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7 min read

Today's topic is how to write a thank you email after an interview

I know, I know. Boooorrrrriing.

But can you help your cause with a good follow-up thank you email?

Absolutely.

Why Bother With A Thank You Email

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Before we get there or maybe as part of it, I want to address the elephant in the room. There are a lot of people who don't bother sending thank you notes.

This is crazy for a bunch of reasons.

1) It's well understood in sales that you need a certain number of interactions to build sufficient trust to close a sale. A thank you email can serve as an incremental one.

2) If all of your competitors for the job write a thank you email, and you don't, it will stand out and not in a good way.

3) A thank you email gives you the opportunity to show that you are switched on, organized, and professional. Everyone likes employees who are good at following up, and a well-written thank-you email lets you demonstrate that.

Important Reminder - Get Their Business Card

You won't always be able to, but do your best to get their business card.

Otherwise, it's harder to send them a thank you note.

In the case of virtual interviews, the calendar invitation usually contains the email addresses of the other invitees. You'll be able to find them from there.

If you can't get their email addresses, try this: Send a separate thank you note for each person through the person you're corresponding with at the firm. Ask that person to forward the separate emails to the various interviewers.

Structure (Sample at the End)

So, hopefully, we all agree on the importance of writing a thank you email.

The next question is what to put in it.

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Professional Salutation

You probably don't need to be told this, but make sure to start out with a professional salutation. Dear Lisa, Hello Peter or Dear Mr. Smith will do the job. Avoid anything too casual unless you already know them, and it would seem odd to be overly professional with them.

Express Appreciation

Yes, it's their job to interview you, but it still takes time away from their daily work, which hasn't gone away.

Thank them for taking the time to meet with you.

Include specific details

It's useful to include something that was specific to your interview.

Ideally, you can mention how much you enjoyed learning about xyz. This isn't easy in some of the day-long processes, but try to make some quick notes when you have a moment between interviews.

Follow Up Items:

Something You Were Checking On

This is the time to include anything you were going to check on and follow up with them about. Sometimes, during interviews, you'll refer to something you think you recall but aren't sure.

You look really sharp by following up on that and including it in your follow-up email.

You also don’t have a lot of ways to establish that you can be counted on. Making promises of follow-up and keeping those promises can help. You begin to gradually build an impression as someone who does what they say they’re going to do. This is especially important if you emphasized reliability in the interview. You’d be acting consistent with what you told them; which is always a good thing.

Books or Podcasts

I've had interviews where I asked about books the candidate reads or podcasts they really liked. I don't always remember to write these down while I'm interviewing them.

It's helpful and thoughtful to include the books or podcasts in your follow-up email. It shows that you're thinking, and once again, everyone likes employees who diligently follow up.

Work Sample

You might also include a sample of your work in this email.

Yes, I know. You included it when you sent in your original resume and application. Is it possible that this person might not have seen it? If you send it to them, might they have a look at it and improve their impression of you? It doesn't hurt, right?

Letters of Recommendation

Not everyone has these, but if you do and they are glowing, it might make sense to include them here.

This way, the person deciding whether to send you forward can get this social proof from someone who has worked with you.

You're probably wise to solicit these letters from former bosses. Ask them to highlight certain aspects of your professional skills that will be important to future jobs. Then, keep the letters. They are ready to deploy as necessary.

Parting Thoughts

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There's no way a good follow-up email is going to get you a job after an interview that was a dumpster fire or a job you're not suited for.

However, it can help you on the margin if you're close. More importantly, the absence of a follow-up thank you email can knock you out of some interview processes.

This is because it's so well known that you should send one. If you don't send one, it suggests that you haven't done the due diligence on the required basic things. If you haven't done it for this, what else have you not done it for? - the thinking might go.

This isn't the case everywhere, but you can take this concern off the table by doing this simple thing.

Sample Thank You Email

Here's a sample that incorporates what I've mentioned above:

Dear Ms. Wilson,

Thanks very much for taking the time to speak with me earlier today.

It was great hearing about the collaborative culture that your team has fostered. It sounds like a great environment to grow and develop - I'm excited about the possibility of working there.

I also thought I'd follow up with the books and podcasts that I mentioned during our discussion in case you were interested. As I mentioned, they've definitely added to my understanding of the nuances of the relevant companies/industries.

Books

The World For Sale - Javier Blas

The Ride of a Lifetime - Robert Iger

Podcasts

Tim Ferriss episode 651 - Bill Gurley (partner at Benchmark)

The Big Take - Why Car Prices Are Still Crazy High

I've included for your reference a copy of the industry report I wrote that we discussed as well as a reference letter from my last employer. I hope it will give you more insight into how I work and that I've been able to hit the ground running in the past. (Or learning quickly or whatever you figured out is relevant).

I know you're busy, and I really appreciate the time you spent with me earlier.

Looking forward to hearing back from you,

Ashley