Thank You Note for Interview

A formal thank you letter for a job interview demonstrates the courtesy of the candidate. Students! Develop the habit of sending a thank you note for the interview to your interviewer/employer. 

What Should be the Length of a Thank You Note

Keep it simple and short. Ideally, it should be less than one page, but it should be personalized. Preferably, you should send a separate thank you to each member of the interviewing panel. Also, it’s better that you send thank you to the external recruiter, the one who referred you to the Job.

When Should I Send a Thank You Note for Interview

Send immediately! Your immediate response would leave a positive impression on the employers/interviewers. In addition, this would indicate that you are a responsible and active individual who believes in responding immediately. Remember, employers and managers always prefer active and efficient individuals.

Once you have given the interview, send the thank you note via email when you get home. Alternatively, you may dispatch a hand-written “thank you” letter.

When candidates send a formal thank, you note via the mail service, and the recipient may receive it in several days. In big organizations, the staff first sorts mail in the mailroom and then distribute it to the relevant place. In fact, the letter itself may take a few days to reach the recipient. So, do not delay! Consider sending “thank you” note an important task.

In case, sending a thank you slipped your mind, and a week has passed, send it anyway. Sending a “thank you” note even after a week would still be okay. However, be mindful about delivering thank you immediately.

2. Fundamental Formats for Formal Thank You Note

i. Handwritten note

The traditional and old organizations may expect and value handwritten notes that you write carefully using official and formal language.

ii. Printed note

A written note by using MS Word and printed via computer printer is acceptable in most organizations these days.

You can choose the format that you think is the most appropriate one. There is no fixed format to deliver a thank you note to the organization.

Steps for Sending Formal Thank You Letter/Note

Consider the thank you letter an essential task that can indicate your professional attitude. The purpose of the thank you note is to leave a positive impression and support your concern with the Job.

Make sure you are sending the note to the correct name and address

Presumably, you collected the visiting cards from the individuals who interviewed you. It means you have the correct spelling for the name of the person, including their official address and email addresses. In case you are not sure, then google the business name and search the business directories. Alternatively, contact the HR staff or the recruiters (apologetically).

Remember, some individuals might have travelled from other locations to interview you. In that case, it is better not to call the recruiter to ask for the correct address of each individual.

Choose good quality thank you note or paper

If you are sending a hand-written letter, select standard thank you notes that you may find in a stationery shop. Avoid using fancy or flowery card unless it is the requirement for the business such as a florist. Importantly, do not use small cards because you won’t be able to include sufficient and pertinent information.

Usually, thank you notes can fold in half with “Thank You” at the top and “blank” inside. Write thank you carefully in your own writing at the right half inside the note or the bottom half. In this case, your note will be visible, and the reader will not have to turn the card to view after opening it.

Do not copy the emailed thank you note

If you have sent an email note, do not paste that into the word processor and give print command. The physical “thank you” and email “thank you” must differ. The difference should sound real.

Send a thank you in a unique way to each individual

Students should keep in mind that interviewers may share their physical thank you notes with each other. Therefore, sending a similar note to everyone is not a good idea. Sending a unique thank, you will convey the message that you value your interview and interviewers.

Do address your note correctly

Make sure you write the name of every person correctly. Sometimes, the pronunciations of the names are same, but they may differ in spellings such as Jon (v. John) and Jennifer (v. Jenifer).

Put the right card into the right envelope

If you are sending thank you notes to more than one person, make sure that the right card goes to the right envelope. For example, thank you note for John Michael would go to the envelope with the address of John Michael.

Mention the return address on the envelope

If for any reason, your card doesn’t reach the recipient, the Post office will return that to you.

Sample Business Letter

Write the Thank You note on the formal business letter in the following way:

Your street name
Your city, State with Zip Code
Current Date
Recipient’s Name
Recipient’s Job Designation
Name of the Company/Employer
Street Address of the Employer/Company
City of the Employer, State with Zip Code
Dear Mr./Ms. Surname:

Thank You for conducting my interview for the position of [Job Title] yesterday/today (whichever applicable). It was a pleasure speaking with you and the other members of the staff. Through this interview, I got the opportunity to learn more about this Job. It will be my honour if I get the chance to work in this organization. This Job is a right match with my skills, experience and my majors.

Looking forward to hearing from you.
Best Regards
[Your Name]
[Your email id]

Final Word

Students should write a formal “Thank You” letter for a job interview. They need to use a formal business letter to express their gratitude and professionalism. A thank you note should be brief and comprehensive. Ideally, it should be less than one-page.