The interview went well. You had a nice talk. You left with a warm feeling that this time you surely get the job.

But in the end you didn’t.

No one called you back. No one sent you an email with a job offer. Why was that?

Well, there might have been other factors at play. But perhaps all they wanted was to see a little more extra effort on your part.

And one of the less forceful ways to follow-up on a successful interview is saying “thank you”. Here are a few reasons why this little gesture can help you get your foot in the door.

1. Memory fades quickly

Imagine the day of the hiring manager. Having to speak to a number of job applicants a day, it’s easy to lose track of what went on in each individual interview.

That’s why it’s so important to remind the recruiter of what a blast you had together. And a short follow-up email can help you with that.

The goal, after all, is to encourage the hiring manager to choose the new hire. You can do that by summing up the content of the nurturing conversation and emphasizing all the positive moments that came up during the interview.

Lastly, it’s best to shoot them an email it really soon. Do so within two hours of the actual interview. The speed shows you’re responsive, courteous and know how to take action.

2. Gratitude opens the door

The job market is fast, aggressive and merciless. No wonder it favors the bold, the assertive and the dominant.

It almost seems like gratitude and honesty were a kind of weakness. But that’s not true.

If the interview made you feel comfortable and enthusiastic about the potential new job, a thank you email after an interview is a great way to get back to the recruiter.

Also, it works better than a telephone call. An email leaves a lasting impression as it’s something they can choose to reply to at a point in time of their own choosing.

3. Now it’s their turn

The hiring process is like a tennis match. You start by sending in your resume. It’s their turn to respond with an interview invitation.

And if you want them to take action after the interview, you have to lob an easy ball over the net. And that’s exactly what a thank you email after an interview does — serve the ball on a gold platter, making it simple for them to resume the game.

Email template: Thank you email

Dear Mr. Stevenson,

Thank you so much for meeting with me today.

It was a great pleasure to learn more about the team and position, and I’m very excited about the opportunity to join your team and help improve the workflow with your company.

I especially enjoyed talking to you about the determination to bring McDonalds’ services to every country in the world and the challenges posed by the diversity of our customers’ needs and expectations.

I look forward to hearing from you about the next steps in the hiring process, and please do not hesitate to contact me if I can provide additional information.

Best regards,

Alan Fry

Are emails dead? Not a chance

Of course, new tools are cool. We expand our professional networks on LinkedIn, job search using Facebook and pimp our skills with the help of online courses.

This might have us thinking the email will go. But the old good thing is still here.

And the numbers are stronger than ever. In 2018, around 280 million emails were sent and received each day. And what’s more, the number of emails sent every day has been increasing over the years and experts expect it to grow.

It’s clear that the importance of emails in our personal and professional lives is not likely to fade. Don’t hesitate to invest your time in learning effective and creative email communication. It can make your life much easier and maybe even help you land the job of your dreams.