Most job seekers put a lot of effort into writing a résumé and preparing for a job interview. But they omit an equally important aspect: sending a thank you email after their interview.

It’s surprising that many job applicants don’t bother to send a quick note of thanks, because it really leaves employers with a positive impression. This is a simple measure that sets you apart from other equally qualified applicants who do not send a thank you email after their interview. Of course, you should also send a thank you message after a video interview, just like you would if it was a face-to-face meeting.

If the challenge of writing a great thank you email is keeping you from sending one, you’ve come to the right place.

What elements should you include in a thank you email following an interview?

Here are the main things you should consider in virtually any thank you note you send after an interview (along with some ideas to remember and not to remember):

• Thank the interviewer for your time.
• Briefly reiterate your interest in the job and why you are the right fit.
• Consider adding a point that you and the interviewer have discussed to get to know each other better, and that adds a personal touch to the thank you email.
• Offer to answer any questions he may have.
• Add relevant examples of your work, or suggest a solution to a problem the company is facing that you noticed during the interview.
• End your email by re-expressing your gratitude for the interview and informing you of the next steps.

Thank-you email templates after an interview

The type of thank you email you write depends on the type of company that conducted your interview. This first model is short and to the point, but is effective.

Hello [name of person],

Today I had a great time talking to you about the [position you applied for] at [company name]. This position seems to be a perfect match for the type of job I am looking for, and I believe that my experience in [accounts receivable / Java programming / managing a team] would allow me to achieve my career aspirations.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any further questions. Thank you once again for agreeing to meet with me to discuss this exciting job offer.

Sincerely ,

[your name]

If you want your application to stand out a bit more, we suggest this thank you email template:

Hello [name of person],

Thank you very much for meeting with me on [insert day] to discuss the exciting job offer at [company name].

Please know that I am very interested in this post. My [two / five / ten] years of [copywriting, sales team management / web design] experience is an asset to your business looking to [reposition its brand / attract new customers ].

Since you mentioned that your team is in the midst of [expanding / migrating to the cloud], I wanted to offer you some ideas that I think might help you [briefly explain your ideas].

You will find links to my [brand repositioning / website redesign work] at the bottom of this email.

I look forward to hearing from you about the next steps in the interview process and I will be happy to answer any questions you have regarding my application for this position.

Sincerely ,

[your name]

Both of these thank you note examples work well with many businesses. But if you are applying for a job in an industry where the dress code is more formal, you might want to use a slightly different tone. (However, even in a company with a formal culture, a candidate for a web developer position may find that the people they meet are more laid back than you might think at first glance, so show off. of discernment). If you’re interviewing for a finance or consulting position in an accounting firm or whatever, this third email template might be right for you:

Hello [insert name],

Thank you for contacting me today to discuss the job offer at [insert company name].

I am very interested in this position and believe my skills are well suited to the responsibilities of the position as you have described them. With over [three / seven / fifteen] years of [management / financial accounting / business banking] experience, I could immediately contribute to the success of your business in its efforts to [transition / expand / find new clients] .

On a more personal note, I really enjoyed talking to you about [the university where we studied / our love of basketball / our interest in cooking].

Looking forward to hearing from you soon. Please feel free to contact me if you have any further questions about my work experience or how I could contribute to the success of your business.

Sincerely ,

[your name]

Latest observations

These thank you email templates sent after an interview should work in most cases. You can combine parts of these sample messages to create a unique thank you email. However, there are a few other related points you need to think about:

Write a clear subject line. In the subject line, you can just say “Thank you for the interview”, or something like “Follow up to our job interview”.

Send your email to multiple interviewers. If more than one person conducted your interview, write a thank you email for each, modifying it slightly. A simple way to do this is to mention something you and an interviewer have discussed; it could be your common affection for dogs or the city where you grew up.

Re-read your email carefully. Do not send your email without reading it several times to make sure it is free of typos. Sending a message with mistakes will have the opposite effect of what you want to accomplish: standing out in the wrong way. You can also ask a trusted friend to read you again.

Pick the right time. It’s best to send a thank you email within 24 hours of your interview. By doing this, you demonstrate your interest in the position. It also allows interviewers to have your application freshly remembered when considering other applicants.

Some thoughts on your thank-you note: Make sure your post is genuine. Add a personal touch to your email by taking inspiration from what you would have said to the interviewer if you had thanked him in person. Even a formal thank you email sent after an interview should sound like it really came from you, and not a model. Good luck!