Sending Thank You's After an Interview
Since your #1 goal is to be a no-brainer hire, you must keep this goal in mind across all your job search activities, including formal interviews, as well as informal interviews, coffee meetings, etc.
The networking process doesn’t stop after you hang up the phone or leave a café or someone’s office. It’s your job to send a thank you note following every conversation you have, regardless of whether it’s on the phone or in person, a networking coffee or informational interview, and even if you’ve already met or spoken to that person before.
Every single one of these exchanges is an opportunity for you to make an impression on someone who could either directly or indirectly help you get a job, now or in the future. In turn, a thank you is expected behavior, so if you don’t do it, you’re damaging your chances of continuing to build and maintain your relationship and professional credibility.
Thank you notes don’t just say ‘thank you’, they add value and continue to build the relationship with the contact/company.
Examples of when to send a thank you note:
After an initial conversation with an HR or recruiting professional
After a formal interview with HR, Recruiting, a hiring manager, or their colleagues
After an interview of any kind
After a networking coffee
After meeting someone at a meetup/hackathon/conference
And every other interview ;)
Here are key best practices for your thank you:
Send your thank you no later than 24 hours after every networking conversation, meeting, interview or communication exchange.
This shows you are timely and seriously interested. Plus, it helps the person you met/interviewer remember you more, as you are still fresh in their mind. Do this even if you’ve met them interviewer before, or on several occasions.
Email each interviewer individually.
Do not send one mass email to everyone you met with. Even if you are in a panel interview or meeting with multiple people at the same time, it is still best practice to send a thank you note to each person you met individually.
Have pen and paper handy during your conversation/interview.
As mentioned in previous lessons, this helps you remember the key points you discussed with each interviewer, enabling you to write a more personalized, impactful thank you note.
Ask for their business card.
If the person you’re speaking/meeting with doesn’t give you their business card (or says they don’t have any), don’t think that’s an excuse not to send a thank you note. It’s pretty common in the tech industry for people not to have business cards.
Reference a business card of another person at the company to figure out their email address format (for example- firstname@company.com).
This link can also give you tips if that doesn't work.
You could also ask your main point of contact at the company (likely someone in HR or a personal contact) for the emails of your other interviewers. You can explain that you’d like the person’s/your interviewer’s email so that you can follow up with them, and politely ask to make sure that’s ok.
Your thank you note must address the following points:
Thanks the person/interviewer for their time.
Mentions specific points that were addressed during the conversation/interview (this demonstrates you were listening and are interested in what was discussed/invested in this role and company).
Emphasizes what you can contribute based on the conversation.
Mentions the company specifically by name somewhere in the note (not “you” or “your company” or “the company”).
Indicates your interest in what was discussed and excitement for the job and your desire for future conversations.
Contains your phone number in the closing of the note.
Optionally, your note may also address the following points:
Perhaps mention specific technologies, competencies, and tools you have studied/used that were discussed the company uses.
Contains a blog post you wrote that you think the person/employer would appreciate and is in some way tied to the conversation you had with them.
If when answering a technical question the interviewer tells you you answered something wrong, this is your chance to redeem yourself. Explain what you would have done differently, clarify what you meant to say and/or write a blog post about that specific topic and include it in the note. This shows your commitment to excellence, your desire for the job and directly reflects how you would act in a real work setting.
Examples of Good Interview Thank You Notes
The example below uses appropriate language, enthusiasm and appreciation, while also clearly communicating the candidate’s interest in continuing the process. This example email is to an internal recruiter (James) who has brought the student in for a round of interviews with other employees at the company.
Subject: Thank You for the Interview
James,
Great to see you yesterday and thank you again for helping to coordinate my interviews for the [Job Title] role.
It was fantastic to meet with Peter and Jane - it was heartening to see that they're so engaged with team members on all levels, all the more so because they're such smart, personable individuals.
I was thankful to get to hear their vision for the future of Company X and to work through a couple of sample problems with them. If you have the chance, it would be appreciated if you could pass along my thanks!
The data-focused solutions that Company X is creating for its clients are truly exciting. Having met so many great team members and learned so much about the company, I think Company X would be an amazing place to contribute my technical skills in X and client experience. I hope we have the chance to discuss the opportunity further.
Looking forward,
Derek Lewis
The example below uses appropriate language, is enthusiastic about the role and seeks to build a personal relationship with the contact (a technical lead on the team at Company X).
Subject: Great Meeting with You, Mark!
Hi Mark,
Thanks so much for taking the time out of your day to meet with me this afternoon. It was a pleasure speaking to you, visiting the office, and learning about [Insert here something that came up in conversation, could be non-industry related or funny, building rapport].
I really enjoyed our conversation about Sketch and Axure and leveraging prototyping tools for testing. Though I have only started in the last few weeks on learning Figma, I am fully confident I can leverage my ability to pick up new software to be using it for projects very quickly.
Furthermore, I believe I have the passion and drive to make a valuable contribution to your team, and I am excited about this potential opportunity to join Company X. I look forward to seeing you at the next Interaction Design Association meetup!
Thanks again for your time.
Best,
Jessica Maxwell
The example below is extremely enthusiastic and detailed about the interview process. Melina is telling Alyson (the recruiter) about her experiences in today’s interview and also indicated some specific details following the coffee meeting she had with Alyson at the end of the day.
Subject: Thank You - Support Engineer Position
Hi Alyson,
I wanted to thank you for setting up my interviews today and also for taking the time to speak with me over coffee at the end of the day. I really enjoyed learning more about the responsibilities of a [Job Title], and hearing about the inclusive culture at [Company X].
The challenges that I worked on with Nate were fantastic and eye-opening. I learned so much from working with him and exploring new technologies during our [style of technical interview] session.
Just to reiterate, I am very excited about the prospect of working at [Company X]. It is by far my first choice to start my career, and I can't wait to continue this process.
Look forward to hearing from you soon!
Warmest regards,
Melina Goodman
Examples of Bad Interview Thank You Notes
The below example is vague, uses generic language and lacks enthusiasm, interest, and effort in general.
Subject: Thanks
Dear Chris,
Thank you for your time. It was a pleasure meeting you and learning more about what your company is looking for in this role. As you can see from my resume and interview, I possess the exact skills your company requires, as well as a strong work ethic.
I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Darryl Atkins
The below example does not specifically mention anything about the interview nor the person who was doing the interview. Employees interview a lot of people; be specific so the employee remembers who you are. Also, don’t ask in your thank you note what the next steps are in the process.
Subject: Next Steps
Hi Amelia,
I am very excited about the prospect of working as a Fellow at Conde Nast! Is there any further information you require from me for this process to move forward?
Thanks,
Kevin Stephenson
In the below email there is no subject line, and there is a typo. (Always proofread). This email is also unnecessarily wordy and like the ones above, does not mention any specifics about the interview. In a thank you note, don’t mention or assume that you’ll be talking next steps with the interviewer or someone else at the company. Also this note should be broken up into smaller paragraphs.
Subject: [None]
Hey Veronica,
I would again like to thank you for the opportunity to speak with you this evening. I know with the way things are going over at [Company X], and the way you guys are growing, things must be very busy so I really appreciate you allowing me a moment of your valuable time to speak with you about the possibility of filing the your open role. With that being said I look forward to speaking with you again about the possible next steps that shall be taking place within this interview process and also speaking with a hiring manger over at [Company X]. Thank you again and have a great day.
Pierre Pastelle
Next Steps
Consider your previous thank you notes. Think about what you did successfully. What did you do successfully? What was missing? Use this lesson to help you craft strong, impactful thank you notes and habits going forward. Be sure to run the first few thank you notes by your Career Coach before sending them.
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