Don’t Forget to Thank Your Interviewer!

Unless you’re offered the job on the spot, an interview isn’t over when you walk out the door.  For many employers, how candidates follow up after the interview can determine whether or not they get the job.  Sending a well-written thank you email is the best way to shine post interview.  It’ll reiterate to the interviewer how interested you are in the job and help keep you top of mind during the remainder of the interview process. Here are a few tips to constructing the perfect thank you email.

  • Say More than Thank You.
    While it is important to let the interviewer know their time was appreciated, a follow up correspondence should be much more than a simple “thank you”.  They interviewed you because they felt there you offered a potential benefit to the company, not because they were feeling charitable.  Recruiters receive hundreds of e-mails a day, so just saying “thanks for your time” isn’t going to make you memorable.  Instead focus your note more on your enthusiasm towards the position and build on the conversation you had in the interview.

  • Be Personal.
    Impress the interviewer by personalizing your note to include specifics from the interview.  If there were any common themes or buzzwords the interviewer kept mentioning, address those topics in your email.  It’ll show that you were engaged during the interview and know what’s important to the organization or more specifically the person that has the power to hire you.

  • Sell Yourself.
    Use the follow up email as a final chance to remind the interviewer why you’re the best fit for the job.  Draw references between the company’s needs and your skill set. You have all the qualifications, competencies, and skills needed to do the job. Help the recruiters make these connections.   Elaborate on any relevant experiences you didn’t have time to explain during the interview.

  • Offer a Solution.
    The thank you note is a great opportunity to show your appreciation by offering a sample of your services free of charge.  If there is a process that’s broken, detail ways in which you would fix it when given the opportunity.  Include a brief statement on your findings, or a relevant article on the matter. Many employers have been known to hire a candidate based on their commitment to coming up with solutions to problems they inferred from the interview. It shows that you went home after the interview and thought about how you could help the company.

  • Follow Up in a Timely Manner.
    Your initial follow up should take place no more than 24 to 48 hours after the completion of the interview.  Not only does this show the interviewer that you have excellent business etiquette, it gives them a chance to read your correspondence while they can still put a face to the name.  A recruiter is likely interviewing multiple candidates, so if you wait too long to send a thank you e-mail, you risk getting confused with someone else.

  • Reiterate Your Interest in the Position.
    Use the ending one or two sentences of the follow-up email to reiterate your enthusiasm for the position and invite the interviewer to contact you if any additional information is needed. Avoid phrases such as “I hope to hear from you soon.” Saying that you hope to hear from the company shows insecurity and a lack of confidence.

  • Be Brief.
    The key to a great follow up email is to keep it short, simple, and classy.  The Thank You email should be no more than two paragraphs long if you want the employer to read it.

If you need more advice on your job search, let the experienced recruiters at BOS Staffing help.  Browse our available positions or contact us today for access to the hidden job market.  At BOS Staffing, we’ll go out of our way to match you to the best position for your skill set.   

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