Short & Sweet: How to Write an Effective Post-Interview Thank You Note

We get it. Not everyone is a writer. Your fingers hit the keyboard and your mind goes blank. You know what you want to say but just aren’t sure…how to say it.

However difficult, writing a thank you note post-interview is not only important but expected.

Writer’s block? Before you ruin your interview by hammering out a poorly written thank you note, try these 3 tips:

  • Short and sweet - Aspiring novelist? Now is NOT your time to shine. Keep your thank you note focused and brief.

  • Structure - Begin with thank you and end with thank you. In the middle, make sure you reiterate the main takeaway from your meeting and remind them to follow-up with any further questions they may have. This encourages the interviewer to maintain an open dialogue with you, no matter which way the company decides to progress with the hiring process.

  • Less is more - Contrary to popular belief, this is not a time to reinforce your candidacy for a role. Remember that the hiring process is a two-way street so you don’t need to jump through hoops. If the interviewer didn’t see you as a potential candidate, trying to reinforce your candidacy post-interview can come off as desperate. And that’s not a starting point for anything positive…

Example of an effective post-interview thank you note:

Hi Jeannie,

Thank you for taking the time to speak with me today.

It was great meeting you and learning more about your business. It was interesting to hear about the steps you’ve taken to integrate the latest technologies and foster a close-knit team dynamic.

I’m excited about the potential role within your team.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out, should you have any further questions.

Thank you, again, and I hope to speak with you soon.

Sincerely,

Meghan