Post Interview Thank You Notes

Send One and Stand Out

It used to be standard practice to send a brief Thank-You Note to the interviewer after the interview. That said, in today’s communication-reluctant world, most job candidates just don’t send them. According to the 2013 Global Career Brainstorming Day report 90% of people interviewed don’t send Thank You Notes. That’s good news! It makes it easy for you to stand up and stand out with just a fifteen minute time investment.

Thank you Notes are pretty easy to put together, so let’s break it down:

Salutations – Get the name, title, and company name and address exactly right and spelled correctly. Take it off their business card.

Randy Johnson
Vice President of Sales
Hecker Technologies
100 North Marshall Street, Suite 201
Milwaukee, WI 53201

Tell them it was a pleasure meeting them, thank them for their time, and let them know that you are interested in their opportunity.

It was a pleasure meeting you this afternoon to discuss the National Sales Manager position. After researching Hecker Technologies and speaking with you in person, I’ve gained a better understanding about your company’s philosophy, environment, and expectations of the job, which definitely increased my interest.

Tell them how you can help them. Remember how when you prepared for the interview, there were three things the company wanted their new hire to accomplish in order to be considered a success? Tell how you solved those problems in a previous position. Use brief, bulleted points. If the three focal points seem to have changed between the interview prep and the interview – adjust accordingly!

As stated during the interview, I strongly believe I can make a significant contribution to your management team through the following past achievements.

Grew sales from $50 to $125MM in three years
Lead an innovative sales team of 15
Created technical marketing presentations and developed product demors
Never missed a deadline

(Optional) If you think you flubbed a question, fix it here. Address it head on.

During our interview, you asked me about XYZ and I don’t think that I answered your question optimally. I…

Close. Thank them again for their time. Let them know that you are excited by their position and the opportunity to work with them. Ask them if they have any questions.

Thank you again for your time and consideration. I am excited about the opportunity to work with you and your Sales team. If you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact me at your convenience. I look forward to hearing from you.

Sign and provide contact info. Done.

Sincerely,

Signature Here

Michael Aaron
312-555-5884

But, when should I send the Thank You Note? If you interviewed today, write it this evening. Review it in the morning. Adjust and/or correct. Hit send.

July 13, 2000

Randy Johnson
Vice President of Sales
Hecker Technologies
100 North Marshall Street, Suite 201
Milwaukee, WI 53201

Dear Mr. Johnson,

It was a pleasure meeting you this afternoon to discuss the National Sales Manager position. After researching information of Hecker Technologies and speaking with you in person, I’ve gained a better understanding about your company’s philosophy, environment and expectations of the job, which definitely increased my interest.

As stated during the interview, I strongly believe I can make a significant contribution to your management team through the following past achievements:

Grew sales from $50 to $125MM in three years.
Lead an innovative sales team of 15.
Created technical marketing presentations and developed product demos.
Never missed a deadline.

Sincerely,

Signature Here

Michael Aaron
312-555-5884

Most of the candidates being interviewed for a particular position are likely to have similar backgrounds. It often boils down to chemistry. People hire people they like. You have made an extra effort and that makes you stand out.

The world has gotten ruder. It works in your favor to not be just like everybody else. That’s true with Thank You Notes and also with pretty much everything else.