The effectiveness of a thank you letter after an interview can increase your chances of landing the job. To give you the best chance of getting hired, let’s discuss some tips for writing an effective interview thank you note.
Additional Resources
Check out our full collection of Interview Thank You Letter Samples.
Let’s learn how to write the perfect thank you letter to land you the job.
The Psychology of The Hiring Manager
In order to write a perfect post-interview note, you need to get inside the mind of your potential employer and be able to hit every nerve.
The best candidate will always be selected, no matter what the job market is like. Although, the top candidate is not always the one (or group of candidates) with the most qualified and experienced record.
What They Want From an Employee ?
I’ve been a hiring manager for some time, and I know there are certain qualities that always contribute to a good hire. They are:
- Enthusiasm
- Competence
- Adaptability
- Creativity, and
- Good Communication Skills
Whether you’re interviewing at Starbucks or Goldman Sachs, your potential employer will be looking for these qualities.
Over a candidate with the perfect experience, with no enthusiasm, or unable to communicate well, I would choose an underqualified candidate with these core characteristics.
Hitting Every Nerve With Your Thank You Letter
We now know what hiring managers look for. Now let’s take a look at how your post-interview thank you letter will demonstrate all of these qualities, so the hiring manager will call you up and offer you the job as soon as he finishes reading it.
Enthusiasm: A thank you note should be enthusiastic. Your job interview just confirmed how excited you are about working for this company. You are not searching for a job because you need money, but because this is the perfect job for you.
Competence: Thank you notes are a great way to demonstrate competence in the field you’re applying for. Demonstrate to the manager that you understand the problems he is trying to resolve. Talk to him in his native language. Show him you’re on the same page and can help solve his problems by using industry-specific terms.
Adaptability: Adaptability is the ultimate evolutionary advantage. In your new role, employers want to know you will be able to adapt to new information and situations. During the interview, did you learn anything new about the company or the position for which you are applying?
In your thank you letter, mention this new information. Demonstrate that you are open and creative when faced with new challenges.
Good Communication: You should convey your gratitude in a clear and effective way in your thank you letter. By this, we mean that your thoughts are organized and properly punctuated, spelled, and grammatically correct.
You should avoid wasting your employer’s time with unnecessary fluff. There must be a purpose to every sentence. Furthermore, avoid using useless words such as obfuscating. Dictionary references shouldn’t be necessary for anyone.
A Good Interview Thank You Letter Example
The following is a sample thank you note after a job interview. All of the tactics mentioned above are used in this campaign.
Your Name Street Address City, State Zip Cell #____ ___ ____ E-Mail Supervisor/Managerial Name Company Name Street Address City, State Zip Telephone
Dear Mr. Harison; I really enjoyed meeting you today, and I appreciate the time you and your staff took to make me feel welcomed. It was a pleasure speaking with you about the direction in which you're hoping to steer the company. I agree that no task should be too big or too small for a project manager to weigh in on. Management and employees alike have an extraordinary and distinct relationship that I am looking forward to being a part of. Therefore, it is no wonder that productivity at the office is at an all-time high! I find it exciting to imagine my role within this ecosystem. I've never applied to a position that would allow me to start right away. In summarizing our conversation, I believe I possess a unique perspective from my time overseeing and planning product launches at PRX Inc. These insights will help you and the rest of the team address product feedback quickly and effectively. Mr. Harison, I knew YBU Incorporated was a company at which I could excel, but it wasn't until this morning that I realized what a blessing it would be to be able to utilize my skills in such a thriving environment. It's clear I've found a career home! Sir; should you have any further questions you may reach me by phone or e-mail at your convenience. I hope to hear from you soon. Sincerely, Your Signature Date
— More Sample Interview Thank You letters —
A Note About Tone and Style
Sending a thank you letter after a job interview is essentially extending the interview process in the hope that your additional correspondence will help sway the final decision in your favor.
Match the tone of your thank you letter to the conversational tone in the interview, since the note is an extension of the interview. Your note will be perceived as genuine correspondence if you do this.
As long as you copy the tone and style of one of our example notes, without considering the respect you had with the hiring manager during the interview, your note will come across as obligatory, something you sent just because that’s what people do and it might help your chances.
This is the last thing you want a potential employer thinking.
Keep it real. Your note should continue the relationship you’ve already developed with the manager if you were friendly and jovial during the interview. Make sure your note follows the same professional tone as your interview.
Should You Use E-Mail or Deliver a Hard Copy?
People often wonder whether it’s better to e-mail or deliver a hard copy of their post-interview thank you note.
Sending your thank you note by e-mail is fine in general. These days, most business is conducted via email, so your thank you note doesn’t need to be an exception.
However, there are a few scenarios when a hard copy should be delivered.
Deliver a Hard Copy If:
You are applying for a very competitive position. If you think another applicant will hand-deliver thank you notes after an interview, you should do the same.
You’re unsure the e-mail will reach the right people. You can’t be sure your e-mail won’t get blocked in a spam filter or overlooked by an assistant if you haven’t communicated by e-mail yet. If you are not certain that your emailed note will reach the intended recipient, deliver a hard copy.
Hand-delivered letters demonstrate an excellent character trait for the position for which you are applying. If you are applying for a position within the hospitality industry or wooing potential clients, the extra effort to deliver a hard-copy note may be exactly what the employer is looking for.
A Note About Tone and Style
Sending a thank you letter after a job interview is essentially extending the interview process in the hope that your additional correspondence will help sway the final decision in your favor.
The note will be a continuation of your conversation, so make the writing style and tone in the letter similar to how you spoke during the interview. Your note will be perceived as genuine correspondence if you do this.
As long as you copy the tone and style of one of our example notes, without considering the respect you had with the hiring manager during the interview, your note will come across as obligatory, something you sent just because that’s what people do and it might help your chances.
This is the last thing you want a potential employer thinking.
So, keep it real. If you and the manager were friendly and jovial during the interview, make sure your note continues the relationship you’ve already developed. If your interview was very formal and professional, take care that your note walks the same line.
Should You Use E-Mail or Deliver a Hard Copy?
People often wonder whether it’s better to e-mail or deliver a hard copy of their post-interview thank you note.
It is fine to send your thanks via email in general. These days, most business is conducted via email, so your thank you note doesn’t need to be an exception.
However, there are a few scenarios when a hard copy should be delivered.
Deliver a Hard Copy If:
You are applying for a very competitive position. If you think another applicant will hand-deliver thank you notes after an interview, you should do the same.
You’re unsure the e-mail will reach the right people. You can’t be sure your e-mail won’t get blocked in a spam filter or overlooked by an assistant if you haven’t communicated by e-mail yet. If you are not certain that your emailed note will reach the intended recipient, deliver a hard copy.
Hand-delivered letters demonstrate an excellent character trait for the position for which you are applying. The employer may be looking for a hard-copy note if you’re applying to a position within the hospitality industry, such as wooing potential clients.