Thank you email after the interview

Significance of thank you email after the interview

As the competitive environment among job seekers increases, thank you email after the interview emerges as a basic etiquette. Thank you. An email has been increasingly identified as an essential follow-up of the interview process. This equips you with yet another chance to turn the tables in your favor. Provided you present your case perfectly, you stand a chance to influence your employer’s decision resulting in a change in your career path. Undoubtedly, this is a display of your good manners, and hence there should not be any apprehensions about the outcome of this thank you an email.

The central idea of the thank you email after the interview is nothing but to help establish yourself differently from other candidates, which is the sole purpose of the interview process. Since there are chances that the hiring team or the employer may make a decision soon enough after the interview process, a thank you email after the process may influence their decision if sent, say, in 24 hours’ time.

Tips for composing thank you email.

❖   No space for regrets

Thank you email after the interview provides you the apt opportunity to express yourself in the way you want the employer to see. This opportunity may not come to you during the real interview as you find yourself in the receiving end in front of the interview board. Interviews, in general, for that matter, do not go the way the candidate wants them to be. This becomes helpful when you have already prepared a few points, which you hope to be an added advantage but failed to express during the interview.

For example, it is possible that you wish to let them know why you are confident to merge with the work ethics of the organization and how your experience aids that process. If you think your point is crucial enough to alter the interview result in your favor, do not hesitate. Thank you email after the interview is the space for the same.

❖   Reiterating your point

By virtue of the question they asked and the answers you gave, you must have said with enough validation why you want the job and how you could contribute effectively to achieving the goal of the organization. Thank you email after the interview provides the opportunity to reiterate these aspects in a more systematic manner. Without any doubt, you can consider this email as the necessary follow up which potentially brings you closer to being a successful candidate.

For example, in this case, you can reiterate your qualifications, experience, and skillsets in a subtle yet impactful way.  

❖   Revisiting the interview 

No interviews are perfect. In many cases, you may find yourself so unlucky that you could not express the way you end up expressing. It may be so unfortunate that you neglected to answer some questions which you can do well if you get another chance. Thank you email after the interview brings this opportunity to you.

For example, you can bring up some topics which you discussed during the interview to submit any additional points, corrections, or other viewpoints. Since it is advised not to leave any stone unturned in situations of an interview, including these in your thank you email is always preferred.

Components of the thank you email post-interview

A systematic analysis of the components of the thank you email will help achieve the objective in a quick fashion. It is of prime importance that you identify the crucial components of the mail so as to avoid traps as well as focus on high-yielding areas.

Components can be listed as follows:

1. Subject line of the email

Like any other professional email, choosing the right and impactful subject line is a vital step towards creating a perfect thank you email. The pro tip, in this case, is nothing but to have a straightforward, catchy, and short subject line. For example, it can be something in the lines of “thank you for your time today.”

Going a step ahead, keep in mind the thumb rule that a more personalized subject line will definitely grab their attention and nudge them to write a reply email, hence, bring yourself closer to your objective.

2.   Individualised greetings

This component also fits in perfectly with the ideal type of professional email. Since the reader starts off from this line, the vitality of individualized greetings is well established. One should not use such greetings that may sound weird or awkward. It is always suggested to use the name of the interviewer/ employer or their title to make the email more convincing.

3. Appreciation to the hiring team/ employer

Showcasing your gratitude is very important. This forms the core of your email etiquette. There is no issue in you wholeheartedly thanking the interviewer for their time and resources dedicated to the interview process. Pro tip here is to specify your job title as it is plausible that they might have pulled off multiple interviews at the same time/ same day.

4. Reiteration session

As mentioned earlier, it is advised to reiterate your plus points so as to increase the impact on results. You can plan well in advance this part to include your experience, skill sets, qualification, and interests in a subtly arranged manner. The connection has to be made in such a manner that convinces the hiring officials that you are the best candidate for the position.

5.   Expressing yourself

This section of the thank you email post-interview grabs the attention of the interviewer to your opinions, viewpoints, and ideas which you failed to express convincingly in the in-person interview. It does not cost you anything to say it again in a planned way but not saying so may cost you dearly. You have to make use of all the options available without any hesitation.

In addition to this, you can cleverly open up a space for follow-up by stating that, for example, you are available for a follow-up interview if needed and expressing your flexibility in all dimensions.

6.   Contact thread

This concluding section of the thank you mail is something one cannot afford to leave. It is absolutely necessary that you provide enough details for the hiring officials to contact you in case of any clarifications or in case they wish to conduct a follow-up interview. Needless to say, explicit expression of email address and contact number is essential.

Samples of thank you email post-interview   

Sample email template 1:

Hello (interviewer name/ designation of hiring official as required),

I extend my gratitude for finding time to meet me today. To say the least, it was a great learning experience for a candidate like me. I am really excited to join as a (insert job position here) in your esteemed organization. I am sure that I can work towards fulfilling the goals of (insert company name here) with your core team.

I am looking forward with great enthusiasm to hearing from your side regarding the following steps of the process. In case you need more details regarding anything, please do not hesitate to contact me.  

Thanks and regards,

(your name)

(your email address)

(your contact number)

Sample email template 2:

Hi (interviewer name/ designation of hiring official as required),

Thank you so much for the valuable time you spent with me today. I am sure that I learned more about the (insert job position here) role in depth. I cannot wait to join your prestigious company. I am really excited to work for (insert company name here). I am sure that I can contribute positively to the growth trajectory of the company.

I look forward to hearing from you regarding further steps. I thank you again for your time. I express my availability in case you need any additional information.

All the best,

(your name)

(your email address)

(your contact number)

Sample email template 3:

Good morning (interviewer name/ designation of hiring official as required),

I am delighted and thankful for the wonderful opportunity to meet you in person at your office. I am really thankful for your invitation. It was a great learning experience to know in detail about (inert job position here) and also about (insert company name here). I realize that your company is a wonderful place to work.

I have huge admiration for the work culture at your company. I am sure that I can contribute positively to achieving the company goals by implementing some best ideas. I hope that my (insert your relevant skill set here) will benefit your company.

Please do let me know if there is any information needed from my side to proceed further into the process.

Best regards and wishes,

(your name)

(your email address)

(your contact number)

Sample email template 4:

Hi (interviewer name/ designation of hiring official as required),

Thank you so much for meeting me today at your office. I really enjoyed the process, needless to say, the great learning experience it offered. I look up to the work culture and motivation at (insert the company name here). I am sure that your company will go well past your goals in the next couple of years.

I would love to have a follow-up interview/ conversation if needed by you. I express my availability for the same. I have attached a few points I thought would be relevant for the selection process. I will be overwhelmed if you are interested in hearing from me about the same.

I am confident that my work experience will contribute positively to achieving better. Also, not to mention, I find this opportunity career-changing as the team at (insert company name here) is very passionate and committed. Please do not hesitate to let me know if I can do anything to make the process easier.

Thanks and regards,

(your name)

(your email address)

(your contact number)

Sample email template 5:

Subject line: Thank you for your time today

Hello (interviewer name/ designation of hiring official as required),

I wholeheartedly thank you for your time to meet me today afternoon. I enjoyed our valuable conversation about the (insert job position here) role and more about (insert company name here). I really appreciate the work culture at your company. I really look forward to being a part of the passionate and hardworking bunch of people there.

After considering the opportunities on the fronts of inter-company collaborations and research, this job position sounds perfect to me. I am sure this will be 

a career-changing juncture for me to be a part of your organization. I hope that my experience and skillsets will match your requirements for the job position.

I look forward to discussing with you more regarding follow-up. Please don’t hesitate to ask for further details deemed necessary to fasten the hiring process.

Thanks and regards,

(your name)

(your email address)

(your contact number)

Sample email template 6:

Subject line: Great to meet you

Good morning (interviewer name/ designation of hiring official as required),

Thank you for taking time from your busy schedule to interview me yesterday afternoon. I am overwhelmed by our conversation about the (insert job position here) and appreciated learning in-depth about the responsibilities, expectations, and work culture at your esteemed organization. The establishment and career ladder suit me perfectly for me.

I am sure that my contribution at (insert company name here) will be mutually beneficial and highly rewarding for the company. I am confident about fulfilling all responsibilities bestowed on me by the company.

I am committed to helping you in fastening the hiring process through any information or details desired by you.

Thank you,

(your name)

(your email address)

(your contact number)

Sample email template 7:

Subject line: Thanks for your time today

Hi (interviewer name/ designation of hiring official as required),

I am greatly thankful to you for taking the time to interview me earlier today. Our conversation about (insert job position here) was really inspiring and delightful. The job profile and responsibilities sound exciting. I am sure that, with my experience and field expertise, I can fulfill such tasks assigned to me in perfection.

I could not wait to join the team of great innovators at (insert company name here). Please let me know if there is a need to discuss further on the same or to follow up. I thank you again for the opportunity and time.

Thanks and regards,

(your name)

(your email address)

(your contact number)