It is considered good practice to send a thank you email after an academic interview given that it takes a lot of effort to conduct one. You can also use this opportunity to express your interest in the role and effectively pitch your profile.
In this blog post, we will look at how to draft a thank you email after an academic interview with the help of some best practices, hacks and a ready to use template that you can just copy paste. So let us get started.
Tips to Remember
Timing is very important when sending a thank you email, especially so when it is after an academic interview. So send out that email 18-36 hours after the interview.
Personalize the email to indicate to the recipient that this is not a mass email but rather a well thought out one. Include specifics around the questions and the responses by that particular interviewer.
Express gratitude to the interviewer for taking the time and effort to not just host the interview but also the ways the questions in that interview have helped you refine your understanding of the subject.
Subtly highlight your qualifications that make you an ideal fit for the role. Do not make it sound like an over the top pitch. It is understood that you are interested in the job, but the goal here is for them to imagine you succeeding in it.
Show alignment of your skills, qualification and experience with the goals the institute or the department. Most teams hire to push harder & faster towards a goal and showing alignment improves your chances of getting hired.
Best Practices
Draft a professional subject line that is simple and straightforward enough to indicate to the recipients on what you are trying to convey in the email.
Share context around why you are writing that email and this context can be anything from the questions that you appreciated the most, parts of the interview you enjoyed and the alignment of your profile to the overall goal.
Ensure that you share multiple communication channels so that you can reached on at least one of them if others were not very feasible or accessible for whatever reason.
Proofread the body of the email thoroughly before hitting the “Send” button, the last thing you need when interviewing for a position is give an impression that you are hasty.
Sample Thank You Email Template After an Academic Interview
Subject Line: Thank you for your timeHello [Recipient’s Name],
Hope you are doing well. I just wanted to thank you for the opportunity to interview with you and the incredible experience during it.
The interview was rich with great questions from you and your fellow panelists. I especially appreciate interviews on the [ Name of the Topic]. Since the interview, I have explored a bit more about [Topic Name] and it was a great refresher.
Questions around [Topic Name] also helped me address a few blind spots that I had and this is a great opportunity for me to plug those gaps and become a better [Profession or Subject Matter Expertise].
I am super excited to hear from you guys and I feel [Explain Your Experience and Alignment with the Group’s Goal].
If you have any updates or advice for me, please feel free to reply back to this email, alternatively you can also reach out to me on my [Your Mobile Number] or on my [Hyper-linked LinkedIn Profile].
Once again, thanks for the opportunity and the fruitful interview experience. I look forward to hearing from you.
Regards,[Your Name][Your Designation/Role]
Conclusion
Writing a thank you email after attending an academic interview is a great idea for making a good impression with potential employers. By following the tips, best practices and most importantly the sample template shared, you are now well equipped to communicate in this scenario.
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