How To Write A Great Thank You Note (After The Interview)
Ever been to an interview and struggled with what to do afterwards? Should you write a thank you note, should you not? And for all that is holy, what on earth do you SAY?!!
Not to worry – I’ve got all the answers you need, plus a script in this post on how to write a great thank you note. Read on!
Should you write a thank you note?
Yes.
Should it be handwritten or via email?
Either is fine, but I will put out a caveat and say that I tend to favor email over hand-written. Hand-written notes are nice, but some companies don’t have great mailroom systems, and you might write a note that never makes it to the recipient. I’d rather you write an email that you know gets through quickly, than a hand-written note that *may* not.
Send it the same day, or no later than the day after your interview (need some interview prep? Here’s our simple and sweet guide to interviewing!).
How to write a great thank you note (here’s exactly what to say):
A great thank you note is broken down into a few parts:
1. Hello and thank you for the interview, expressing your excitement about the job.
2. A reference to a story or piece of information from your time together that makes the note personal to that person – so they know it’s not a generic note.
3. A simple closing.
In practice, a good thank you note can look like this:
Dear John –
It was so nice to meet with you on Tuesday, talking with you only increased my excitement about the job!
I especially loved your stories about the culture of this organization – more than anything, I want to work for a place that is both innovative and collaborative, and your story about how team meetings work only underscores how much you value new ideas and teamwork. Company X sounds wonderful.
I very much look forward to hearing from you, if there’s anything else you need from me, please let me know!
Sincerely,
Christie
Here’s another one:
Dear Beth –
Thanks so much for meeting with me today to talk about the open position for account manager. Company X is my absolute first choice for a place to work, and what you shared with me only made me more excited about the job.
Also, I agree – the proposal process is broken! But it was fun to brainstorm ways to fix it with you, even if some of them involved candy.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Christie
Basically, don’t overthink it. Write something short and human and express your (sincere) excitement. You can do this!
And if you want more help like this – please join our 30,000+ community of folks dedicated to finding their passion and having fun while doing it. Careers don’t have to hurt.
