Imagine you just walked out of the door after that Big Interview and are on cloud nine since the interview went off well! You have been waiting for the job offer since the very day, however, haven’t got a call yet! Wondering what went wrong? Did you send your Thank You Note to the Hiring Manager? No!! There You Go! There is a lack of awareness amongst Job Seekers about Thank You Notes. They believe that an interview is done once you walk out of the interview location. Many interviewees simply don’t know about the last leg of an interview, the Thank You Notes!

What is a Thank You Note?

Thank You Notes are simply a way of Thanking Someone for their help or their time! If related to an interview it essentially becomes the part of Post Interview Etiquette expressing gratitude for the interviewer’s time. In fact, Thank You Notes is an age-old practice, sent in Ink & Paper earlier. With advancement in digitization new modes like Phone Calls, Video Calls and E-Mails are all acceptable for a Thank You Note post your interview these days.

Why Send Thank You Notes?

Thank You Notes are important and form part of good etiquette post interview showing your good manners. It’s always a good idea to thank your hiring manager for their time and the opportunity laid out in front of you for a discussion.  Also, it gives you chance again to bring back your name on your interviewer’s mind allowing you to sell yourself one last time. Mentioning instances from the interview and highlighting your skills and experience can definitely keep you fresh in your interviewer’s mind improving your chances of being considered for the offer. Anything you forgot showcasing in the interview can be written in the note leaving a lasting impression on your interviewer.  Not only does a Thank You Note demonstrate your professionalism and your email writing skills but also gives you an edge over others because of your following up and showing interest in the role!

When to Send It?

Send as early as possible probably within 24 hours from the time of the interview. An emailed Thank You Note reaching the hiring managers on time ensure them of your interest for the position and reminds them of you before they have finalized the candidates and closed the opening. Also, avoid sending out the Thank You Emails just after the interview and wait for a good few hours before you send one as it may depict over-eagerness and nil thoughtfulness on your part! A thank you note should always be well thought before being written so that it reflects your performance and interest towards the job offered and does not look unreal copied and pasted from a template!

Whom to Send It?

Collect the Business Cards of the People who interviewed you and bingo you have their email addresses or postal addresses! Send individual thank you notes to each person who had interviewed you. In case of any confusion call the recruiter for help and the correct addresses but ensure that you mail to the right people! The spelling of the people should also be correct. If you were interviewed by a panel or a set of people under various rounds, make sure the thank you notes are unique and different so that when compared they appear to be reflecting on your thoughtfulness and fits your interviewer’s bill!

How to Send It?

Most of the organizations these days accept electronic mails as their first choice for a Thank You Note! Some traditional organizations however still prefer hand-written notes over emails as a professional and better approach. In a few instances, Phone and Video Calls are also treated as an acceptable medium. Notes written in MS Word and printed and posted are also a way of sending Thank You Notes. Email has an upper hand amongst all the other modes since it can be sent right away to the correct recipients. Also, an email can include your online portfolio like a link to your LinkedIn profile and your resume for the employers to remember about you and check your qualities.

How To Write Perfect Thank You Notes / Email?

Mark the Right People –

The Email Addresses on the business cards have to be marked on the mail. Ensure you send the email to the right people who had interviewed you. For hand-written notes, you will have to send the notes to the correct people by mailing to the correct postal addresses.

Subject –

The subject line should always have Thank You along with the position which has been applied for mentioned.

Thank the Person –

Thank the Interviewer for their time and the opportunity given at hand for you to showcase yourself as a brand at the interview. Begin on a thanking note. The interviewers will really appreciate your good manners and will definitely like being thanked.

Mention what you liked about the Interview –

It can simply be the engaging conversation that you enjoyed or learning more about the opportunity at hand. The liking part definitely needs a mention.

Show your Interest –

Express your enhanced interest in the job and that you are enthusiastically looking forward to joining them. Let the Interviewers know that the work at hand post discussion seems all the more desirous to you.

Reiterate that you are the best fit –

Bring up that you are tailor-made for the role. Incorporate a brief write up on your prior experience, skillset and your value-add which make you the best fit.

Personalize –

Include small details about the interview and look out for common interests! Address any concerns that the interviewer might have raised during any of the rounds. Any reference to such things will definitely pay off well making a positive impression and demonstrate your active listening and attentive skills! Also, include your professional references and social media URLs for the interviewer to view your personal profile.

End by Showing your gratitude –

Be thankful again for you to be considered for the interview! End on a note of gratitude and hope.

Sample Letter 1

Thank You, Hand Written or Word Printed Letter

Tanu Mahajan

14 Mall Road, Indirapuram, GZB – 120342

abc@abc.com

[Date]

Ms. / Mr X

Ops Mgr

ABC Housing Corp

Indirapuram, GZB -201013

Dear Ms. / Mr X,

Thanks a lot for meeting me this morning to explore the Team Leader Position. I have very much enjoyed our discussion and am looking forward to the possibility of joining your team.

It was a very engaging conversation and I have got a good insight of the role at hand as you threw more light about the position. I have been involved in handling a team of about 30 people in my previous organization and day to day operations of the process, diligently handling the customer service department. I also have expertise in recording data for internal and external stakeholders and also presenting the same to the senior management.

As per your requirement for the current opening, you need a Team Leader who has excellent people and operations management skills and excels in presenting complex data in simpler ways to the higher management. I feel I am the right fit because of my previous experience. I have had added new business to my prior company owing to my great client servicing skills and hence will be a good value-add to your organization!

Again, thank you for considering me for the Team Leader capacity and for lending me your time. I hereby also enclose a few professional references for your perusal. Please feel free to contact me in case of any additional information. Looking forward to hearing from you.

Yours Sincerely,

Tanu Mahajan

Enclosure: List of Professional References

Sample Letter 2

Thank You Note Email

To: Manager@abccorp.com

Subject: Thank You – Account Manager Interview

[Body]

Dear Mr./Ms. Manager Last Name

I enjoyed our conversation today about the Account Manager position at ABC Corp. The post seems tailor-made for me given to my previous experience and skill sets.

The creativity involved in the role will give me the freedom to experiment with various solutions and outcomes for managing accounts and hence has increased my desire to work for you.

I also possess good writing skills and am highly assertive which will definitely encourage the new team members to cooperatively work together.

I really appreciate the time you took out to interview me and I am enthusiastically waiting to work for you and interested to hear from you regarding the job offer.

Thanks & Regards

Your Name

Your Email Address

Phone Number

LinkedIn URL

Website URL

What not to Do?

No Stalking –

A thank you email and a follow up in a week is all that is needed for recommending yourself. Any other follow-ups apart from these two will make you look like a stalker. Repeatedly sending emails would stress your interviewers and worsen your chances of being selected.

Don’t be Casual –

Emails are a very informal medium, but even then, using internet acronyms, smileys etc. will make you look too casual for a job offer. Be your formal best.

Avoid Grammatical Errors –

Spelling mistakes, incorrect grammar or typo errors, don’t go well with a professional thank you email. Be careful to send correct emails post checking twice or thrice at the least. Proofreading software’s and applications come handy to your rescue here.

Don’t Thank Only One Person –

Take time to send out individual unique emails as per your conversation with each of your interviewers. All of them play a critical role equally in deciding your selection and pleasing all with a thank you can really increase your chances of getting hired.

Thank You Notes are very much in and a must to be sent post an interview to create that stellar impression on your interviewer. This is your golden chance to recommend yourself as a brand that can influence the hiring process and make you emerge as a winner!