Instead of seeing it as one more thing to do, try thinking about your thank-you letter as an opportunity to make a good impression. Review advice on how to say thank you for a second interview, including how to follow up, who to thank, as well as sample thank-you letters and emails.
What to Expect From a Second Interview
When you are invited back for a second interview, you are likely one of the top contenders for the job. Usually, only a select few candidates are called in for the second round of meetings, and the interview will reflect that higher level of expectations. During your second interview, you’ll be discussing things more in-depth than in the first interview. You might meet other members of the team, or talk in more technical terms about what the position entails. By a second-round interview, companies are usually close to a decision and are possibly weighing only several potential candidates. Your second interview is an opportunity to secure a job offer or move forward to the next round.
How to Follow Up After the Interview
After the second interview, it’s a good idea to send a second thank-you note or email message. In fact, it’s especially important after a second interview to take the time to write a personal message to the people who interviewed you—even if you interviewed with them already and thanked them for the first interview. Many employers expect you to reply promptly. Your second interview thank-you letter gives you another opportunity to reiterate your interest in the position, reference your most relevant qualifications, and thank the interviewer for taking the time to speak with you. You can add some depth to your second thank-you by referencing new information or contacts you gained during the follow-up interview.
Who You Should Thank
If there was more than one interviewer, you should thank each interviewer separately. Each one gets his or her own handwritten note or email message; do not “cc” all of your interviewers in a single email thank-you letter. It’s important to make the best impression on everyone you met with or spoke to during the second interview process.
How to Address Your Message
By a second-round interview, you may be on more familiar terms with the interviewer. If that’s the case, you can be a bit less formal in your note—you may want to address the interviewer by their first name, for instance. Of course, your thank-you letter should still be written as proper business correspondence, and carefully checked for grammar and typos.
When to Send Your Email or Note
Your second interview note, whether handwritten or emailed, should be sent no later than 24 hours after the interview. That way, you can be sure to follow up prior to the final decision on a new hire.
What to Include in Your Message or Note
Mention Why You Are the Best Candidate for the Job
When writing a second interview thank-you note, it’s important to specifically state why you are the best candidate for the job. Since you made it to the second interview, the stakes are high, and you are definitely being compared to other highly-ranked candidates for the position.
Reiterate Your Interest in the Position
A second thank-you note is also a chance for you to enthusiastically reiterate your interest in the position and in the company. Be sure to mention something unique and specific that you and your interviewer discussed about the organization, their company culture, or their mission, as they likely have interviewed several people. This will help jog their memory about your interview and allow you to stand out from your competition. You should use your thank-you note to persuasively reinforce the ways your skills and experience are a good match for the position for which you interviewed. Your thank-you note should also reflect the differences in tone between the interviews.
Offer to Provide More Information
You can also inquire in your thank-you note if you haven’t already during your in-person interview whether the interviewer needs any additional details from you, and about the timeline for a hiring decision. Try not to repeat your first note too closely. If you have additional points to make, you should, but it’s fine to keep your note short and to the point if you don’t have a lot to say.
Ask for a Status Update
Finally, repeat your thanks for the second interview and request that the interviewing committee keeps you updated on the status of their candidate search.
Thank-You Note Samples for a Second Interview
This is a thank-you note example for a second interview. Download the second interview thank-you note template (compatible with Google Docs and Word) or see below for more examples.
Thank-You Note Samples for a Second Interview
Here are some thank-you note examples to send after a second interview.
More Interview Thank-You Note Examples
Here are more interview thank-you email and letter examples and templates to download: May 9, 2022 Jim LeeVice President of MarketingAcme Marketing123 Business Rd.Business City, NY 54321 Dear Mr. Lee: Thank you for taking the time to interview me for the second time. I appreciate your continuing interest in my candidacy for the Marketing Director position. As we discussed, my strong skill set and my experience with ABC Company in a very similar role would enable me to assume strong leadership, immediately providing the guidance and expertise to improve departmental performance exponentially. I was interested in learning more about your vision for the department’s growth during our discussion, and I am excited about having the opportunity to introduce methods to quickly reach these goals. Thank you again for your consideration; I look forward to hearing from you. Best regards, Barry Applicant Dear Brittney, It was great to meet with you about the masseuse position at ABC Wellness Center. During my initial interview with Lindsay, I got a terrific insight into the way you integrate total wellness into your program. I was glad to have the opportunity to share with you some of the ways that I think my specialization would fit in with your approach. Thank you for considering me for the position. I look forward to hearing from you in the next few days. Regards, Alexa Smithalexasmith123@email.com123-444-5555 cell
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