Q: Do I have to send a thank you note after an interview?
A: Yes! Whether you have just completed your first phone screen or your final panel interview, it is still imperative to send a personalized thank you to every person you interviewed with. Sending a well thought out thank you after the interview creates a positive impression on your behalf and helps you stand out from other candidates.
Best practice indicates that you should send your thank you as soon as possible after your interview. Upon arriving home, take a few moments to reflect on the interview and create your thank you, referencing any relevant conversational points and confirming your interest in the position. In this age, email is not only acceptable but usually the preferred method of sending thank you messages as they get to the recipient instantaneously. This is especially true for large organizations where it can take several days for a traditional mailing to make it to the person’s desk.
When writing your thank you, remember these four tips:
- In the first paragraph thank the interviewer for their time.
- Next, reinforce why you would be a good fit for the company. Try to address some specific points that were stressed as important to the role during the interview.
- Wrap up the note by expressing your interest in the position and suggesting that you look forward to speaking in the future.
- If you are sending multiple thank you notes, do not send them as a mass email. Be sure to personalize the message for each person based on questions they asked or comments they made during the interview.
Remember, before hitting send, proofread the email very carefully. In addition to making sure there are no spelling or grammatical errors in the message, make sure you have spelled the name of your interviewer and the company correctly to deliver the best impression possible.