Top 12 Tips on How to Write Thank You Letter After Phone Interview

It may still be a blur but remembering the names of the individuals who interviewed you is essential in helping you stand out from the crowd.

Kate Lopaze explains that knowing who is on the team is essential. If you met with just one person, it shouldn't be too difficult to remember their name and title. If you met with multiple people, this could prove to be a bit harder.

For this purpose, at the end of the phone call, ask each person to remind you of their name. They won't mind, and it will show them that you are already invested.

Alison Doyle says that keeping it individual is another key to writing a thank you letter after a phone interview. Sending personalized emails out to each person who was on the other end of the phone is essential – it shows that you remember who was there and what role they played.

Additionally, try to tweak each email so that they all come across unique and original. There’s nothing worse than receiving a generic email from someone which implies they quickly came up with something before sending it off without much thought at all.

We've covered the first two steps of writing a thank you letter after a phone interview. We've also mentioned that typing up an email is a great way to get your message across. However, it's not the only option.

We are in the digital age, so it makes sense to use email. Plus, it's greener. However, Kate says that you can be creative with your strategy here. Choosing an alternative like dropping by with thank you notes or mailing it through the post are excellent options, too.

Choosing to go an alternate route could also help you to stand out, too. They’ll appreciate the effort you made in reaching out to them again.

So, what do you include in your letter after a phone interview? We'll run through the specific points a little later, so let's summarize for now.

Alison says that you could consider your thank you note to be a follow up ‘sales’ message, too. While you’re thanking your prospective employers for their time, you’re also trying to reiterate that you want the job.

It's also an excellent opportunity to mention anything your interviewers forgot to ask you. This will show that you were listening and aren't afraid to include additional comments from your end.

At this point, we believe it’s a good time to remind you that you can reach out to the company who interviewed you if you’re not entirely sure of everyone’s names.

If you remember even one name from the group, you can use this to obtain the other contact information you need. Try emailing the person you know first. In the email, you can include a request to reach out to the other interviewers, too.

They won’t be put out by this and will appreciate the effort you’re willing to go to.

When it comes to formatting, Alison says that being professional will go a long way. Using a professional subject line might be one of the most critical parts of your message – if you choose to use email, that is.

Remember to keep it brief and provide just enough information for your recipient to know what the email is about. Include the phrase ‘thank you' somewhere and either the title of the job you interviewed for or your name. Don't be afraid to include both of these – the more specific you are, the less work your interviewer has to do.

While you want to get your point across and make the recipients feel appreciated, you don't want to take up too much of their time. They have a lot of work to do around the job you applied for and don't need someone being more of a burden than a benefit.

Keep your message concise and reiterate your interest in the job. Remember, most important of all, to say thank you. That's why you're writing this message, and that's what you're trying to communicate the most.

So, what are the necessary points to include in a thank you letter after a phone interview? We've already covered the first – saying thank you.

Now, you'll want to mention any small talk you may have had briefly. After this, it's a good idea to remind them of how good you are for the job.

As you start to wind down and think about signing off, remember to keep the conversation open. You can communicate that they are welcome to be in touch if there’s anything else they need.

When closing your thank you message, it’s good to find a balance between formal and easy-going. You don’t want to be so formal that you come across as stiff. Keep it professional and warm.

By now, you should have your wonderful thank you letter after phone interview before you, in all its glory. It’s got everything you need in it, without overdoing it. Hopefully, it’s going to impress your prospective employers enough for them to remember your name.

How could you possibly ruin it for yourself, then? By not editing and proofreading. It may be a short, concise message, but grammatical errors and mistakes can hide anywhere.

Editing your writing is just as important as whether it's a 2000-word long essay or a thank you email. The last thing you want to do is turn them off with sloppy spelling or lazy grammar.

Once you've edited your thank you note, proofread over it again. You could even get a friend or family member to run their eyes over it quickly, just to make sure you got everything. It's always better to be safe than sorry.

This includes checking the email address and subject line. While it might not ruin your reputation if you send it to the wrong person, what's more, important is that the right person could never receive it. They also don't want to open an email that has spelling mistakes in the subject line.

So, when to send your thank you letter after a phone interview? That is the question. Mandy Zee says that timing is everything when deciding how long to wait before reaching out.

We recommend sending your thank you note within 24 hours of your phone interview, but not immediately afterward. Your interviewers need a little breathing space to discuss amongst themselves how they thought it went.

Waiting a few hours is ideal. When that message lands on their desk on in their inbox, they’ll be reminded of you and the interview they just conducted.

As a last reminder before you click that send button or drop by the office, Alison says to run through everything you've covered in your note quickly.

Aside from having said thank you, the biggest reminder is of your qualifications and how they are relevant to the job you’ve just interviewed for. For extra brownie points, try mentioning any keywords that cropped up in the initial job description.

Attention to detail and covering all your bases are both essential elements to your thank you letter after a phone interview. You want to make sure that you continue to leave the best impression with your potential employers.