How to Write the Perfect Thank-You Email

You’ve been searching for a job opportunity since the beginning of January aiming to find that dream job you’ve always wished for. It’s mid-March, and you finally receive that email inviting you to participate in a group interview the following week.

It’s group interview day and you decide to stand out. You dress accordingly, bring a copy of your resume and cover letter, and during the interview, you make sure to answer the questions the best way you can making sure to show your worth.

On Monday of the following week, you receive a phone call inviting you to participate on another interview. This time is a one-on-one interview between you and the person who would become your supervisor if offered the position. Two days after that call, you go interview with your potential supervisor, but this time, with a more convincing argument on why the company needs you.

After 30 minutes, the interview finishes, and you feel confident that the position is yours. You go home, order your favorite meal and choose your favorite movie. Suddenly, before starting the movie, you ask yourself if you should or should not contact the person who interviewed you.

The answer to this question is yes. You should definitely email the interviewer not only thanking him/her for the time spent with you, but also reminding him/her that you are the perfect fit for the position.

To write this thank-you email, Dr. Deborah Good, a professor at the University of Pittsburgh Katz School of Business, shares the following tips that will allow you to write in a powerful way:

1. Write a professional greeting covering if the reader is single or married. Then, on the first paragraph, write attention-getting phrases such as compliments that will engage the reader to continue reading. For example, “Thank you for making me feel comfortable throughout this process.”
2. Keep a professional, but genuine tone throughout the entire email. Watch out for slang, lingo and cursing.
3. Remember to go straight to the point. In other words, don’t forget that the letter shouldn’t be longer than a page, so you need to make sure to organize your ideas in a way that will allow you to execute a direct message.
4. To add a personal touch to your email, you must add specific reference about the interview process. For instance, a good sentence could be “It was exciting and helpful to understand how your public relations associate responsibilities have some resemblance to those tasks I fulfilled as a public relations intern at Advantage Publishing Inc.”
5. Write a closing paragraph that not only wraps up the letter, but also highlights when a decision is supposed to be made. A professional way of doing this is by saying: “Once again, I appreciate the opportunity to interview with Advantage Publishing Inc. and the time you spent getting to know me a little better. I look forward to hearing your decision on this position next week.”
6. Before hitting that “send” button, check the time when you’re sending it. It’s crucial that you send this email within 24 hours after the interview, and that you send it within regular business hours, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.

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Michelle Bizet is a senior in public relations at the University of Florida. She loves working in the communications field and she is very passionate about the labor nonprofit organizations do. When she is not managing social media or studying for school, she can be found running The Swamp or cooking delicious and nutritious meals.