Sending a thank-you note or email following an interview has become more of an expectation than an option. If you overlook it, it could cost you the job. In my 10-plus years as an entrepreneur and employment counselor, I have found that a follow-up note (written or email) can be surprisingly powerful IF you take the right approach.
The path is to use a marketing mindset, even if you’re not in “marketing.” You’re pitching your skills, abilities, experience, and character when you’re in an employment search. So, it means you’re marketing yourself.
So, with that in mind, here are some tips to writing your next thank-you note or email.
- Express Gratitude
- Be Respectful
- Personalize It
Be Respectful
These days, it doesn’t take much to turn off a hiring manager or recruiter. Companies simply have too many options to settle for a candidate who leaves them with a mediocre experience.
As a job seeker, this means you want to follow up in a way that’s well-received. And while many managers and recruiters appreciate a thank-you note, they don’t want to put a lot of work into reading it.
With that in mind, remember to:
- Be brief. This shows that you’re respecting the interviewers’ time. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t include a proper salutation and sign-off. But you should keep it short, sweet, and professional.
- Keep it clean. Your follow-up should be appropriately formatted and free of distracting typos and grammatical errors. This ensures that you look professional, and it makes it easier on the interviewers who are reading your note.
- Be quick. Your thank-you note should be sent within 24 hours—and ideally before close of business on the day you interviewed. Any longer than that and the decision to move you forward (or not) could’ve already been made.
Express Gratitude
If it feels like your thank-you note comes across as insincere—like you only wrote it so you could keep pitching yourself or if it sounds like the same form letter you’d send to any employer—it’ll turn off hiring managers. You want to include something personal. Be memorable, but in a good way!
I recommend adding something to your note that you genuinely remember or enjoyed about your interview. Your gratitude will feel more sincere (and more personal).
Personalize It
In my job search or in my business, I made every effort to deliver a customized, relevant, and compelling message to everyone I followed up with. Sending the exact same two-line (“Thanks for interviewing me. I look forward to hearing back!”) might check the box for sending something, but I promise you it won’t help you gain any ground over other candidates.
Use your note or email to be genuine about the aspects of the job (or company) you’re drawn to or excited about. Take the time to really consider what the interviewer and organization are looking for, then add a line or two to touch on some of your ideas for the role. Speak to their needs and make the case that you’re the right fit for the position.
If you and the interviewer connected over points of common interest, you could consider including it in your note. Some hiring managers may interview several people on the same day, so these personal touches help remind the interviewer who you are and of how well you got along.
Also, if you interviewed with multiple people at the same company, I recommend making each follow-up slightly different. I can almost assure you that they will compare notes, and most interviewers aren’t impressed if you send the exact same template to everyone. Also, make sure that you spell their names correctly!
Conclusion
According to Forbes, an average of 118 people apply to each new job posting. From that group, only 23 of those applicants get called in for an interview. And only one gets the job.
The competition is often so close that one wrong move can make or break you. That's the power that a simple thank you hold when it comes to your job search.
Fortunately, you don’t have to deal with that pressure alone. To learn more about thank-you notes and other job search techniques, visit employment.ChurchofJesusChrist.org. Or call 888-818-4484 to speak directly with a member of the Church’s Employment Services team.