by Chris Durst Oct. 15, 2020
Over the years, I’ve heard from many HR Managers that phone calls, while a nice idea, interrupt the daily schedule and workflow in the office — making the caller stand out in all the wrong ways. This is especially true when the job in question is likely to have many applicants — which is the case for many work from home jobs. (Less so, of course, if you’ve applied for a high-level or highly-specialized role that may have only a few candidates.)
That said, a thank you is a nice touch and can be a great way to bubble yourself up to the top of the applicant pool. I suggest you send that thank you in the form of an email!
Here are my pointers for writing an amazing POST-INTERVIEW THANK YOU EMAIL.
- Keep it brief.
- Pitch yourself, but only gently.
- Put your message in the correct order – YOU, ME, US
YOU = The person to whom you are addressing the email, the interviewer and the company
ME = The person sending the email, the applicant
US = The hoped-for final goal – the applicant working with the company
WRITING YOUR EMAIL
Open with a YOU paragraph:
Keep the focus of this paragraph on the interviewer , the company, and the position. Include these components:
- A thank you
- An acknowledgement of the information they shared about <the company, the role, the team, etc.>
- A little something to show you were really paying close attention
—– Sample YOU Paragraph —–
“Thank you so much for taking the time to meet with me today to discuss the Marketing Specialist opportunity. It was a pleasure learning more about the history of and future plans for XYZ Corporation. I especially loved hearing about the Marketing Department’s unique approach to boosting employee morale and creativity through their monthly in-office contests. It demonstrates perfectly the “creativity first” strategy you mentioned in your overview of the corporate mindset.”
Follow with a ME paragraph:
Here’s your chance to express your interest and remind the interviewer why you’re the right person for the job. Include these components:
- A clear statement of your interest in the position
- A statement to remind the interviewer of how amazing you are
- A statement about your fit within the company, team, department
—– Sample ME Paragraph —–
“It is with great enthusiasm that I reaffirm my interest in the position! As I played our conversation back in my head, I kept coming back to your statement that the ideal candidate is, “one who stretches their imagination for new ways to deliver high exposure to your advertising clients,” and thinking – that’s me! As I mentioned in our interview, I am fearless in my creativity – often stretching into territory that has not been explored and discovering great success there. The 57% response rate increase on the Widget campaign for LMNOP Company is evidence of how my thought-to-execution process can lead to extraordinary outcomes. I believe I bring a solid balance of thinker and doer to every team I am a part of, and I am confident that weaving my unique mind- and skill-set into the already amazing fabric of the XYZ marketing team will help the department to realize the visions you shared with me.”
Wrap up with an US paragraph:
This is where you leave them wanting more and encourage them to ask for it! Include these components:
- A confident (but not presumptuous) call to action
- A final thank you
—– Sample US Paragraph —–
“I would love to continue our conversation about this opportunity and my fit with the XYZ Corporation Marketing Team! Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or need clarification on anything we talked about in the meantime.
Thank you again.”
—– PULLING IT ALL TOGETHER FOR THE FINAL EMAIL —–
Hello, Sandy,
Thank you so much for taking the time to meet with me today to discuss the Marketing Specialist opportunity. It was a pleasure learning more about the history of and future plans for XYZ Corporation. I especially loved hearing about the Marketing Department’s unique approach to boosting employee morale and creativity through their monthly in-office contests. It demonstrates perfectly the “creativity first” strategy you mentioned in your overview of the corporate mindset.
It is with great enthusiasm that I reaffirm my interest in the position! As I played our conversation back in my head, I kept coming back to your statement that the ideal candidate is, “one who stretches their imagination for new ways to deliver high exposure to your advertising clients,” and thinking – that’s me! As I mentioned in our interview, I am fearless in my creativity – often stretching into territory that has not been explored and discovering great success there. The 57% response rate increase on the Widget campaign for LMNOP Company is evidence of how my thought-to-execution process can lead to extraordinary outcomes. I believe I bring a solid balance of thinker and doer to every team I am a part of, and I am confident that weaving my unique mind- and skill-set into the already amazing fabric of the XYZ marketing team will help the department to realize the visions you shared with me.
I would love to continue our conversation about this opportunity and my fit with the XYZ Corporation Marketing Team! Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or need clarification on anything we talked about in the meantime.
Thank you again, Sandy.
Best,
Christine Durst
———
NOTES:
- You’ll notice that I’ve used the interviewer’s name and sprinkled in references to them, the company, and the team with which I would be working.
- When you are put into a position where you must “brag” about yourself, it’s always a good practice to brag about others as well. The absence of those inclusions can come across as self-focused rather than team- or company-focused and nobody wants to work with “that person.” 🙂
- Also, as busy people tend to skim email, it’s important to make use of bold, italics, and, if appropriate, color to draw the reader to the must-see content.
Now, let’s get you on your way to those interviews so you can start writing your own thank you emails!!
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