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#BestofFSCBlog : How to Write a Thank-You Email After an Interview. Want to Stand Out? A MUst REad!

Career experts say the thank-you email is as important as your cover letter, so don’t waste this important opportunity to finalize your pitch—especially now that you know so much about the company, the role and your interviewer. “A properly prepared thank-you email, it just sets you apart,” says Paul McDonald, senior executive director at recruitment agency Robert Half. “It shows that you care and it restates your interest in the position.” Most HR managers say they consider thank-you messages when deciding who to hire, but they only receive notes from nearly a quarter of applicants, according to a survey by Robert Half. So don’t miss out on this chance to stand out, in a good way.

Question: How do you stand out?

Send your email as soon as possible.

Aim to send your thank-you note as soon as you can after the interview. This gives you an opportunity to seal the interviewer’s good impression of you immediately after your initial meeting, while their memory of you is still fresh, recruiters say. If you interviewed with more than one person, you should email each one separately.

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Article continued …

Reiterate why you are interested in the role, and why you would be a great fit.

Now that you have had a chance to meet the interviewer and you have asked all the right questions, you know more about the role and can make a stronger case for yourself. While you were preparing for the interview, you probably didn’t have access to as many details about the job and employer as you may have now that you have met the hiring manager.

In your email you can:

  • Briefly address any pertinent new facts you gleaned about the role during the interview and bring the point back to how your experience or skill set aligns with it.
  • Include examples that demonstrate how you would be an asset to the company.
  • Include relevant samples of your work, particularly if you discussed any during the interview.
  • Provide a suggested solution to a challenge your employer faces that may have come up during your interview.
  • Bring up any insights or examples that highlight your suitability for the role that you might have forgotten to mention in the interview.

Three ways to highlight your qualifications: 

  • “With my experience focusing on the intersection of retail, customer experience and technology, I am in a strong position to help the company with its e-commerce launch.”
  • “Since you mentioned that the company is currently struggling to establish a business model that embraces technology, I wanted to offer a few ideas that I think might help.”
  • “You’ll find a link to a recent UX design study I conducted at the bottom of this email.”
Try adding something personal discussed during the interview.

If there was an anecdote or a shared interest that both you and the interviewer seemed to connect over, you may briefly nod to that in your email, but only if it feels natural and appropriate. This makes for a more personal letter that feels organic and authentic to you and to the relationship you began to forge. If you interviewed with multiple people at the company, adding a personal detail allows each email to feel unique. This also helps your thank-you email stand out.

Three ways to frame a personal detail in your thank-you email: 

  • “On a personal note, it was lovely speaking to you about your recent experience on safari. It inspired me to look into taking a trip like that someday.”
  • “I took up your suggestion to try that oatmeal-cookie recipe, and it was a hit with the kids. Thanks so much for the tip.”
  • “I very much enjoyed talking to you about your home-renovation project. If you have a link to that blog you mentioned, I’d love to take a look. I’m eager to try something similar in my home soon.”
Offer to answer any questions and bring it back to your application.

Bring it back to the hiring process at the end of your email. Gently raising the prospect of the next steps in the process makes it clear you are keen to progress and reminds the interviewer that they should come back to you without being too pushy. Offer to answer questions to give the employer an opportunity to clear up any possible doubts they may have about hiring you. Such an offer also promotes interaction between you.

How to end your thank-you email

  • “Thank you for taking the time to meet with me, and to explain the company’s needs. I look forward to hearing from you about the next steps in the application process, and welcome any questions you may have about my fit for the role.”

Resources

  • Grammarly If writing isn’t one of your strengths, this AI-powered tool helps you compose clear, mistake-free emails.
  • Readable This tool analyzes the readability of your content, and suggests how and where to make improvements.
What to read next

 

WSJ.com | November 17, 2020 | Deborah Acosta

#CareerAdvice : #JobInterview -This is the Best Way to Follow Up After an #Interview to Stand Out. A Great REad!

The interview went well and you left feeling optimistic about the potential of getting an offer. If you’re like the majority of job seekers, you’ll take a wait-and-see attitude, checking your email and keeping your fingers crossed. This can be a mistake.

“Just because interview is over doesn’t mean you should stop,” says Helen Oloroso, assistant dean and director of the McCormick Office of Career Development at Northwestern University. “Following up is an important part of the process.”

So what should you do next?

SEND A THANK-YOU NOTE

A thank-you note is the single strongest thing you can do, says Oloroso. “If you find out during the interview that the hiring timeline is several weeks away, pop a thank-you note in the mail right away,” she says.

It could pay off–literally. A recent report from iCIMS found that only 26% of entry-level job candidates typically send a thank-you note after a job interview. If you miss this step, you could be leaving money on the table; 63% of recruiters say they would be more likely to hire someone who wanted slightly more money and sent a thank-you note than someone who wanted slightly less money but did not send a thank-you note.

The note should focus on three objectives: thanking each person for his or her time, explaining why this is a perfect-fit role, and asking how you can be helpful in the interim, says Keca Ward, senior director of talent acquisition at the talent relationship marketing platform Phenom People.

“Underlay the note with personalization,” she says. “Mention a moment in the conversation that adds personality and highlights that you were listening.”

And don’t be afraid to get creative. “One of my recruiters was once sent a chocolate foot with a note saying, ‘Would love to get a foot in the door,’” says Ward. “Ideas like this leave a lasting impression and are a great way to stand out.”

 

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What  Skill Sets  do You have to be ‘Sharpened ’ ?

Continue of article:

OR AN EMAIL

“If a decision is imminent and they’re saying you are the last candidate before they make decision, a card may not reach the person in time, so sending an email is more important,” say Oloroso.

Make sure an email is customized to each interviewer, says Katie Barnes, director of people operations at Bankers Healthcare Group, a company that offers financing solutions for healthcare professionals.

“We receive a lot of thank-you emails from candidates, which is great; however, most of the time they are pretty standard and the candidate sends the same email to everyone who interviewed or they will send one email and ask that we pass it on to the rest of the team,” she says. “When each person who interviews a candidate receives a personal email thanking them for their time, along with specifics on how they feel they would be a great fit or how they could move the needle at our organization, it always catches our attention.”

CHECK IN

If you don’t hear anything after your interview, it’s acceptable to check in, says Oloroso. But be sure to ask for a timeline of the hiring decision before you leave the interview.

“You need to develop sensitivity as to how frequently to reach back out to check on the status of your application,” she says. “I’ve had candidates who check in every day or couple days and that’s too much. The hiring manager can begin to form negative impression, and reaching out too frequently can backfire. There’s a fine line between being needy and desperate and engaged and interested.”

Use the check-in to restate your interest in the position. “You can say, ‘This job is appealing to me because of the opportunity to work with a great team or to do important work,’” says Oloroso. “Until an offer is on the table, your focus should be on what you can do for the company.”

CONTINUE TO NETWORK

Keep networking after the interview, says Oloroso. “You can ask for informational interviews with other people in the company,” she suggests. “And continue to gather information. If you’re invited back for round two or three of the interview process, you’ll have something more meaningful or deep to say as result of networking, and that will distinguish you from the other candidates.”

Oloroso suggests learning about the job, the company, and the industry. “Have 12 questions ready,” she suggests. “Three or four should be on the job; others should be on the unit, company, and industry.”

BUT USE CAUTION CONNECTING ON LINKEDIN

You might consider connecting on LinkedIn, but you might want to wait, advises Shelley Osborne, head of learning and development at the online learning platform Udemy.

“It may seem innocuous enough, but as a hiring manager it could feel as though it’s crossing some boundary,” she says. “If you’re successful and land the role, you will likely connect anyway, so why not wait? If you aren’t the candidate selected, this could feel invasive. If the interviewer requests to connect with you, they likely want to know more about you and potentially keep you in mind for future roles as well.”

 

FastCompany.com | March 12, 2019 | BY STEPHANIE VOZZA 4 MINUTE READ