Post interview thank you email

[TheShaun]

Just had an interview that i think went well. I have sent post interview thank you emails in the past but often struggle with what to put in the subject line and to some extent how much to include in the body.

thoughts?

 

[proxymoron]

I thought these were fairly standard:

Subject: Thank you.

Salutation

Point 1: thank the interviewer personally

Point 2: mention a specific moment or comment that struck you as particularly fascinating and recalls your good rapport

Point 3: reiteration of interest and expression of eagerness

Closing salutation

 

[Austin]

I thought these were fairly standard:

Subject: Thank you.

Salutation

Point 1: thank the interviewer personally

Point 2: mention a specific moment or comment that struck you as particularly fascinating and recalls your good rapport

Point 3: reiteration of interest and expression of eagerness

Closing salutation

Sounds good. Keep it short and sweet.

 

[Cuttingboard]

Just had an interview that i think went well. I have sent post interview thank you emails in the past but often struggle with what to put in the subject line and to some extent how much to include in the body.

thoughts?

I guess emails are fine these days but call me old fashion because I still write thank you notes and hand deliver them because it shows initiative and drive and may give you some extra face time. And that's separates you from the other stiffs. You could mail it if the interview is out of town.

Dear Sir/Madam:

I would like to thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to interview me for such and such position. I am very interested in the position and would like to reiterate that (name a couple take-aways from the interview).

Sincerely,

Butter Ball

 

[GeorgeIV]

On the email/real mail issue: I think that sending both couldn't hurt. What I would recommend doing is sending a quick follow-up email immediately after the interview. Thanks for your time and interest in me, it was nice to meet the team, etc.

The real mail should be a little longer. This would be the time to follow Proxmoron's form.

The only reason I suggest the email first is because after the interview was completed for my most recent job, I was hired within 24 hours (they had lost a few members of an already small team over a short period of time). I didn't have a chance to get my thank you note out in the mail. I was left wishing that I had sent a quick email immediately after my interview.

 

[betat]

As much as I would prefer to use a hand-written note, I think email works as well and may not be as much a differentiator as you would like. With that said the content is all important and I agree with previous posters; thank them for their time and the opportunity to interview, reiterate a summary of why you are the best choice for the job without going into too much detail and always, always ask for the job. I have eliminated many a candidate from final consideration if they did not "close" and complete the cycle by asking for the job. Good luck!

 

[Mr_Amazing]

I guess emails are fine these days but call me old fashion because I still write thank you notes and hand deliver them...

These are my sentiments. Anybody can write an e-mail from their cell phone the minute after an interview. It isn't personal. There's something about seeing hand-written words in ink on a nice card stock that shows the desire for a job. An e-mail is simply too informal and I'm only 24. If you really want the job, write it down and hand deliver. An email says "thanks, but I'm really not interested in the job as I have put minimal effort towards this and it is a reflection of my work." Either don't send any thank you, or hand write one. It would be a shame to lose out on a job because a less-qualified competitor was willing to go the extra mile and you weren't.

 

[Cuttingboard]

Exactly...well said.

 

[richmondesi]

1) When writing a letter to someone who is making a hiring decision, always mention them before yourself.

"I would like to thank you..." isn't as effective as "Thank you for..."

2) Avoid terms like "hope", "wish", "look forward to" etc. Instead, say something like "I'll contact (secretary's name) to discuss a followup interview/meeting/etc."

3) write the letter and get it in the mail or delivered the same day or the day after at the latest.

4) Be concise! No one in business wants to read wordy letters, resumes, proposals, memos, etc. They want to get the information and be done with it.

 

[Desdinova]

As a hiring manager that has received the emails, I much prefer the note.

Emails show zero effort and therefore a little bit of laziness versus the handwritten note.

Sorry, that's just the way it is.

 

[Bill Smith]

Depends on the situation, I prefer the handwritten note. If I have an information interview and the person I am meeting wants my resume, the thank you note becomes an email with a resume attached or a link to my online resume and portfolio.