Updated on 6/4/24
You just got finished with the big interview and now all there’s left to do is hope and pray, right? Wrong! Enter the thank you note. A thank you email takes almost no time and leaves a great impression, yet most candidates don’t realize that it could separate them from the crowd and wind up the difference between getting hired or rejected.
That might seem like a lot of pressure, but think of the thank you email as the simple cherry on top: short but sweet! Keep reading for what to include in your thank you note, along with a sample to help you get started.
Why should you write a thank you email after an interview?
A thank you email is a great opportunity to remind your interviewer about yourself, your strengths, and your interest in the position. It keeps you in the conversation without overstaying your welcome. A thank you note should be sent less than 24 hours after the interview to guarantee it’s received before the end of the hiring process.
What should a thank you email include?
- Start with a personalized greeting, e.g. Hello, (Name of the interviewer)
- Thank the interviewer for their time
- Briefly express your interest in the position and your capability to excel at it
- Make the note more personal by adding an experience/detail from the interview.
- Offer to answer any additional questions
- Tell the interviewer you are looking forward to hearing about the next steps
What to consider before you press ‘Send’
- The subject line should be clear and simple and convey the summary of the message. It should be something straightforward like, ‘It was great to meet you today’, or ‘Thank you for your time’.
- If interviews were taken by multiple people, send each a personalized thank you email according to the interviewer and the experience
- Make sure your email is genuine and doesn’t feel copied and pasted from a template. Write it the way you spoke to your interviewer in person.
- Proofread the email carefully
Your thank you email shouldn’t be long or complicated, it should simply highlight what you want to refresh in the interviewer’s mind. Think of it this way: you already nailed the interview, this is just a bonus!
Click here to view a sample thank you email for you to expand upon.
Have more questions about interviews, resumes, or need career advice? Check out the OLAS article section for more information on education recruitment and K-12 jobs in and around the New York area
