3 Ways To Make Your Thank-You Note Stand Out After a Job Interview

For more tips like the ones below, read ZipRecruiter CEO Ian Siegel’s new book, Get Hired Now! You can buy it here.

You nailed the job interview! Or maybe you didn’t.

Either way, you still have one more chance to stand out and leave a good impression: the post-interview thank-you email. 

(Yes, an email is perfectly acceptable. Especially these days when your interviewer could be working remotely.)

57% of job candidates don’t send a follow-up note after an interview, which is bad for them, but good news for you. The secret to a good thank-you email is to talk about the interviewer, not yourself. A little-known secret about interviewers is that…they’re people too! And they love positive feedback just as much as you do.

Here are three ways to do it:

1. Share How They Have Increased Your Enthusiasm

Hopefully, you conveyed how excited you were about the job during your interview. Your email can express how speaking with the interviewer kicked that excitement up another level. Then say why. This message will make the person you met feel good that they represented their company, and themselves, well. And when you make them feel good, they’ll feel good about you.

2. Show That You Were Listening

For this approach, mention one or two topics that stuck with you. These could be anything they shared about the company, their department, or your industry as a whole. When you repeat something they said, it demonstrates that you were listening…and that your interviewer said something worth listening to.

3. Highlight Their Best Moment

In this type of thank-you note, call out a question the interviewer asked or something they said which taught you something or made you change your mind. Then ask a related follow-up question. This is a great way to keep the conversation going, and gives you more opportunities to provide further insight into what you would contribute to the role.

A post-interview thank-you note is often the final impression you leave with a hiring manager. While your actual interview will likely be the main factor in whether you get the job, the right follow-up could seal the deal.