Tips and The Anatomy of an Effective Thank You Note

Thank you notes in the interview/job search process can determine whether you get the job or not. Just like your application, resume, cover letter, interview, etc. the thank you note is another critical touch point representing you and your candidacy for a job.

Think of it through this lens: just like companies like Apple try to provide the most enjoyable customer experience possible at every touchpoint teaching us about their products, selling us the product, and ultimately following up to thank us for buying the product – they make it easy for us to like them and not want to buy the competition. You need to be like Apple – provide the best experience possible for the hiring company, making it easy for them to chose you at every touchpoint even after the interview by providing a stellar thank you note to stay top of mind.

Writing a prompt, thoughtful, well written, error-free thank you note gives you the chance to “sell” yourself one last time to the hiring company that you want to work for and can seal the deal if done properly. On the other hand NOT writing a thank you note, writing one days later, making it super bland and unmemorable, or having spelling/grammar mistakes can cost you the job – even if you had the best interview ever.

Here are our top 5 thank you note tips to get hired:

1. Be prompt: Write it within 24 hours. If for some reason you forget or it gets caught in your drafts folder, still send it, better late than never applies in this situation. Apologize and be humble if you’re late. Handwritten thank you notes are always a nice additional touch, but they are not expected and no matter what you need to still write an immediate email thank you note.
2. Be memorable: Beyond thanking an interviewer for his/her time and saying how much you enjoyed the conversation, bring up something you discussed where you felt your interviewer was enjoying the dialogue or topic you connected on. For example, if you both went to the same school, or started your careers in a similar role, or discussed your favorite part about working in a specific industry, etc. be sure to remind them of the connection you built.
3. Succinctly say why you are a fit: This is another chance and potentially your last to concisely remind the company why you are a fit for the job/company. Now that you went through an interview and learned more about what they are looking for, you can draw specific parallels to your experience that aligns with what they are looking for.
4. Ensure there are zero spelling/grammar errors: There is no room for error in your thank you note – have someone else read it over for you before you send it. I’ve seen candidates lose jobs because of minor errors, don’t let that happen to you!
5. Write a tailored thank you note to each of your interviewers: Don’t send the same note to multiple interviewers, everyone talks and it will come across disingenuous if you send the same letter. You most likely will have different conversations with each person, tailor each letter bringing up specific points you had in each discussion. It shows you were listening and were able to connect.

Here is the anatomy of a great thank you note:

Hi Joe,