Penning a thank you note after a job interview can be the difference between landing your dream job and another candidate securing the position. Grace Carter, business writing expert at Academized and OXEssays, academic services, reveals how to write the perfect thank you note
You’re walking out of an interview and feeling relieved. There’s nothing more to be done, it’s out of your hands. That’s where you’re wrong; you still have one more way to leave an impression on the hiring manager: the post-interview thank you note. Follow a few steps and turn this little note into a big advantage. Be sure to take good notes during the interview, remind them of your value, personalise things, avoid some common mistakes, and you will have prepared a thank you note that will impress hiring managers and give you an edge.
Take notes
Write down some notes during the interview. Not only will you look good, you’ll record some important points for your thank you note. Pay special attention to, and record, points about problems you could assist the company with as well as must-haves, in terms of job skills. Having the most important points written down will allow you to easily write a strong note later.
Your value
“Think about how your experience and skills can apply to the key points you recorded during the interview. If you can address specific challenges this will give you an advantage. Take the opportunity to bring up strengths you did not get a chance to discuss during the interview,” said Dennis Thicke, HR at PaperFellows. “But be sure not to linger here. You should move on to thanking your interviewer quickly.”
Personalise
One way to stand out is to bring up a discussion from the interview; doing this will make the interviewer more likely to remember you. Consider sending a note to each person present at the interview, if there was more than one. Have you ever considered handwriting a post-interview thank you note? In the digital age hardly anyone does but a handwritten note is a great way to impress a hiring manager. Buy some nice stationary and take a few minutes to write out your message. Your note may stay on the recipient’s desk on display and keep your name and qualities on their mind. Even if they don’t hire you, you can bet you will be considered for future positions. It’s recommended that you send an email thank you note as well, one that they can receive and read within a day of your interview.
What not to do
There are a few things you will want to avoid in your note. If you struggle with procrastination, make sure you get on top of it right away. To get the desired impact, your thank you email should get to your interviewer within 24 hours of your meeting. If you met with more than one person be sure to include everyone in your thank you. You don’t want to insult anybody or come off as inconsiderate. Skipping the proofreading phase is another no-no. Just because it’s a short little note does not mean it doesn’t require proofreading. Take some time and go over your note for mistakes, or you could come across as someone who either is incapable of this small effort or just doesn’t care.
Writing the perfect thank you note
Before you write your note take a look at these helpful resources:
- State of Writing and Grammar Checker – Use these grammar guides to ensure your thank you note is written correctly. You don’t want your final impression to contain a grammatical error.
- SimpleGrad and Resumention – Writing guides that will help you with writing related to your career, including post-interview thank you notes.
- UKWritings and BoomEssays – Access these guides, suggested by the Huffington Post, to make sure your proofreading is done well. Your thank you note should look polished.
- Cite It In and Word Counter are good resources to help you use citations correctly and get an accurate word count; it’s important not to drone on in your thank you note.
- Assignment Help and EssayRoo – Turn to these writing communities if you need ideas or suggestions to improve your thank you note.
- My Writing Way and Via Writing – Useful writing blogs you will find improve the quality of your note.
Leaving an impression
Writing a thank you note is a minor effort that can result in an advantage when done right. You’re keeping your name and qualities fresh in the hiring manager’s mind, while also demonstrating that you really do care about the position. Follow these basic steps to write a thank-you note that will impress hiring managers.
