{"id":4890,"date":"2021-06-30T17:14:45","date_gmt":"2021-07-01T00:14:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jobhunt.fj-dev.com\/interview-thank-you-email-dos-donts\/"},"modified":"2022-04-11T11:58:02","modified_gmt":"2022-04-11T18:58:02","slug":"interview-thank-you-email-dos-donts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.job-hunt.org\/interview-thank-you-email-dos-donts\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Write a Successful Thank You Email After an Interview"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>As surveys by both <a title=\"CareerBuilder Thank You Note Infographic\" href=\"http:\/\/employer.careerbuilder.com\/JobPoster\/Resources\/page.aspx?pagever=ThankYouNoteEtiquette\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CareerBuilder<\/a> and <a title=\"2012 Accountemps employer survey\" href=\"http:\/\/accountemps.rhi.mediaroom.com\/thank-you\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Accountemps<\/a> have indicated, the vast majority of employers accept emailed thank you notes.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; background-color: rgba(0, 197, 179, 0.4);\">Be very meticulous sending these &#8220;work samples.&#8221; Demonstrate the high quality of your work.<\/p>\n<p>Speed of sending and receipt is the primary advantage of emailed thank you notes. For examples of good emailed thank you notes, read <a href=\"https:\/\/www.job-hunt.org\/sample-interview-thank-you-email\/\">Job Interview Thank You Email (Templates &amp; Samples)<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>You can follow up with paper, even hand-written, notes. Mailed (vs. emailed) notes take at least a day to deliver and may sit in a post office or corporate mail room for a while before delivery.<\/p>\n<p>[For more information: read <a href=\"https:\/\/job-hunt.org\/sample-interview-thank-you-email\/\">Job Interview Thank You Email<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/job-hunt.org\/sample-interview-thank-you-email\/\"> (with Samples)<\/a>, <a title=\"Sending Your Thank You After the Interview\" href=\"https:\/\/job-hunt.org\/job-interview-thank-you\/\">Guide to Interview Thank You Notes<\/a>, and <a title=\"Sample Internet Thank You Notes\" href=\"https:\/\/job-hunt.org\/thank-you\/sample-job-interview-thank-you-notes\/\">Interview Thank You Note Samples<\/a>.]<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Do&#8217;s and Don&#8217;ts for a Perfect Post-Interview Thank You Email<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Email can be challenging to use, so pay attention to these do&#8217;s and don&#8217;ts to ensure that your message gets through and makes the best impression:<\/p>\n<h3><strong>When to Send a Thank You Email After a Job Interview \u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Send the message <em>soon after <\/em>the interview, preferably within the first 24 hours, even if the interview was on a Friday (send it as early as possible on Fridays). You do not want to be that last interviewee to send a thank you, in case other candidates are also smart enough to send thank you messages.<\/p>\n<p>If you are unable to send the message in the first 24 hours, do not give up! Send the message anyway &#8212; MUCH better late than never!<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Send Separate Thank You Emails to Multiple Interviewers \u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Send a separate, relatively <em>unique <\/em>message <em>to each person<\/em> who interviewed you. Since messages are very easy to forward, expect that your message to Interviewer A may be shared (and compared) with Interviewer B and C, as well as with HR and possibly upper management.<\/p>\n<p>Vary the wording, but keep the overall theme (you are qualified for the job and enthusiastic about joining the organization), the subject, the closing, and the timing consistent.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Send Your Thank You Note from Your Personal Computer\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Use your <em>personal <\/em>desktop or laptop computer to send this message.<\/p>\n<p>Avoid using your smart phone to write and send this message. It is too easy for unintended changes to be made by the software when auto correction &#8220;fixes&#8221; the errors it finds. These kind of changes can make you look inept and unable to use something as simple as email.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>If you are employed, <\/strong><\/em>DO NOT send this message while you are at work or using your work computer.<\/p>\n<p>If employed and using your employer&#8217;s equipment or network to send your message, your employer <em>may<\/em> discover the message and your intentions to leave. The result is that you could have a very uncomfortable discussion with your boss about your job search, or <em>you could lose your job.<\/em><\/p>\n<h3><strong>The Email Account Used to Send Your Thank You \u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Send the message from the email address used for your application and\/or resume to help the employer &#8220;connect the dots&#8221; between your message and the interview. (Hopefully, for your application\/resume, you used a personal email address associated with an account you check often.)<\/p>\n<p>Using the same email address on your application\/resume should also increase the probability that your message will get through the employer&#8217;s spam filters.<\/p>\n<p>Sending the message from a Gmail address or one associated with your home Internet provider, like Comcast or Spectrum, is fine. Many colleges and universities also offer alumni the ability to use an @[whatever].edu address, which is also acceptable, especially for new grads.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; background-color: rgba(0, 197, 179, 0.4);\"><em>If you are employed, DO NOT send this message from your work email address<\/em>! You may think it is impressive, but it looks to other employers as tacky and disloyal.<\/p>\n<p>Using your work email system also increases the probability that your job search will be discovered which will not be good for you. People get fired for being &#8220;disloyal&#8221; and\/or &#8220;distracted&#8221; because of their job search while employed.<\/p>\n<p>Avoid using a silly address email address like MillieJMBA@, SurferDude1@, or other unprofessional address that will not connect with your application or resume.<\/p>\n<p>Instead, use @Gmail or other email account not associated with your work or, if possible, with your home. If possible, avoid @AOL, @Hotmail, @MSN, and @Yahoo &#8212; those addresses look &#8220;old&#8221; to most recruiters now.<\/p>\n<p>For more tips on choosing a professional email address that represents you well, read <a href=\"https:\/\/www.job-hunt.org\/professional-email-address\/\">How to Choose a Professional Email Address<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Thank You Email Subject Line (Examples)\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Make the purpose of your message clear with a formal subject line like the examples below. DO use the whole phrase &#8220;thank you&#8221; in the Subject and the message. Do NOT use the informal term &#8220;thanks.&#8221; For example:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><em><strong>Subject:<\/strong> Thank you: <\/em>[Job Title]<em> interview on <\/em>[date]<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p><em><strong>Subject:<\/strong> Thank you for the <\/em>[Job Title]<em> interview on <\/em>[date]<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p><em><strong>Subject:<\/strong> Thank you for the <\/em>[date] [Job Title] <em>interview<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p><em><strong>Subject:<\/strong> <\/em>[Job Title]<em> interview on <\/em>[date]<em> thank you<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Replace the text above [in brackets] with the appropriate information for you.<\/p>\n<p>Keep the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flexjobs.com\/blog\/post\/5-go-email-subject-lines-job-seekers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">subject line shorter<\/a> than 75 characters, if possible. Many email systems show only the first 40 to 50 characters, so keep that in mind when you write your subject.<\/p>\n<p>Avoid seeming to be casual or informal by using a subject such as &#8220;Hi!&#8217; or &#8220;Greetings!&#8221; or even &#8220;Thank You!&#8221; These subjects have two major problems:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>They do not make the topic of the message clear.<\/li>\n<li>They do not look professional.<\/li>\n<li>They may be caught in spam filters and never seen by a human.<\/li>\n<li>They do not look like you are taking the opportunity seriously.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>Keep Your Thank You Note Formal\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>The best strategy is to use formal business language and proofread <em>very<\/em> carefully! Remember, this message shows employers the quality of your work and is an example of your work..<\/p>\n<p>Demonstrate the high quality of your work in your email. Avoid using informal language, typos, and strange formatting. Avoid the use of emoticons \ud83d\ude41 and no texting language (LOL).<\/p>\n<h3><strong>The Thank You Email Message Length \u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Keep the message short, not more than 3 to 6<em> brief <\/em>paragraphs so it is more likely to be read. Try to include something memorable from the interview to help the interviewer remember you.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>What to Say in Your Thank You Email\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Seek to connect with the interviewer with this message. If something you said seemed to resonate with that interviewer &#8212; perhaps something you shared about one of your achievements or information you learned about one of their competitors &#8212; include a brief statement related to that topic in your message.<\/p>\n<p>If you did connect with the interviewer about something, from sports, schools, or a passion for recycling to movies, music, or an interest in cats, insert a reference to that connection in your thank you note to help the interviewer remember you.<\/p>\n<p>Highlight any strength or qualification you have that was emphasized in the job description and\/or the interview, particularly if you don&#8217;t think the interviewer understood your strength in that area.<\/p>\n<p>Demonstrate your skill in business communications by writing a note as you would email a potential customer or client.<\/p>\n<p>Do not try to be cute or funny, unless those skills are required for the job.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>How to End Your Thank You Email\u00a0 (Example Email Closings)<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Use a formal closing like this &#8212;<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 2em;\">Best Regards,<br \/>Jim Jones<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Close with your full name, not just &#8220;Jim&#8221; if your name is &#8220;Jim Jones.&#8221; Other acceptable email closings include:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Best,<br \/>Respectfully,<br \/>Regards,<br \/>With gratitude,<br \/>Sincerely,<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Below the closing add a &#8220;signature block&#8221; which includes<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Your full name<\/li>\n<li>Your job title or expertise<\/li>\n<li>Your contact phone number (not your work phone number!)<\/li>\n<li>A link to your <a title=\"Guide to LinkedIn for Job Search\" href=\"https:\/\/job-hunt.org\/..\/linkedin-job-search\/LinkedIn-job-search\/\">LinkedIn Profile<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Avoid closing informally with language like this &#8212;<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 2em;\">See you soon!<br \/>JJ<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h3>The Bottom Line on Interview Thank You Emails<\/h3>\n<p>Take great care with these thank you notes. Even though these are email messages, they are important examples of the quality of your work, your follow-up skills, and your expertise in sending effective emails. All of those are important points to make with a potential employer.<\/p>\n<h3>More About Interview Thank You Notes<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/job-hunt.org\/sample-interview-thank-you-email\/\">Sample Job Interview Thank You Email<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a title=\"Sample Job Interview Referral Thank You\" href=\"https:\/\/job-hunt.org\/sample-interview-referral-thank-you-notes\/\">Sample Job Interview Thank You to the Person Who Referred You<\/a>,<\/li>\n<li><a title=\"Sample Job Interview Thank You to an External Recruiter\" href=\"https:\/\/job-hunt.org\/sample-interview-thank-recruiter\/\">Sample Job Interview Thank You to an External Recruiter<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a title=\"Sample Thank You Note After a Bad Job Interview\" href=\"https:\/\/job-hunt.org\/sample-bad-job-interview-thank-you\/\">Sample Thank You Note After a Bad Job Interview<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a title=\"Sending Your Thank You After the Job Interview\" href=\"https:\/\/job-hunt.org\/job-interview-thank-you\/\"> Sending Your Thank You After the Job Interview<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a title=\"Formal Interview Thank You Note\" href=\"https:\/\/job-hunt.org\/sample-interview-thank-you-notes\/\">Formal Interview Thank You Notes (with Samples)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a title=\"Job Interview Thank You Email Messages (with Samples)\" href=\"https:\/\/job-hunt.org\/sample-interview-thank-you-email\/\">Job Interview Thank You Email (with Samples)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a title=\"Turning Rejection into Opportunity\" href=\"https:\/\/job-hunt.org\/..\/onlinejobsearchguide\/article_rejection-into-opportunity\/\">Turning Rejection into Opportunity<\/a> &#8211; the thank you <em>after<\/em> you are turned down for the job<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>More: <a title=\"The After-the-Interview Waiting Game\" href=\"https:\/\/job-hunt.org\/..\/recruiters\/after-interview-waiting-game\/\">The Waiting Game After the Interview <\/a><\/strong>by recruiter Jeff Lipschultz and Job-Hunt&#8217;s 2017 study, <strong><a title=\"Job Seekers: What Happens After You Apply\" href=\"https:\/\/job-hunt.org\/..\/guides\/after-you-apply\/\">Job Seekers: What Happens After You Apply<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" pull-right img-responsive img-circle\" style=\"margin: 5px 10px 10px 5px;\" src=\"https:\/\/job-hunt.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Joyce_081203_12-6.jpg\" alt=\"Susan P. Joyce\" width=\"80\" height=\"80\" \/><strong>About the author&#8230;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a title=\"Online Job Search Expert Susan P. Joyce\" href=\"https:\/\/job-hunt.org\/..\/onlinejobsearchguide\/online-job-search-expert-Susan-P-Joyce\/\">Online job search expert Susan P. Joyce<\/a>\u00a0has been observing the online job search world and teaching online job search skills since 1995. A veteran of the United States Marine Corps and a recent Visiting Scholar at the MIT Sloan School of Management, Susan is a two-time layoff \u201cgraduate\u201d who has worked in human resources at Harvard University and in a compensation consulting firm. Since 1998, Susan has been editor and publisher of Job-Hunt.org. Follow Susan on Twitter at\u00a0<a title=\"@JobHuntOrg\" href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/jobhuntorg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">@jobhuntorg<\/a>\u00a0and on <a title=\"Job-Hunt.org on Facebook\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/JobHuntOrg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Facebook<\/a>, <a title=\"Susan P. Joyce LinkedIn Profile\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/susanjoyce\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">LinkedIn<\/a>.<br \/><a title=\"More about this author\" href=\"https:\/\/job-hunt.org\/..\/onlinejobsearchguide\/online-job-search-expert-Susan-P-Joyce\/\">More about this author<\/a>&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Immediately after your interview, carefully email your thank you based on these important do&#8217;s and don&#8217;ts for the timing, device, email account, subject, and content. See the samples for ideas on appropriate thank you wording and content.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":44,"featured_media":7934,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"old-site-template.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[84,89],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4890","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-interview-follow-up","category-interview-tips"],"last_modified_at":"","edited_by":"Elly Stauffer","acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.job-hunt.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4890","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.job-hunt.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.job-hunt.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.job-hunt.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/44"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.job-hunt.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4890"}],"version-history":[{"count":17,"href":"https:\/\/www.job-hunt.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4890\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25956,"href":"https:\/\/www.job-hunt.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4890\/revisions\/25956"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.job-hunt.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7934"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.job-hunt.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4890"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.job-hunt.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4890"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.job-hunt.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4890"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}