≡ Thank You Email After Interview: can it be a letter or an email?

Thank you email after interview

Career advisers or coaches suggest jobseekers to send a thank you email after an interview.

Below I have listed few questions that most of my clients asked.

Won’t the employer think that an applicant is desperate if he sends a thank-you email?

Of course not! It is considered as a common way of showing politeness, a gesture of courtesy, one way to outshine the rest of the interviewees, and a way to keep your name upfront. Keep in mind, though, that this is a thank-you letter and not a strategy to try to persuade the interviewer to hire you using phrases like “hire me, I can do the job” or “I need this job” or “please I can work for free”. The phrases below show that you are desperate and you won’t have positive results.

Will it not jeopardize the possibility of getting the job?

Not in most cases, but it could in some point of time. My clients then ask me “So why take the chance?” Then I answer: Most hiring managers might have 3 or 2 finalists for the position. The person who will show that is interested for the position and that understood the requirements and the job responsibilities has the chance to receive the offer rather than a person who doesn’t really care or didn’t bother to say “thank you” for the opportunity they gave him.

Can it be a letter or an email?

Actually, nowadays everyone who invites a candidate for an interview send emails. The most important is the thought of doing it. It must be tailored to the prospective company and the person with whom you had the interview. Thus, respect is further established. However, if the company, interviewer or the position being applied calls for a formal business letter, then do so. Mostly, an email is okay.

Shall I ask someone else to write the thank-you email?

It would be better to write the thank-you letter on your own. However, you can find some draft documents and you can make some changes e.g. position, date, interviewer, to highlight your skills based on the Job Description, etc.

If it was a panel interview should thank-you email be sent to all interviewers?

Frankly, that’s the best. Sometimes, you won’t have the emails of all your interviewers. If it’s that the case, then you can send the email and you can ask the person who will receive the email to send it to the rest of the interviewers as well.

How soon should a thank-you email be sent?

The golden rule is to send thank you emails within 24 hours after the interview.

What if there’s already an offer before even sending the thank you email?

It’s still better to send the thank you email as this can be used to accept or decline the offer. This could also be a confirmation of your agreement and understanding of the offer they have given (salary, benefits, other compensation, starting date, vacations, etc.), this way any discrepancies can be straightened out before even starting for the job.

Always find a way to make it as personalized as possible. Try to think out of the box and show your confidence for this position and your value in the Organization.