When we’re applying for jobs we tend to focus solely on perfecting our resumes. After all, your resume tells a story about your experiences and it’s what gets your foot in the door. But what about once you land the interview? If you’ve made it to the interview you’re probably not the only candidate and it’s safe to assume most every one interviewing along with you has a resume and qualifications similar to yours. So how do you stand out? Do you rely on your charm and interview skills? Hope for the best? How about sending a thank you email post interview? A well-written thank you email could be the very thing that sets you apart from other candidates and even land you the job. Most candidates spend time prepping for the interview and think the interview the end of the hiring process and that’s simply not true.
Sending a thank you note/email after an interview makes a positive and lasting impression with a company. It lets the hiring manager and your potential future colleagues know you truly are thankful for the opportunity to interview and it shows you’re willing to go the extra mile. One study found that 57% of candidates don’t send a follow up or thank you email post interview. That means a good portion of the people you’re up against aren’t making the extra effort to get noticed. So with that in mind why wouldn’t you write one? It’s an incredibly simple step in the job seeking process it’s the one step post interview that can set you apart from equally qualified candidates.
When it comes to sending thank-you notes, however, you need to make sure you’re going about it the right way. You need to include some basic points from your interview while also keeping it short and sweet! Below we’ve composed a few tips to help you compose the perfect thank you note and help you stand out from all the rest!
– Say Thank you! Start our by expressing thanks for the interviewers time. The email can start off with a simple “Dear _______, I wanted to thank you for your time today and the opportunity to interview with ____”
– DON’T write a novel. Keep it simple and to the point. Only a few sentences are necessary to convey your message and you don’t want to lose the interviewers attention.
– Be sincere. Don’t send something to generic and don’t copy and paste the same thank you letter to every place you interview at. Mention something you and the interviewer discussed or connected on during the interview or express why working for said company is so important to you. And don’t send a mass thank you to every person you interviewed with! If you interviewed with multiple people then an email to each is appropriate.
– Don’t wait! If you’re sending a letter or note then be sure to send it immediately after the interview. If you’re going the email route, which is more common these days, then send it within 24 hours of the interview.
– Last, but not least, don’t overthink it! You made it to the interview which means the company is interested in YOU! Be yourself and show them exactly why they need to stay interested in you!
A thank-you email may be your last chance to leave a lasting impression with a company. Worst case scenario, it’s an extra five minutes of your life you’ll never get back. At best, it could be that extra bit of effort that sets you apart from the rest of the candidates, which makes it worth it!