Doing This One Thing After the Interview Increases Your Hiring Chances

After the interview, it can be a challenge to wait to hear back from the hiring manager. The best way to utilize this time is to put together a thank you email to the person who interviewed you. This shows your enthusiasm for the opportunity and helps encourage an open line of communication, says Paul Wolfe, senior vice president of human resources at Indeed.

Three Types of Thank You Emails

According to Wolfe, there are three potential email follow-ups you can use after the interview. The first email should come within 24 hours after the interview ends. Use this message to express gratitude to the manager or individual who interviewed you. This strategy also helps make you more memorable. If you haven't heard anything for more than a week, it's okay to send a second email as a check-in on the hiring process. The third type of email is for when you didn't get the job. It's a gracious way to keep in touch, expand your network and possibly get a few pointers on where you could have improved.

Greeting

For starters, address your interviewer by name. If the interviewer introduced himself using his first name, use it in the opening of your thank you email. Otherwise, stick to his formal title. If you were interviewed by more than one person, be sure to send an individual email to each person directly.

Body

Once you get past the greeting, mention the specific job you interviewed for, and thank the interviewers for their time and consideration. Try to pull an anecdote from the interview conversation that will help them remember you, and ask if they have any additional questions or concerns. If you'd like to go even further, reiterate your relevant skills and experience, and close with a brief summary of why you would be a great fit for the job.

Closing

Close your thank you email by repeating your thanks. Provide a call to action for the interviewer by inquiring about the next steps in the hiring process, and ask when you can expect to hear back from them.

Proofreading

The thank you note after the interview is a little less formal than an email containing your resume or cover letter, but should still be prepared carefully. Proofread thoroughly for spelling errors and typos. Read the note aloud to yourself a few times to check for word flow and grammar errors. This is your last impression to make on the hiring manager, so make it a strong one.

In a competitive job market, do anything you can to set yourself apart. Although constantly suggested, sending thank you notes after interviews is still not quite as common as you might think. If it were to come down to you and another candidate, your thank you email could be the factor that compels the employer to choose you for the position.

Photo courtesy of Master isolated images at FreeDigitalPhotos.net