How to Send a Job-Winning Thank-You Letter After Interview

Interview thank-you letters aren't complicated, but can mean the difference between getting the job or not.

You've spent hours editing your resume, preparing for interviews, and networking. All that hard work finally paid off. The company of your dreams sent you the golden ticket — an interview. Don't celebrate just yet, however. There are still a few more loose ends to tie up before you reach the finish line.

The interview thank-you letter is still the most important closer for any position after your interview; it's a critical opportunity to seal the deal. You need to get it right, but you might ask “How hard is it to say thank you?” You may be surprised at just how tedious saying thanks really is.

Post-interview thank you notes need to include certain points, confirmations, and the crucial thank-you sentence. Dust off your pen and paper and get ready to write. These quick seven interview thank-you letter tips will help polish your note and prove to the boss you have what it takes to advance their company.

1. Say thank you

The most crucial element of any thank-you letter is often the most overlooked. Recruiters say they want to see the words “thank you” in the letter. While this may seem obvious, there are certain points to remember. Say thank you. Don't just beat around the bush about it. Your post-interview thank-you note should tell the hiring manager or interviewer why their time invested was well worth it. They interview hundreds of candidates each year. Let them know why you are different. Leave a lasting impression. Here are two sample thank-you sentences:

“Thank you for offering me the opportunity to meet with you. I know selecting the right candidate takes time and effort. As a professional account manager with more than 20 years of account management experience, I am confident I can…”

“It was a pleasure meeting with you on [date you met].Thank you for the opportunity to interview for [position] at your organization. I believe my 20 years of advanced account management skills will serve to…”

2. Be sincere

Don't be just another name in the file. Use your interview thank-you message to show the team you actually care about them and the time they spent with you. Hiring managers and interviewers receive several hundred dull, impersonal notes from job seekers each year. Keep it professional, but also make them smile. Mention something that came up in the interview or a mutual interest you know of. Take time to write a sincere letter, not one of those pointless templates found online. Making the thank-you letter personal is not only nice and respectful, but it also keeps your name in the back of their mind. Who knows, they may think of you when an even better position opens. Here are two sample interview thank you sentences:

“Sara, thank you for recommending [piece of advice you talked about]. I have put your advice to practice and believe it will help me…”

“John, thank you for taking the time to explain [piece of information, something about the job, etc.]. I would love to discuss more methods to…”

3. Pay attention

Use this time to show the team you were paying attention to. Don't name drop or schmooze. Instead, show that you know a little about the company. Hiring managers will often volunteer certain talking points about the company during the job interview. Listen to these points and reiterate them in your letter. Additionally, ask questions during the interview. Learn about the company's social initiatives, community engagement, etc., and expound upon these services and offer suggestions. Here are two examples:

“I was excited to learn [company] has a foothold in the textile industry. This is important to the community because…”

“I loved the idea that [company] engages with local charities by encouraging team members to volunteer during their off time. I plan to contribute by…”

4. Show enthusiasm

Employers want to see happy, excited candidates during the hiring process. They don't want to hire people who just want to earn a paycheck. Regardless of whether you are applying temporarily until your dream job arrives or are actually excited, show your enthusiasm. This is a very important element to every position. Many applicants simply don't show that they are excited. Tell the hiring manager you are interested in the position, writing it in your cover letter, mentioning it during the interview, and reiterating it in your interview thank-you letter. Don't go overboard, though. Hold some of the excitement back. Here are two examples of how to do this:

“Thank you for this opportunity. I am excited about this position because…”

“Your company's involvement with [industry, charity, organization, skill, etc.] is a perfect match for me. I am interested in applying my experience and abilities by…”

5. Show that you're the perfect fit

Along those same lines, employers want to be excited about you in the decision making process. Give them a reason to believe that you're a perfect match for the position. Hiring managers choose candidates based on their alignment with the company. Skills, experience, values, and philosophy all come into play. Go back over the job listing and choose the two most important traits the company looks for in an applicant. Compare those traits to items in your resume and connect them. Look for the company's mission statement and apply it to your own core beliefs. Don't just make a claim. Show how you've applied these principles and values to your career and life. Here are two examples:

“Honesty, integrity, and dedication: These are the three principles I incorporate into my professional and personal life. In my previous role as [position], I applied these three values by…”

“In my previous role as [position], I applied my knowledge of [area of expertise] by [explain what you did]. Through this project, I learned the most important elements of any business are the clients we serve.”

6. Share something new

Interview thank-you letters should be more than a regurgitation of appreciation, reiteration, and brown-nosing. Hiring managers want to get to know you better. Include a few elements you left out on your resume, cover letter, or in the interview. For example, you may have skimmed over some of your community engagement and would like to show how your extracurricular activities fit into your career. The job interview thank-you note should include a new question or point you missed. Think back to the interview and the answers you received. Take time to include a sentence to expand on an answer or category. Here are two examples:

“During the interview, we discussed the importance of making clients feel welcomed. While working at [company], I encouraged clients to share more about themselves by…”

“As we discussed, I counsel disadvantaged youth during the summer. One of the programs I am passionate about is…”

7. Use correct spelling and grammar

One of the fastest ways to disappoint the recruiter is bad spelling and grammar. Not only is this sloppy and lazy, but it also shows the recruiter you don't care and aren't willing to take the time to ensure mistakes are avoided. Yes, we all make mistakes, but there is no excuse for language mistakes in a thank-you letter. Microsoft Word has an excellent proofreading tool and should be utilized. After writing the letter, check it using your computer's proofreader. Next, read the letter out loud to catch any mistakes missed by Word. Keep in mind, Word often misses similarly spelled words and usage. For example, “manger” is mistaken for “manager,” and “to” is mistaken for “too.” Double check your information as well. Hiring managers take offense to misspelled names and incorrect addresses. Make sure it's “Stevens” and not “Stephens.”

Takeaways

Writing a thank-you letter after your interview is more than just simply saying thank you. There are several points to reiterate, items to expand upon, information to clarify, and a thank you or two to say. When writing your thank-you letter, carefully consider the interview. Go back over your notes and determine at least five main points to revisit in the letter.

Most importantly, consider what you'd like to see in a job interview thank-you note. Ask yourself these questions. How would I like to be treated? Did I show them I value their time and help? Are there any points I would like to understand further? Thank-you letters aren't complicated. They just require a little thought and preparation.

Want to see how your resume stacks up? Request a free resume review from one of our career experts today!