In Canada, the normal practice for candidates is to send a follow-up and thank you note after an interview. This practice is not common all over the world and you may not be use to this. But if you want to get a job in Canada, it is very important that you do follow-up and send in a thank you note.

Why do you need to send a thank you note?

First, it is a common business practice to thank the person interviewing you for the opportunity. Second, the thank you note is a confirmation back to the company that you are still interested in the job. There are situations where you may go to an interview and find out that this is not a suitable job for you. So by confirming that you are still interested in the job after an interview, you let the company know that they should still consider you.

What do you need to write in your note?

1. Thank the person(s) that interviewed you
2. Mention some of the interesting things you learned at the interview – about the company and the job
3. Confirm that you are still interested in the position
4. Talk about some of your skills and experience that will make you a good fit for the job. This is sort of a reminder on the highlights you want them to remember

How do you send this thank you note?

The best way is to send an email to the people who you met for the interview. So when you go for your interview, make sure you get their company email addresses. You should never send a thank you note to a personal email address even if you know it. It is considered unprofessional.

If you don’t have the emails of all the people you interview, that is fine. Write the email like you are writing to each person, and then send it to person whose email you have. At the end of the letter, ask the person to send the thank you note to other people at the interview.

If you absolutely have no emails at all, then go to LinkedIn. You can find the people who you met with and send them a private message through LinkedIn. Make sure you apologize for reaching out to them this way as you did not have their email address.

Follow-up after you send the thank you note?

When you meet for the interview, make sure you ask about next steps. This will help you get the time the company will take in choosing the candidate. The usual time is about 1-2 weeks. Send another email that is similar to the thank you note again asking whether a decision has been made. Sometimes, you may be also asked to follow-up via phone. Whatever way you follow-up, make sure you do it because you need to show your enthusiasm about joining the company and your interest in the job. Not following up may cost you the job.