Every year thousands upon thousands of people enter the workforce trying to find a job that will fulfill them, but also allow them to pay their bills. This means that at any given time you’re competing with hundreds of other candidates for the same position. While this isn’t meant to worry you it should, however, light a fire that makes you think of the best ways to stand out from the crowd.
One quick and simple way that’s normally overlooked? A thank you email. This is actually a practice that not so long ago, was also embedded into daily life – and we can even find remnants of it today. Thank you cards are used by newlywed couples responding to the gifts they received, for example. And in business, relationships between companies are nurtured by sending cards and gifts to thank and acknowledge the relationship.
As a candidate during your job search, a strategically crafted and sent thank you email after an interview can set you apart from everyone else vying for the job. In fact, research has shown that 68% of hiring managers stated that receiving a thank you email from a candidate impacted their choice of who to hire.
Why And When To Send A Thank You Email
When it comes to knowing when to send out that thank you email, timing is everything. It’s more important to not be late than early since you risk the interviewer not remembering the conversation, or even who you are. The sweet spot tends to be around 3hs to 24hs after the interview ended. But, don’t let more than 48hs pass.
You’re looking to make sure you’re still fresh in the mind of the person you spoke with, and that you catch them before the final hiring decision is made. After all, the final goal here is to snag that job and jump-start the next step in your career.
How To Write A Thank You Email
Having a template you can use to adapt to each interview is a great way to efficiently send out thank you notes. You should always aim to create a personalized version for each situation, but, here are some general tips on how to efficiently create that template.
Use the real estate you’ve already created in the interviewer’s mind to include a link to your website, LinkedIn profile, or portfolio at the bottom of your message. This is also a great time to touch base on any questions or comments that you didn’t get to bring up during the actual interview. Essentially you want to remind them why you’re an excellent option for the job. Below we collected a few more dos and don’ts you can use when crafting your thank you email.
Dos and Don’ts When Crafting Your Email
- Do thank the interviewer for their time. In fact, you should be sending a thank you email to each person that interviewed you individually. While it’s their job to interview you, it’s a nice touch to thank them for it anyhow.
- Don’t forget to mention your qualifications. Touch on why you’re the person for the job by showcasing how you can bring value to the position. But, be sure to not overwrite! One or two sentences, short and sweet, is ideal.
- Do use the attention you have. As we mentioned above, once you’ve gained their attention, use it to your advantage. Redirect them to your personal social profiles or portfolio. Make sure you check them beforehand, however, for anything you wouldn’t want them seeing – like that picture of you going a little more crazy than normal at your cousin’s bachelor party.
- Don’t forget the email subject. Their inbox is likely flooded with messages of all kinds. Help them help you by clearly stating in the subject line why you’re contacting them. Some useful ideas include: “Thank you for meeting with me today – Jacob Green”, “Thank you for your time, and a quick question”, and “Great meeting you today!”.
- Do consider explaining why you want to work for the company. While you likely already brought this up during the conversation, it doesn’t hurt to hammer it home. Also useful is to showcase that you really paid attention by injecting something you discussed during the meeting.
Thank You Email Examples
Now that you have all the details you need to build your perfect thank you email, here is an example of how all of it looks put together.
Subject: Thank you for your time today! Jacob Green, Sales Associate Position
Hi Laura,
Thank you so much for taking the time to meet with me today. I really enjoyed learning more about how Essential Holdings was able to scale the sales department into the 40+ team it’s become today.
Our conversation really convinced me even more that my experience in sales and my background in Finance can really help elevate the company further. And, I truly admire Essential’s commitment to community building and giving back. It would be incredibly fulfilling to be a part of a group of people who are as passionate as I am about the subject.
Thank you again, and looking forward to discussing this opportunity with you more. Please don’t hesitate to contact me to arrange a follow-up interview.
Best,
Jacob Green.
Related Readings
Professional Leadership Institute (PLI) is an educational website providing professionals from all types of businesses with practical education in entrepreneurial leadership. To keep evolving your leadership toolkit, additional PLI resources below will be useful:
