How to Say Thanks After an Interview
Most candidates walk out of an interview without following up on it, unless it’s to ask for feedback. However, you can instantly stand out from other candidates if you thank the interviewers for taking the time to see you. If you are up against just one other candidate, this could actually influence the decision in your favor. If you want to say thank you after your interview, you should aim to do it within a couple of days, before the final decision is made. These are some of the ways to say thanks after an interview. Group Email It may be a bit of an awkward phone call if you call up your interviewer to say thank you, especially if you are not the preferred candidate; it is a better idea to send an email. If you liaised with just one of the interviewers throughout the process, it is probably enough to just email them but a group email would be relevant if you spoke to more than one person. Thank for Time An interview is a two-way process and although you have taken time out your busy schedule to attend the interview, so have the interviewers. Your thank you note can give you the opportunity to express your gratitude for being invited to attend the interview. In doing this, you will show that you respect the time of your interviewers, which shows a lot about your character. Reaffirm Interest As a candidate, you leave the interview with no knowledge of the opinion of whether the interviewers like you, even if it seemed to go really well. This is the same for the interviewers, they might feel that you were enthusiastic but they don’t know for sure if you are still interested in the job. Your thank you email can be a chance to reaffirm your interest in joining the company. You might even want to mention why you want to work with them. For instance, there seems like plenty of opportunity for growth or that you are impressed with their core values and goals. Additional Information It is often the case that we leave an interview feeling that we didn’t quite explain some aspects of our CV and the thank you email can provide an opportunity to do this. For example, if you were asked if you have a driving license and you simply answered ‘no’, you might want to tell the interviewers that you have booked your test (if this is the case.) It may be that this is the only reason for not offering you the role, so if you are keen on it, make sure you cover every angle. Ask Questions Interviews are highly pressured situations and it can be easy to become a bit flummoxed when asked if you have any questions. If you don’t have an answer for this, it might suggest you don’t really have a genuine interest in the company or the role. If this is the case, your thank you email can give you the opportunity to ask questions you may not have considered at the time.
