After the Interview

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Once your interview is over, well … it’s not really over! You need to assess the interview and re-evaluate your interest in the position and organization you’re pursuing. 

If you are not still interested in the job, you need to contact the organization immediately to withdraw from consideration.

If you are still interested, on the other hand, you have at least one and possibly two additional tasks ahead:

  • Writing and sending a thank-you note.
  • Writing and sending a follow-up email.

Thank-You Notes 

There are many benefits to sending a thank you note. For starters, it’s a way to show your gratitude. Your interviewer has spent time and energy with you and on you and is spending additional time and energy evaluating you for the position that is being filled. It only makes sense, then, to thank them for that consideration.

But a thank-you note benefits you, too, because it gives you the chance to reiterate your interest in the position you’re pursuing, as well as your qualifications and fit for it. It’s one last chance to make a compelling case for your candidacy.

Keep this little-known fact in mind, too: Most job/internship applicants fail to send a thank-you note after interviews. So when you do, you’ll immediately stand out from the crowd and improve your chances of landing the position.

What Type of Thank-You Note Should You Send?

You can send a handwritten notecard or an email:

A handwritten note card is the most personal option and is typically shorter (just a few sentences) than the other options. 

  • Use a small, professional-looking card.
  • Use blue or black ink. 
  • Write neatly. (If you can’t, send an email or a printed letter instead.)

An email works well when a hiring decision is likely to be made very quickly and you want your note to arrive before any final decisions are made. It’s also a good option when emailing has been the main method of contact between you and the person you want to thank, or when you know the interviewer prefers to be contacted by email.

  • Structure your email as two or three short paragraphs.
  • Make sure the email address you use (for this and all communications related to jobs or internships) is professional.
  • Use a signature block at the end of your email that includes your contact information. You’ll still “sign” your name, but the signature block will follow. For example:

Regards,
Catherine

****************************************
Catherine Tate
1234 Emerson Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55408
(612) 123-4567
ctate@gmail.com 
****************************************

What Should You Say in Your Thank-You Note?

Begin by thanking the interviewer for his/her time, and for considering you for the position. 

Restate your enthusiasm about the job, then briefly reiterate the strengths and skills you’d bring to it (remembering to emphasize relevant Core Career Competencies). Focus in particular on the ones the interviewer seemed most interested in, and mention how they will be helpful to the organization.

If there was an interview question you didn’t answer very well, you can briefly clarify or elaborate on your response in your thank-you note. Similarly, you can mention anything you’ve done since the interview (e.g., additional research, reading, training) that further demonstrates your interest in the position.

Close by thanking the recipient once again. Offer to respond quickly to any additional questions or concerns he/she might have and note that you are looking forward to hearing from him/her.

Other Thank-You Note Essentials

  • Send your note within two days after your interview.
  • If you were interviewed by multiple people, send an individual thank-you note to each of them.
  • Double-check your note for grammatical and punctuation errors as well as awkward sentences.
  • Proofread. Then proofread again. One error can move you to the bottom of the candidate pool (which is true for résumés and cover letters too, by the way).

An Example of a Concise, Effective Thank-You Note

Dear [Name of Interviewer],

Thank you very much for meeting with me today to discuss the role of [position title + organization]. It was a pleasure to learn more about the position, and I am excited about the opportunity to bring my skills to your team and help [state a specific goal of the job/organization that you discussed in the interview]. I am happy to provide any additional information if necessary, and I look forward to hearing back from you.

Best,
[Name]

Follow-Up Emails

If you haven’t heard back from a prospective employer within the timeframe that was discussed in your interview, send a follow-up email to check on where things are in the hiring process—and to indicate that you’re still interested in the opportunity.

It can be as simple as this:

Dear [Hiring Manager],

Thank you for taking the time to interview me for the Volunteer Coordinator position at The Science Museum of Minnesota. I really enjoyed learning about the Museum and how vital the volunteers are to the success of the organization.

After the interview, I am even more excited about the possibility of working for your organization, as my communication studies degree, experience volunteering at several nonprofits, and attention to detail make me a great fit for the position.

Thank you for considering me, and I look forward to hearing from you soon.

[Name]

The CLA Career Readiness Guide covers interviewing and a host of other career-related topics in depth. Access it online, or pick up a copy in CLA Career Services or in one of the CLA Academic Advising offices.