Tips to Write a Great Thank You Note After an Interview

Why You Should Write a Thank You Letter After an Interview

Writing a thank you note after an interview communicates volumes about your character to your potential employer. Nine out of ten employers seek talents with skills, experience, and good mannerisms, especially in remote work cultures.
Your employer may consider it a red flag if you don’t send a thank you letter after your interview. What’s more, it may give them the idea that you are a toxic, not-very-thoughtful, and ungrateful person.
Also, other candidates that send a thank you note may take their attention off you very quickly. Besides, with a well-thought-out thank you note, you can do the following to double your chances of getting a job:
Present important information that you omitted during the interview.
Clarify anything you feel you didn’t say well or think you miscommunicated during the interview.
Impressively get back into your employer’s head, especially by writing a stellar thank you letter.
Re-emphasize why you’re the perfect fit for the job (but don’t sound desperate).
Also, demonstrate your communication skills (written, in this case).
Show that you are attentive to details by mentioning some of the things you discussed during the interview.
Finally, portray yourself as full of respect, courtesy, and honor.

What Are the Ingredients of a Great Thank You Note?

When writing a thank-you letter, your goal is to ensure it is clear, short, and straight to the point. Don’t make the error of adding unnecessary details already present in your resume. Your interviewer most likely already has your resume and possibly reviewed it.
That being the case, a simple summary of your skills and qualifications will do. There are a few other details to add to make your thank you note perfect, and they include the following:

Contact information

Add your contact information, specifically your email address and phone number. Also, add the contact information of your interviewer. Including the date is beneficial too.

Greetings

You likely had a more friendly and casual session, depending on your interviewer. However, it would be best to formally address your interviewer in your thank you note.
For instance, even if your interviewer insisted you address them by their names during your session, you are better off addressing them as Dear Mr. X or Mrs. Y in your thank you note.

Gratitude

Show that you are grateful for the time you had with them. Note, however, that interviewers want to relate with real people, not someone just following a set of interview rules.
That said, ensure your appreciation is precise. Specifically, indicate what you are grateful for and how it helped make you feel great or optimistic.

A unique point

Think about something unique your interviewer said and weave it into your thank you note.
It will help your interviewers remember you quickly. But that's not all; you will come across them as attentive to details and reliable.

Qualifications

Your qualifications are already present in your resume, but it's not likely your interviewer will go through your resume again.
So, it would help to add your qualifications to the thank you note. Don't bore your interviewer with a long list; spelling out your qualifications that align with the needed role comes in handy.

Closing

Wrap up your letter with an expression of gratitude. Of course, there are common ones that people already use, including "kind regards," "yours sincerely," and more.

Signature

You can type your full name as a signature if you email a thank-you letter, but you have to handwrite your signature if you write a physical note instead.

Other Ingredients

Spice up your thank-you note with simple custom additions. Proofread for grammatical errors and wrong spellings. We recommend using a grammar tool because your fastidious eyes can miss vital details.
Lastly, don't mistake sending the same note or email to different interviewers if you had more than one interview session. Customize the letters and ensure each note relates to the interviewer.

When Should I Send a Thank You Email After My Interview?

There are no hard and fast rules for the best time to send a thank you note to your interviewer. The best time is immediately after, but anything after 24-48 hours may not be effective. Because of speed, sending a thank-you email may be preferable to a handwritten note.

What Is the Ideal Length for a Thank You Letter?

Typically, a thank you letter should be about four paragraphs long. But it may be a little more if you add more details. In any case, the thank you note should not be more than a page.

What Font Type and Size Should I Use for My Thank You Letter?

If you are writing a handwritten letter, use a blue or black pen on a clean sheet of white paper, and then pack it neatly in an envelope. Thankfully, there are beautifully predesigned hard-copy templates you can also buy from stores around you.
If you choose to send an email instead, use any of Times New Roman, Calibri, or Arial. Stick to 10-12 points for your letter. Anything more or less may be a little bit off and uninviting.

Customize Your Thank You Email

To double your chances of landing your dream job after an interview, ensure you customize the letter you send. Many candidates lazily copy entire templates and change only a few things before sending them to an interviewer.
If you would stand out from the pack, customize your thank you note. Mention unique things that you discussed with the interviewer during the session. It will make them enjoy reading your note, and that's a whistle-stop way to be etched perfectly on their hearts.

Should I Send a Thank You Note or Email?

Sending a thank-you note or email depends on the nature of the job, how fast you want the note to get to the interviewer, etc.
If a recruiter interviewed you remotely or your location is far from the office, sending an email is better. But if you stay close to the interviewer or the office, sending a note comes in handy.

Mistakes to Avoid When Sending a Post-Interview Thank You Letter

The purpose of a thank you note is to boost your chances of landing a job. But when there are too many mistakes in your letter, you may be causing more harm than good.
Interestingly, you might fall into many traps if you don't know the mistakes to avoid. That said, pay attention to the following so that your thank you note can impress and further up your chances to land your desired role.
Some of the most common mistakes:

Using an informal tone

Most interviewers, nowadays, will engage you informally during an interview session, mainly because it helps you feel at ease to showcase your skills and experience.
However, that doesn't change the fact that it's a formal organization, and the relationship between you and your interviewer is still primarily formal.
Besides, you may come across to your interviewer as lacking proper work ethics if you sound informal in your thank you letter.

Apologizing for a missed point

It’s tempting to use your interview letter to quickly correct something you feel you didn’t say well enough. But don’t attempt it.
It might surprise you that your interviewers may not even pay attention to them until you mention them in your thank you letter.
It would help to know that you can hardly have a perfect interview, and it’s okay to fall behind in some of the things you wanted to say. So, avoid the pressure and focus on what will make your post-interview note exceptional.

Asking for compensation and benefits

Hell yeah, you have to be compensated for your work, but there’s a right time to talk about that. Show your interest in the job and how you are qualified to handle the role. At the best time, you can talk about compensation.
Also, bringing money matters into your interview letter will make you seem desperate, inexperienced, and definitely not a good fit for the role.

Delaying to send the post-interview letter

Delay causes a major turn-off in many situations; your post-interview letter is no exception. If sent later than 48 hours, your interviewers may feel you are not excited about the role. Besides, other candidates interviewed for the same role may gain an advantage.
Ideally, the best time to send your post-interview note is the same day or within 24 hours. If there are unfavorable circumstances, it shouldn’t go beyond two days.

Sounding Desperate

When you sound desperate by begging for a role, the recruiter may suspect that you’re trying to get out of a difficult situation using the benefits from the job. In that case, it is not safe to hire you because you’ll likely be unreliable when you evade the challenging situation.
By all means, sound neutral. That doesn’t mean you can’t express your optimism to get the job. The issue is to steer clear of desperation. Besides, there are more other opportunities if you lose this one.

Grammar and spelling errors

Maybe you had the idea that using the right grammar and correct spellings is only necessary for English language-related exams. Guess what? You are wrong!
Your employers would take note of spelling and grammar mistakes even if they didn't plan to pay attention to them. Moreover, wrong spellings and grammatical errors portray you as inattentive to details.
We recommend you proofread your letter before sending it to your interviewer. Other things you can do to eliminate grammar and spelling mistakes are
Read your letter out loud
Use grammar optimization tools, such as Grammarly
Get another person to read through your letter before sending it.

Bribing your interviewer

Bribery may not perfectly describe your intention, but the recruiting team will likely see it as bribery if you attach a gift to your thank you note.
Express your gratitude in the thank you letter. That's fine and effective to win your interviewer's heart.

Best Samples and Templates for a Post-Interview Thank You Letter

You can use the template below to craft an exceptional, mind-captivating thank you letter that doubles your chances of getting your desired role.

Sample Template

Hi [Interviewer Name],

Thank you for taking out time to meet me today. I enjoyed learning about the team and role, and I’m happy about the opportunity to join [Company Name] and add value [bringing in…/developing world-class…/(or anything else related to your desired role)] to your team.

I eagerly anticipate your kind response about the next steps in the recruiting process. I will happily provide them upon your request if you need additional information.

Best regards,
[Your Name]

Sample Thank You Emails

You can use the template above, but a couple of samples will likely unlock your creativity. See some amazing examples below:

Sample #1 (Short, simple, and clear)

Hi Jack,

Thank you for sparing some time to chat with me today. It was a huge pleasure to learn more about the software developer role, and I’m thrilled by the opportunity to join Turing and help your team bridge the gap between seasoned developers and the U.S. companies that need them.

I anticipate your kind response about the next steps, and I’ll be happy to provide any information you need upon request.

All the best,
Ryan

Sample #2 (Customized and specific)

Hi Ms. Alina,

I felt honored when you invited me to your office today, and I am grateful. Learning about your employee management software was worth the time, and I especially appreciate how UI/UX design, android development, etc., play a major role in developing the app.
EManager seems mission-driven, and I consider that quality to be the major ingredient for business success. I hope that I'll be able to apply some of my suggestions about the UI/UX to improve the app generally.
I am always reachable, and you can let me know if you need any information from me.
Best regards,
Mohak Jira

Sample #3 (Detailed and mind-blowing)

Hi Tanner,

Thank you so much for meeting with me today. I was fascinated by every moment of learning about your career trajectory at BusMech. Besides, knowing that I may be the first logistics manager felt like a huge responsibility, and I am delighted to take it on.

To our discussion about the company’s clientele, I have attached a document that briefly suggests how we can up our logistics and ensure minimal operational costs. Happy to talk more about my suggestions if you consider them helpful.

BusMech is a great place to work. I am electrified to join this train of innovative, passionate, and hardworking team of individuals.
Please reach me if you need more information about how I qualify for this role. I won't hesitate to provide the details.

Best regards,
Maria Dias

Wrapping Up

Your thank you letter goes a long way in doubling your chances of landing the desired role. That being the case, you have to ensure it is properly and carefully crafted, precise, and accomplishes the goal. Hopefully, this article takes you by your hand and helps you write a powerful post-interview thank you letter.