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Your strong resume summary and positive communication with the interviewers have brought you this far. However, the competition with other job seekers doesn't end until you sign the job offer letter. So, keep up your winning streak by following up post interview and ensuring you reach the next round.
The second interview thank you email differs vastly from the first. Sending the same email twice will make a bad impression, and you will also have more topics to bring up in the follow up email after the second job interview.
Keep reading this guide to understand the importance of the second thank you email and learn how to write it. Every part of the email has a purpose, and its sections will work together to situate you as the ideal candidate in the hiring manager's mind. You'll also find a sample for reference.
Technically, one can argue that a grateful email is not an official or compulsory part of the job interview process. But its impact should not be underestimated. Here are some reasons you should absolutely send a second interview thank you email.👇
Being Memorable
Hiring managers have a busy schedule. They're likely to be interviewing multiple candidates per day over different job postings. Therefore, it's natural for them to not remember the resumes and career objectives of each candidate.
Even if you got along perfectly during the second interview and you impressed them with your presence of mind, the interviewer might forget these feelings the next day.
A second interview thank you email does the crucial task of keeping this memory fresh in the manager's mind. They'll think of you when making the final decision.
Showing Appreciation
We all get monetary rewards for performing our jobs. However, receiving genuine gratitude from a person always makes our day better.
Your hiring manager is spending a huge portion of their time dealing with complicated tasks and difficult decisions. Knowing that you enjoyed the discussion will remind them of the positive impact they make on people's lives. This will be proof of your considerate and gracious personality, and it's also just a nice thing to do.
Following Etiquette
A graceful, properly formatted thank you email shows your grasp of etiquette and unspoken social rules. It's a sign that you don't do things simply for formality and care enough about the job to follow up.
Consider this situation: Your colleague is struggling with some aspect of the job. You help them understand how to do it, even though you don't need to. In this way, you add more overall value to the company culture and contribute to a better office environment.
Hiring managers value employers who will carry the respect for etiquette past the application and into their daily duties. A courteous interview thank you note demonstrates you have this capability.
Displaying Communication Skills
In your job search, professional communication skills are a must. They'll play a major role in how you interact with your fellow workers and coordinate your duties with those in charge. It's also a valuable interpersonal skill that contributes to a productive office culture.
By writing a clear and effective second interview thank you email, you can display your written communication skills in a practical way.
Establishing A Personal Connection
If you make it to the next rounds and get the job, chances are that you'll be working with these individuals every day. They're aware of it too, and it makes them prefer candidates who they can get along with during the interview process itself.
The interview thank you note opens a personal channel communication line that isn't very possible in the decorum and setting of the interview. A positive back-and-forth of emails leads to a friendly atmosphere at the office.
Key Sections Of The Second Interview Thank You Email
Subject Line
You already now why an email's subject line is important. It acts as a preamble to your email. Often, the recruiter may decide whether or not to read an email simply based on the subject.
Make your subject line something powerful that piques curiosity. However, keep it within 50 characters so that it shows up clearly, even on mobile.
Gratitude
In the first paragraph of the email, express your thanks for the email.
State how you are genuinely grateful for the opportunity to represent yourself in the second interview. Also thank the interviewer for their precious time, and talk about how the discussion enlightened you about your duties.
Reiteration Of Strengths
This is your chance to remind the interviewer why you're ideal for this position and talk about your skills. Discuss your prior experience that aligns with the job role and connect it to why you think you will be an asset to the company.
During the interview, you might have gotten a feeling that the manager had a positive impression some of your specific strengths or experience. State them again in a concise, positive manner.
Excitement For The Position
Suppose the hiring manager has to choose between two equally qualified candidates, one of whom seems to just be here as a necessity and the other who's honestly excited for the job and passionate about the task. The choice is clear.
Show your interviewer that you can achieve these high productivity levels because of your excitement.
Additional Information
Did you get caught up in the interview and forget to mention some important facts that support your candidature? Now's your time to get them noticed.
Maybe you received some praise at your previous job that would help your case now. Or you might have forgotten to mention that one of your personal hobbies lines up with the job description, making the role more interesting for you. You will have an advantage by mentioning them now.
Follow-up Questions
As you dwell on the interview, some questions may have come up in your mind that weren't addressed before. You may be curious about a specific daily task at the position or need more information about the team.
How Does It Differ From The First Interview Thank You Email?
Generally, the first interview is about you as an individual. The hiring managers assess your skills and validate your resume. You probably spent most of the first interview answering question regarding your education, past work, and even interests or hobbies.
Therefore, your first follow up email centred around the discussion you had regarding your background. You would have expressed your interests in discussing the role in a more detailed way soon.
Passing this round onto the next means that your resume and personality shone through. You're among the small group of people that showed genuine potential in the last round.
The second interview is more about testing how you fit into the company. The recruiters may pose scenarios or challenges you could experience in the workplace and ask how you'll deal with them. Therefore, this interview is less concerned with personal skills and more about compatibility.
Your second thank you note should also reflect this shift. Emphasize your adaptability and your eagerness to work with this team. Emphasize examples of your problem-solving and communication skills while recalling your rapport with the manager.
Sample
When To Send The Thank You Email?
There's a misconception that you should send the thank you note immediately after your second interview. In fact, it's better to take some time to reflect before you start composing the email.
Spend a few hours ruminating on the second round interview. Jot down the parts that went well, and note impressions that you want to improve. Make a list of everything you want to mention in the email. Keep this list short and full of important points that will boost your image.
Ensure your list is information-rich and it won't unnecessarily lengthen the email.
If your list looks like this, you need to shorten it.
- Ask about the manager's hobbies
- Mention my skills at an unrelated hobby
- Ask about the next steps
- Describe my childhood interests in detail
- Emphasize my problem solving proficiency
A concise and effective list looks like the one below.
- Ask about the next steps
- Emphasize my problem solving proficiency
- Mention that my early interests align with this role
Ideally, the thank you note should be sent within 24 hours of the second interview. Taking some time after the interview will show the recruiter that you put thought into your email and didn't just write it hastily and carelessly.
Some candidates also want to send the email at the perfect time to get it noticed by the interviewer. You can send it at the very end of the organization's work day or queue it for early the next morning. This may make it the first email that your interviewer reads at the start of the day.
However, if you've followed all the points in the guide to create a personalized, genuine note, you don't need to race to be the first email. You can simply aim to be the best.
Show Your Confidence By Dropping Off Your Resume
While you wait for the verdict for your second interview, why not continue your job search? It will keep you productive, and maybe you'll find options that are even better fits.
This practice is a hit or miss. It depends on several factors like the industry, your experience level, and the company's preferences. Find the best time and method to do it with our guide to dropping off your resume.
Frequently Asked Questions
Whom should you address in the second interview thank you email?
You should send your thank you email to the interviewer. Often, this is the hiring manager, but it may not always be. You must have received the interviewer's contact details while being invited to and scheduling the second interview. Send your email to the same address. If you talked to more than one interviewer, thank them all seperately.
What are the things to avoid saying in a thank you email after the interview?
In the thank you note, emphasize your strengths but stay humble. Avoid getting overconfident about getting the job, as this behaviour may be a red flag for the recruiter. Don't say anything negative details about the organization and avoid copy-pasting sample thank you letters that sound impersonal and detached.
When will the interviewer respond to my thank you email?
If the interviewer sends a prompt response to your thank you email, you can be more assured about your place in the competition. However, longer wait times can be due to many valid reasons such as a complicated hiring process and many candidates. If you don't hear back for another two weeks, you can send a quick follow-up email.
