Writing A Thank You Letter For Interview

A thank you letter is an effective way to stay current with the interviewers you meet. It can set you apart from other candidates and increase your chances of getting a job. A well-written thank you note also allows you to provide more clarity on issues raised at your interview and can give you an advantage when competing with candidates with similar qualifications.

Thank You Letter

In this article, we show you how to write a compelling interview thank you letter to impress an employer and increase your chances of getting the position.

Why it's important to send an interview thank you letter

There are several reasons why sending a thank you letter is beneficial. This simple gesture is an ideal way to follow up with the interviewer and show your appreciation for their time and effort, but it also allows you to position yourself as the ideal candidate for the job. This is especially important if several candidates with similar qualifications are competing with you for the same position.

Hiring managers expect you to follow up if you are serious about the role. People who send thank you notes immediately after an interview set themselves apart from candidates who don't.

A thank you email can also help you impress the interviewer one last time. It gives you the chance to provide more clarity on any issues you may feel like you didn't address fully during your meeting. For better results, mention specific comments the interviewer made during the discussion. This will show you had a keen interest in the meeting and are passionate about working for the company.

Related: 21 Job Interview Tips: How To Make a Great Impression

How to write an interview thank you letter

It is important to follow up your interview with a thank you letter to stay on the mind of the hiring manager. It is an opportunity to add new information about yourself, but it is also a gesture that should meet general expectations of professional correspondence. With that in mind, follow these steps when writing an interview thank you letter:

Address it to the right person.
Use a proper salutation.
Make the subject line clear and specific.
Give context in the body.
Sign off appropriately.

1. Address it to the right person

This may sound obvious, but what this really means is that you should remember the names of the person(s) who met with you and their email address(es). The address is the first element of a thank you letter, so addressing the person properly is important. Research the employer or specific interviewer to know the correct email address to send your letter.

2. Use a proper salutation

It is vital to use the correct salutation when sending thank you letters. During and after the interview, try to get the correct contact details of the interviewer. This is even more important if you are addressing several interviewers after a group interview. Verify that you've spelled the interviewer's name correctly before sending your thank you letter.

Use a personalized greeting to build rapport quickly. For example, "Hello David," or "Dear Laura," are great salutations for email thank you notes and hard copy letters.

Related: How To Write a Business Thank You Letter

3. Make the subject line clear and specific

The subject line should be specific to the position you are referencing. Include something like "Thank you—interview for office manager position." If the interviewer receives several emails or letters, the subject line quickly tells them the reason for your note. This makes it easier for them to recognize your note and prevent them from accidentally moving your email to their spam folder.

4. Give context in the body

The main body of your thank you note provides an opportunity to show gratitude, impress the interviewer with any winning details and position yourself as the ideal candidate for the role. Start by showing genuine appreciation for their time and effort during the interview.

Impress them by mentioning a specific point raised during the discussion. It may be about the organization's plans and how it increased your interest in the position. That way, the interviewer knows you were present at the interview, took notes and are ready to make a deep investment in their company.

Next, you want to emphasize your interest in the position. Show them you are excited about the possibilities and new challenges of working in their organization. Mention the specific skills and experiences you will add to their department to remind them of your qualifications. Invite the interviewer to contact you for any information regarding the role and your readiness to provide them with everything they need during the hiring process.

5. Sign off appropriately

If you are emailing an interview thank you note, you can close your letter with a phrase such as "Sincerely," or "Best regards," followed by your name and phone number. Traditional hard copy letters have your signature before your name.

Related: Follow-Up Email Examples for After the Interview

Interview thank you letter template

Here is a template of a thank you email you can send after an interview. You can use this template for both in-person and phone interviews.

Subject line: Thank you— [ brief description of meeting ]

Dear [ hiring manager's name ] ,

Thank you for meeting with me today to talk about [ position you applied for ] . I had an excellent time discussing new opportunities in [ company name ] with you. Your insightful observations opened my eyes to a lot of career-advancing ideas in my profession. This makes me more excited to [ apply/contact/join ] to your organization for the post of [ position ] .

It was great hearing you discuss your company's efforts to [ important highlight from the interview ] .

Again, thank you for your time, efforts and consideration. If needed, I'd be happy to provide more information to help with the hiring process. I'm looking forward to hearing from you soon.

Regards,

[ Your name ]

[ Your email or other contact information ]

Interview thank you letter sample

Below is an example of an interview thank you letter for a sales manager position. A note like this will serve as a reminder to the interviewer of your qualifications and help you emphasize your interest in the position.

Subject line: Thank you—interview for office manager position

Dear Anya,

I'd like to express my gratitude for taking the time and effort to interview me today for the sales manager position at Bell Corporation. I enjoyed my time talking with you at your office, and it was a great pleasure learning about your innovative marketing strategies and the wonderful team making it happen.

During our discussion, you mentioned Bell Corporation's attempt to adopt visual content as the foundation of its leads generation, client engagement and product promotion strategies. This especially caught my interest and solidified my interest in working with your company. With over seven years of experience using visual technologies to dominate existing and new markets, I'm confident I could help your company's vision come true.

In my previous role, I designed, deployed and scaled 10 different promotion campaigns using visual content as the basis of our overall marketing strategy. We adapted this content to several formats, including articles, social media posts and podcasts. This helped boost engagement to more than 200,000 viewers in three months, reduced marketing budget by more than 40% and increased conversion by 56% in the first year.

I am also a certified project manager in the digital marketing field. In the past five years, I have supervised more than 100 sales and marketing projects, resulting in revenues of more than $40 million. I am excited to be a part of your forward-thinking team and would love the opportunity to grow the sales department of Bell Corporation.

Don't hesitate to contact me for any information you need during this hiring process. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Best regards,

Bernard Hoover