A follow-up email to a potential employer shows how professional you are, and what kind of colleague you would be. Read the CareerStint article to find a sample email, and an essential dos and don’ts list for the same.
Even if the face-to-face interview is over, your responsibility doesn’t end there. It is not surprising to know that for one vacancy in an organization, there can be more than a hundred candidates. Among all the candidates, why should the employer hire you? There are many candidates who may be smarter, or have more experience than you. But this doesn’t mean you are out of the race. Although an interview can make a huge impact on whether you get an offer or not, there is one thing you have to do right after the interview is over―writing a follow-up email.
How to Write the Email
A well-constructed email is what you need to aim at. This shows the employer that you are serious about the job in question, and are a dedicated professional.
| Your Name Your Address Your City, State, Zip Code Your Phone Number Your Email Id The Date Interviewer’s Name Dear Mr./Ms. Last Name, In the first paragraph, you want to thank the employer for taking time out from their busy schedule and interviewing you for the position in question. Express your appreciation about the time invested by him/her, and that the employer considered to interview you for the position. In the second paragraph, mention that after speaking to him/her, you believe that you are the perfect candidate for the position. But don’t sound too self-confident or self-assertive about it. You want to be genuine with your choice of words. Also, don’t forget to mention that the reason you think of yourself as the right candidate is because you are a quick learner, and can adapt to the diversified responsibilities for the position. In the third paragraph, talk about how passionate you are with your work, and your enthusiasm towards doing better than good is always alive. Mention that you have practical, technical, and educational knowledge which helps you do well in any task. In the fourth, closing paragraph, mention that you are very much interested in working with him/her and the organization. Also express that you are looking forward to hearing from you after he/she has made the final decision regarding the position. Give your contact details, and write that you can be contacted at any time for further information, if required. Sincerely, Your Signature |
Always personalize your emails, and never send out a copy-and-paste version; there are occasions when employers discuss these emails between one another, and you don’t want them to find out that you send out similar emails to everyone.
Tips to Follow
Do …
- take the employer’s business card. On it, you will find the necessary contact information.
- ask the employer when should you be expecting him/her to make the final decision to hire someone for the job.
- send the email after 4 days of your interview. So your email should reach the employer on the 5th day.
- send individual thank you letter in 2 days after the interview was conducted even if you think that you won’t get the job.
- be patient as the hiring process can be a bit longer than you expected.
Don’t …
- be too concerned whether to send a typed or hand-written letter. Just be careful that you don’t make an error in choosing the right medium.
- make errors while typing the letter. Proofread your letter for spelling errors and typos.
- think that you got this job, even if the interview went really well. Keep the job search alive till you get the offer.
- feel shy to call the employer if it has been a few days after sending the email.