Suppose you just walked out of an interview giving your best. You may think that it is the end, however, it is not. The fact is that most employers look out for receiving thank you letters/emails after the interview is done. Therefore, it becomes necessary to draft a well-written ‘Thank-You Letter’.
Write A Formal But Personalized Subject & Greeting
It is advised to not mess around with the thank you letter. You should not add jokes or puns to the subject or the greeting. Your thank you letter should be formal, polite, and precise. Do not beat around the bush and get directly to the point. You can use the below-given examples for writing the subject:
- Thank You Mr/Ms/Mrs __________ .
- Thank You for the opportunity.
- Thank you for your advice yesterday.
- Thank you for the interview.
You can frame many such subjects that are short, precise, and do not come off as too friendly but are enough to grab the attention of the employer.
Often, when you send such a thank you letter to the employer, they are impressed by the fact that you are so much serious about this job that you have taken time out to specially acknowledge the interview.
The next step is to greet the person you are writing the letter to. Often, there is a panel that conducts the interview. It would be a good idea to send personalized notes to each of them as it would reflect your sincerity. You should address the receiver by their name itself.
Express Your Gratitude and Interest
Usually thank you letters should begin with a thank you itself. Since the main purpose of the letter is to show your gratitude towards the employers, you should express your thankfulness sincerely. You do not have to write an essay about how thankful you are. Even a small note works fine but the small note should be real, authentic, and well-written. Express the acknowledgment and appreciation for the interviewers’ time, attention, and guidance. While doing so, one should not overuse personal pronouns as they may turn the entire thank you letter to sound too self-centered.
When a hiring manager goes out to look for a candidate, they want someone who is the right fit for the company. This right fit does not only include appropriate qualifications and skills but also the eagerness and excitement to join the company. Between two candidates of similar qualifications, one with more interest in the company would be asked to join. Therefore, you must mention it again that you are interested in the job role.
In case, during the interview you realized that the job is not the right fit, you should mention that in your letter. It would be considered an act of honesty and good ethics.
Bring Up References From The Interview
The best way to make sure that the employer notices your sincerity and interest in the job post is to mention highlights from the interview. Writing something very specific from the interview duration would provide two benefits. Firstly, it would help the interviewer to remember the candidate clearly in detail. Secondly, it would make him/her realize that you paid attention to every happening during the interview and every word said by the employers. In short, it is a nice way to make a good impression. After all, every human being likes to be heard and remembered.
You can even mention the company’s requirements or aims that you heard from them and suggest ways you can help the company realize those goals. You can mention some of your key skills to highlight the fact that how you fit the role so well. You can also revisit the issues that arose during the interview and provide your insights to them. The entirety of it would establish the candidate as a good fit in the eye of the employer.
There is a fine line between standing out and acting desperate. Keep it short but make sure to write enough for the employer to not shed you off as a non-deserving candidate.
Mention Anything You Missed
There are a lot of instances where you should have mentioned something but you missed the right time or you forgot about it completely. In such cases, you can use the thank you letter to your benefit. For example, if the interviewer asked you why you would be the best choice for the company and you could not provide your best answer to it, you can do so later. You do not have to frame it as your mistake or carelessness. A simple addition to the thank you letter stating why you must be selected for the role is enough to cover the part.
However, it is strictly advised to not mention any mistakes you made during the interview. The thank you letter should not sound like a sorry letter or a cover-up letter. It should sound like what it is, i,e,e a thank you letter. Avoid mentioning instances where you could have said better. Avoid sentences like, “I wish I would have said this during the interview” or “I think I missed a detail”. You do not want them to think that you are pestering them for the hiring. At no cost, you should bring up your mistakes. Chances are that the interviewer does not even remember the minute errors or they did not think of them much when they occurred. Mentioning it again may bring a negative feeling to their minds. Therefore, writing a thank you letter is a good opportunity to get on the good list.
Offer Them Any Additional Information Required
Once you are done writing the main thank you note, the act remaining is to sign off well. In case you were asked to send any additional certificates or attachments, you can mention them while signing off. It is also a good gesture to tell them that you would be open to provide them with any other information that they might require. It showcases your willingness to help them through the process.
In a statement, you should also remind them of deadlines, if any. For example, I will be looking forward to the results next week.
The last act is to finally sign off. State Thank You once again followed by a ‘sincerely’ or other equivalent adjectives. Write your full name ahead. Do not forget to leave your contact details including your contact number and email address. You may also choose to add links to your website. Try to sum up all the signing-off information in one short paragraph. No hiring manager wants to go through too much content again after they have already taken the interview.
Sample Thank-You Letters
Sample 1
Subject Line: Thank you Mr/Ms/Mrs [write the interviewer’s name]
Hello Mr/Ms/Mrs [write the interviewer’s name]
I would like to thank you for the time and advice provided during our conversation about the position of [mention the position name]. It was a pleasure learning things about your company and its values.
Our conversation made me believe that I am a good fit for the role. It made me excited to know that my values and ideas align with that of the company. I loved the fact that [mention a specific highlight from the interview].
I thought about what you mentioned regarding [an issue that was brought up during the interview]. I realized that it could be overcome by [offer a solution that you missed during the interview]. I went through a similar issue where [mention your experience].
I hope my experience and skills can align with your company to reach milestones.
In case you need any further information, feel free to connect. I’m looking forward to the results next week.
Thank you for the opportunity again!
[Sign off]
Sample 2
Subject Line: Thank You for the opportunity Mr/Ms/Mrs [write the interviewer’s name]
Dear Mr/Ms/Mrs [write the interviewer’s name]
I was delighted to learn so many things from you during the interview. I appreciate the time and learning provided by you.
Through the course of the interview, I realized that my expectations and ideas are very much different from what your company expects from the employees. I feel that I am not the right candidate for the job role.
It was still a pleasure to interact with you and learn so much about [mention the relevant field]. I will remember this experience and apply it to improve my abilities. I wish you and the company luck in your future endeavors. I apologize for any inconvenience caused to you.
Thank you for your time again!
[Sign off]
Sample 3
Subject Line: Thank you for the interview Mr/Ms/Mrs [write the interviewer’s name]
Hi Mr/Ms/Mrs [write the interviewer’s name]
It was an absolute pleasure interacting with you while our discussion about [mention the job post]. It was really inspiring to learn about the journey of the company I would love to work with.
I was very happy to know that you and your company share my ideologies and expectations. It was confirmed that I would suit the position of [position name] when you told me about [mention the specific instance]. The fact that particularly caught my attention was [mention the fact].
I hope that I can join the company in the journey of achieving its future endeavors providing my best through my skills and experience.
Please find the required details regarding my experience in [mention the project/field]. In case you need any further information, feel free to reach out. I’m looking forward to our discussed call on Friday.
Thank you once again!
[Sign off]
Tips For Thank You Letters/Emails
- Do not come off as too casual while writing a personal thank you note.
- Do not go on and on about how grateful you are. Be authentic to your grounds.
- Do show that you are interested in the job but do not come off as clingy or desperate.
- Write things that would show that you were very attentive during the interview.
- Mention one highlight about you that would help them remember you well.
- Try to send in the thank you letters within 24 hrs of the interview conducted to be remembered by the employer.
- Do not use a standard note but write a personalized one for the specific interview.
- Do not mention the mistakes that you made during the interview.
- Do not send the exact thank you letter to each of the interviewers.
- Be original, avoid grammatical mistakes, and sound real.
A thank you letter is a good way to initiate the post-interview follow-up while expressing your gratitude towards the company. It relays your seriousness about the job post to the interviewers. We hope the list and examples provided you with insights that could help you in the future. If you enjoyed reading, do share it further.
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Sandeep Bhandari is the founder of PrepMyCareer.com website.
I am a full-time professional blogger, a digital marketer, and a trainer. I love anything related to the Web, and I try to learn new technologies every day.
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