As executive search consultants, we are often asked by candidates if writing post-interview thank you notes are recommended. In all cases, our consultants would agree that sending a thank you after an interview is appropriate, courteous and beneficial. It provides another opportunity to differentiate yourself among prospective candidates, which is the goal of any interview process. This article discusses how to write effective post-interview thank you notes and provides sample content to help get you started.

1. APRIL 2013
Making Post-Interview Thank You Notes
Worth Your Time
A
s
executive
search
consultants,
we
are
often
asked
by
candidates
if
writing
post-­‐interview
thank
you
notes
are
recommended.
In
all
cases,
our
consultants
would
agree
that
sending
a
thank
you
after
an
interview
is
appropriate,
courteous
and
beneficial.
It
provides
another
opportunity
to
differentiate
yourself
among
other
prospective
candidates,
which
is
the
goal
of
any
interview
process.
The
primary
reasons
for
writing
post-­‐interview
thank
you
notes
are:
➡ To
show
your
appreciation
for
the
interviewer’s
time
and
interest.
➡ To
demonstrate
good
manners
and
extend
a
professional
courtesy.
➡ To
reiterate
your
interest
in
the
organization
and
the
position.
➡ To
recap
the
interview,
reminding
the
interviewer(s)
of
your
qualifications.
➡ To
follow
up
with
any
information
the
interviewer(s)
may
have
requested
you
to
provide
following
the
interview.
Backing
up
our
perspective
of
the
above
points
are
the
results
of
a
CareerBuilder
2011
survey.
Results
revealed
that
22%
of
hiring
managers
are
less
likely
to
hire
a
candidate
if
he/she
does
not
send
a
thank
you
note,
even
though
the
individual
may
be
a
good
fit
for
the
position.
CareerBuilder
also
found:
• 86%
of
hiring
managers
say
not
sending
a
thank
you
note
shows
a
lack
of
follow
through.
• 56%
say
not
sending
a
thank
you
note
says
sends
the
message
that
the
candidate
isn’t
serious
about
the
opportunity.
Since
this
should
give
you
enough
reasons
to
send
post-­‐interview
thank
you
notes,
below
are
some
of
our
recommendations
for
making
them
effective:
Personalize
your
notes.
Just
as
you
do
not
want
your
resume
to
blend
in
with
others,
do
not
use
standard
content
in
your
post-­‐interview
thank
you
note.
For
example,
share
particular
things
from
the
interview
that
you
found
interesting
and
insightful.
This
will
show
that
you
took
time
to
really
consider
the
interview,
making
you
come
across
as
being
genuine
and
likable.
Make
your
notes
most
effective
by
briefly
reiterating
the
reasons
for
your
interest
in
the
position
and
the
company.
For
example,
you
can
explain
how
the
role
fits
in
with
your
career
motivations,
how
your
experiences
and
skills
could
be
of
value
to
the
company,
or
the
impact
you
feel
you
could
make.
If
possible,
use
specific
examples
from
the
interview.
Send
thank
you
notes
to
all
interviewers.
If
you
were
interviewed
by
multiple
people,
you
want
to
show
equal
respect
to
all
by
sending
individual
notes
to
each.
By
‘individual’,
we
mean
make
each
note
a
little
different
from
the
others.
If
you
write
them
all
the
same,
they
will
lose
their
effect
and
genuineness.
Also,
be
sure
to
get
the
correct
name
spelling
and
title
of
each
interviewer.
Send
thank
you
notes
within
24
hours.

2. APRIL 2013
Email or Handwritten Thank You Notes?
This
is
a
question
that
many
candidates
ponder
and
there
is
no
simple
answer
because
it
can
depend
upon
the
interviewer’s
personal
preference,
the
formality
of
the
interview,
and
the
level
of
the
position.
In
general,
a
handwritten
thank
you
note
gets
more
attention
than
an
email
with
the
same
content.
However,
if
the
hiring
process
is
moving
quickly,
then
you
will
want
to
expedite
your
thank
you
and
send
an
email.
However,
if
you
do
email
the
note,
we
recommend
you
follow
up
with
a
handwritten
one
via
regular
mail.
Remember
that,
even
though
you
want
your
thank
you
to
have
a
‘personal’
feel,
all
grammatical
rules
that
apply
to
professional
correspondence
also
apply
to
thank
you
notes.
If
you
decide
to
send
your
thank
you
note
via
email,
there
are
certain
things
you
need
to
be
aware
of.
First,
make
sure
your
subject
line
is
appropriate
and
concise.
It
can
be
as
simple
as
“Thank
you”
but
we
recommend
you
also
add
your
name
to
the
subject
if
your
email
address
does
not
have
your
name
within
it.
Otherwise,
the
interviewer
will
not
know
the
email
is
from
you
and
may
overlook
it.
Second,
consider
your
email
address.
Ask
yourself
if
it
is
appropriate
and
professional.
If
it’s
not,
then
create
a
new
one
to
use
only
for
business
/
employment
correspondence.
Lastly,
do
not
use
email
stationery
–
just
use
a
plain
email
format.
Stationery
is
not
necessary
and
it
can
make
your
email
file
larger.
Furthermore,
it
may
cause
the
email
to
not
open
correctly
on
the
interviewer’s
end
and,
if
they’re
viewing
it
on
their
mobile
device,
the
stationery
will
not
come
through.
Format for Post-Interview Thank You Notes + Sample Content
Now
that
you
understand
the
basics
of
why,
when
and
how
to
send
post-­‐interview
thank
you
notes,
let’s
talk
about
ideas
on
content.
Typically,
post-­‐interview
thank
you
notes
are
three
concise
paragraphs:
Paragraph
1
explains
why
you
are
writing
–
to
thank
the
interviewer.
Paragraph
2
reminds
the
interviewer
why
your
experience
and
skills
are
a
match
for
the
position
and
how
you
will
add
value
to
the
organization.
This
is
the
paragraph
in
which
you
will
want
to
add
specifics
from
your
interview.
Paragraph
3
emphasizes
your
interest
and
closes
the
thank
you
note.
Below
are
some
mix
and
match
options
/
ideas
for
each
paragraph:
First
Paragraph
Options:
• I
would
like
to
thank
you
for
taking
the
time
to
meet
with
me
today.
It
was
a
pleasure
speaking
with
you
and
learning
about
COMPANY
and
its
JOB
TITLE
opportunity.
• Thank
you
for
taking
the
time
to
meet
with
me
today
regarding
the
JOB
TITLE
opportunity
at
COMPANY.
After
speaking
with
you,
I
believe
that
my
background
and
skills
are
an
ideal
match
for
the
opportunity.
• I
would
like
to
thank
you
for
the
opportunity
to
discuss
JOB
TITLE
with
COMPANY.
• Thank
you
for
taking
the
time
to
meet
with
me
to
discuss
JOB
TITLE
with
COMPANY.
I
appreciate
the
opportunity
to
learn
your
insight
of
the
position
and
how
it
impacts
your
entire
organization.

3. APRIL 2013
Second
Paragraph
Options:
• As
we
discussed,
I
believe
my
experience
and
PRIMARY
SKILLS
would
add
strength
to
your
team
and
allow
me
to
make
an
immediate
and
positive
impact.
[Elaborate
with
1
or
2
specific
examples.]
• I
believe
my
experiences
and
PRIMARY
SKILLS
would
prove
to
be
valuable
to
your
firm
as
these
are
necessary
attributes
to
be
successful
in
JOB
TITLE.
[Elaborate
with
1
or
2
specific
examples.]
• Based
on
my
experience
and
education,
I
am
confident
that
I
would
make
a
positive
contribution
to
COMPANY’S
team
in
the
role
of
JOB
TITLE.
[Elaborate
with
1
or
2
specific
examples.]
• I
am
very
interested
in
JOB
TITLE
and
its
objectives
and
I
hope
to
have
the
opportunity
to
make
a
valuable
contribution
to
the
continued
success
of
COMPANY.
[Elaborate
with
1
or
2
specific
examples.]
• Following
my
visit
to
COMPANY,
I
believe
that
your
company
atmosphere
is
one
in
which
I
could
grow
both
personally
and
professionally.
I
am
most
particularly
impressed
by
the
company’s
philosophy
of
[Elaborate].
• I
believe
the
combination
of
my
skills
and
experiences
would
prove
to
be
an
asset
to
COMPANY
and
its
objectives.
[Elaborate
with
1
or
2
specific
examples.]
Third
paragraph
options:
• I
look
forward
to
continuing
our
discussions
and
would
welcome
the
opportunity
to
become
a
part
of
COMPANY.
Thank
you
again
for
your
time
and
consideration.
• Thank
you
again
for
your
time
and
consideration.
I
look
forward
to
hearing
from
you.
• If
you
have
any
additional
questions
regarding
my
skills
or
experience,
please
do
not
hesitate
to
contact
me.
Again,
thank
you
for
your
time
and
consideration
and
I
look
forward
to
continuing
our
discussions.
After
writing
your
post-­‐interview
thank
you
note,
sit
back
and
commend
yourself
because
you
can
be
confident
that
most
candidates
will
not
have
done
the
same.
By
simply
taking
the
time
to
write
a
thank
you
note
that
extends
your
gratitude,
demonstrates
your
courteousness,
and
reiterates
your
interest
in
the
position
and
company,
you
still
stand
out
and
differentiate
yourself
among
prospective
candidates.
To
read
more
articles
about
talent
and
career
management,
subscribe
to
Helbling’s
quarterly
newsletter
and
blog
at:
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