foolish to forego mentioning acquired skills due to a fear of losing your reader’s attention. Don’t cross over to a second page for the wrong reasons, i.e., detailing responsibilities rather than accomplishments. While you never want to stretch words or embellish on your achievements within a role, you should always reflect on any experience you believe positions you as most qualified for the opportunity. 

Believing A Great Resume Will Get You Hired

A thorough, compatible resume may land you a job interview, but it will not serve as a golden ticket to getting you hired. Careful research, strong presentation, and maintaining a positive attitude are the keys to landing the job. It is your responsibility to live up to the initial impression you placed in your interviewer’s head. No matter how qualified you may feel you are, you must come prepared to answer some tough questions. Just as you will come with questions prepared and ‘holes’ needing filled when it comes to the job description, your interviewer will do the same with your work history.  

Only Sending a Thank-You Note

No, I am not insinuating that you shouldn’t send a note of appreciation following your job interview, but as Bettina Seidman helps reveal, it shouldn’t stop at just that. Your follow-up letter should reiterate your interest in the job, express your appreciation for their time, emphasize why you are the most qualified candidate, and highlight an experience that prepared you for the role. If your letter does not address the question, “Why should we hire you?”, then you are doing yourself a tremendous disservice in how the employer will remember you.

Following Your Passion

Do the experts really say ‘don’t follow your passion’? Not quite. The issue occurs when people become deadset on their passion and lose sight of reality. Saying ‘Follow Your Passion’ is one of the most misguided principles extended to the common job seeker. Passions in and outside of the business world often adjust in their hierarchy or change entirely, and sometimes these passions “do not serve as a viable source of income.” Catherine Conlan with Monster offers up an example of former NASDAQ-listed CEO Heidi Nazarudin choosing to pursue her passion for photography as a hobby rather than a primary source of income. This allows the best opportunity to live comfortably and still indulge in your passions. From there, who knows, maybe you can seize the opportunity to grow your network and turn your passion into something more prominent.

Wrap Up

The challenge to ‘adapt with the times’ is magnified now more than ever as we progress through 2021. As it goes with any well-intentioned guidance, you must approach any traditional tips and tricks with caution. Not every piece of advice will be inapplicable to your situation. More often than not, you will find it is time to push back on the old-age foundations.

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