The interview itself is just a part of the process. The follow up or thank you email is a crucial portion of that process that can make the difference between getting moved to the next step in the interview process or getting passed on.
I am a big advocate on honoring your time. If you’re going to take the time to interview, take the time to do it right. Show up 100% until you sign an offer.
At Build, we’ve seen some amazing thank you emails….and unfortunately, we’ve seen some really bad thank you emails.
I’m going to break down the parts of the thank you email and also talk about some things to NOT do or include in your thank you email.
Let’s start with what to include:
- A relevant subject line
You don’t need to over think this. it’s not a prospecting email and you’re not trying to catch the attention of your audience. they already know who you are. A simple short subject is perfect. some examples include: Appreciate your time today. Follow up from our interview today. - Thank them for their time
Again, this doesn’t have to be elaborate. You can be brief and still customize this part of the letter. Saying something like, “Thank you for taking time to connect with me today. I appreciate you sharing more about the X role at (name of company). - Get specific
Share something that came up that peaked your interest even more so after talking to that person about the opportunity you’re interviewing for. That could be about the team, the growth, the vision, the product, or the company in general. What this does is show you were paying attention and calling out something that you are genuinely excited or more interested in. - Let them know you’re interested in the opportunity and why
Remember, hiring managers don’t want to hire someone who is just looking for another job. they want people who are interested in working for their company because of a certain factor about the organization. - Be proactive with providing dates and times you are available for next steps
AND mention that you are interested in learning more and getting some additional questions you have answered. Again, this shows your intellectual curiosity.
One more Bonus Tip is to be sure to send out your thank you email within 24 hours of your interview.
Now let’s talk about some DON’Ts when it comes to writing a thank you email.
- Don’t write a novel
If it takes someone more than 1-2 minutes to read, it’s too long. - Don’t be excessive about why YOU feel you’re the right person for the job
That’s up to the hiring manager and if you did a good job expressing your experience and transferrable skills during the interview, they will know why you’re a good fit for the role. - Don’t be too casual
Building rapport and trust is great, but you still want to keep it professional. - Review your letter for spelling or grammatical errors
Remember, this is part of the IV process you can control. Review or have another person review your thank you email for you before you send it. - Don’t sound desperate or beg for the job
Speak with conviction throughout the interview process…. that includes in your thank you email. Confidence, with a dash of humility prevails… always!
If you have any questions about these tips, you can email me at [email protected]. I’d love to dive into these and other best practices about how to ace your interview and get the job you love.
