Gratitude Goes a Long Way

The Importance of Sending a Thank You Email After a Job Interview

You perfected your resume and cover letter, had a stellar phone interview and were selected for an in-person interview. Next, you spent a significant amount of time preparing and gave it your all once you were in the hot seat. You walk out of a potential employer’s office feeling confident and pleased with your performance in demonstrating why you are best candidate for the job. Your work here is done, right?

Wrong.

There is one more vital step to take to solidify your chances of landing the job, sending the interviewer(s) a thank you email.

It is critical that you send a thoughtfully expressed thank you email within 24 hours of your interview. Make sure that your email is sent during normal business hours as well. Even if you are a night owl, a hiring manger won’t appreciate an email sent at 2am, which would also make your schedule seem out of the ordinary and not in line with the company’s standard business operating hours. If you interviewed with more than one person, send an email to each person, but be sure to modify your message so that each interviewer receives a unique thank you note.

A thoughtful, but concise thank you email gives you the opportunity to make an excellent final impression before they move forward with making a decision about you. Construct an email that kindly thanks the interviewer for their time, the opportunity to interview for the position and highlights the best parts of your conversation as a final reminder of why you would be perfect for the job. Sending this email immediately after your interview keeps your candidacy top of mind and demonstrates that you have proactive communication skills and good manners, which employers desire in their personnel.

Before you hit send remember to proofread. Check several times for correct spelling and grammar to ensure the email is flawless and you’re again demonstrating that you would be an asset to the company.