Gun들지마의 Bioinformatics 생명정보학

오랜만에 쓰는 대학원 유학 관련 글입니다. 많은 지원자분들께서 Thank you letter를 써야하는지 그 존재조차 모르는 분들이 많아서 글을 써봅니다.

Thank you letter는 인터뷰 혹은 면접을 본 후에 감사인사를 전하는 이메일입니다. 취업 면접을 보고 나서 hiring manager 혹은 interviewer에게 시간을 내줘서 감사했다고 하는 내용의 이메일이며, 대학원 면접에도 특히 해외 대학원 면접 후에 교수님께 똑같이 이메일을 쓸 수 있습니다.

- Thank you letter는 꼭 써야하나요?

아니요. 굳이 쓰지 않으셔도 됩니다. 아마 땡큐레터를 쓰지 않으셔도 합격/불합격에는 크게 영향을 주지 않을 수 있습니다. 하지만 바르게 쓴 땡큐레터는 교수님에게 좀더 좋은 인상을 남길 수 있으며, 혹시 인터뷰 중 불만족스러운 대답을 하였거나 자신에 관한 어필이 모자라다 싶을 때 그것을 보충할 수 있는 좋은 기회이기도 합니다.

- Thank you letter는 언제 써야하나요?

보통 인터뷰 후 24시간에서 48시간 사이에 쓰는 것이 좋습니다. 그 이유는, 교수님의 뇌리에 인터뷰에 관한 기억이 생생하게 남아있을 때가 좋으며 너무 이른 땡큐레터는 기계적으로 보일 수도 있고 너무 늦은 땡큐레터는 부지런하지 않다는 인상을 줄 수도 있습니다.

- Thank you letter에는 어떤 내용이 들어가야 할까요?

여러가지 내용이 들어갈 수 있지만, 주로 들어가야 할 내용은 1) 인터뷰에 할애해주신 시간과 대학원생으로 고려해줘서 감사하다는 내용 2) 인터뷰 중에 나눴던 특정 주제의 대화 3) 내가 이 대학원 프로그램에 정말 관심이 있고 나는 정말 좋은 candidate이라는 강조 4) 나의 장점을 어필할 수 있는 나에 관한 한가지 구체적인 사실 등이 들어갈 수 있습니다.

또한 인터뷰 중에 말하고 싶었지만 까먹었던 내용, 교수님의 연구에 관한 좀더 심화된 질문 등이 들어갈 수 있습니다.

- Thank you letter의 예제를 보여주세요

인터넷 검색해서 가져온 몇몇 예제입니다.

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Dear Dr. Scheibel,

I wanted to thank you for generously considering me for the Masters of Biology program at MIT. I know that you have a busy schedule, and I appreciate your time interviewing me and sharing some of what makes MIT unique.

The interview with you shed some light on what I can expect in the program. I especially like how MIT has biology research labs on-site and opportunities for internships. I believe that my background in working in a biomedical research lab for the past two years has prepared me for the next step in my career, which is obtaining my graduate degree to study microbial diseases.

Again, thank you for your consideration, and I look forward to hearing from you on your final decision.

Sincerely,

Jane Doe

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Dear Dr. Roderick,

I hoped to reach out and thank you for talking with me about the opportunity to study mathematics at UCLA’s Mathematics Graduate Program. Your dedication to interviewing me with your busy schedule shows me how concerned UCLA is with considering candidates for their graduate programs.

Thank you for explaining how the library at UCLA has its own collection of mathematic resources that I could use while studying. Because of my experience in tutoring math at the undergraduate level, I think that I would be able to accomplish my dream of teaching mathematics at a university.

I am happy to have learned more about the program and hope to hear from you when final decisions are made.

Sincerely,

John Doe

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Subject Line: Thank you [Interviewer’s Name]!

Hello [Interviewer’s Name],

Thank you so much for taking the time to meet with me to discuss the [position name] position today. It was a pleasure to learn more about the position and about working with the consulting team.

Our discussion made me even more excited to join [Company name]. I was particularly interested in [something you discussed during the interview]. Considering this, I think that my [relevant skills and experiences] would make me an excellent candidate for this role.

I look forward to discussing this position with you more in the future. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you need any additional information.

Thanks again for your time!

Best,

[Your name]

[Your email address]

[Your phone number]

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- 또한 다음은 Thank you letter에 들어가야할 항목들을 정리해놓은 좋은 글이라서 가져와보았습니다. 출처는 여기

1. Write a clear subject line

The first thing that employers (or anyone) see before opening an email is the sender and, more importantly, the subject line. Thus, it’s best to choose a subject line that clearly conveys your message. If you want to go with something a little more formal, consider something like:

• “Thank you for your time”
• “Thanks for the interview yesterday” (or today, depending on when it was)
• “I enjoyed learning more about [Company name]”

Alternatively, if you want to go with something a little more casual, feel free to choose one of these options:

• “Thank you, [Interviewer’s Name]!” 
• “Great meeting you [yesterday/today]!”
• “Thank you!”

And that’s it for the subject line! What’s next?

2. Start with a greeting

Once you’ve gotten your subject line down, it’s time to get into the actual content of the email. Wondering about the best way to do that? Start off with a personal greeting!

There are a few common ways of doing this, including “Hello [Interviewer Name]” or “Dear [Interviewer Name].” When greeting your interviewers, remember to address them with the name they provided to you, which is typically either their first name or title.

If you were interviewed by more than one person, it’s best to send thank-you notes to each of them (each with their own, unique personal greetings).

3. Show that you’re appreciative

After your greeting, it’s always best to start with an expression of gratitude. Thank your interviewer(s) for taking the time to meet with you, and for considering you for the position. Remember to be genuine and include the specific job title, as employers or hiring managers may be assessing applicants for multiple positions at once.

And, if you have anything else you want to thank your interviewer(s) for, you can do that here too.

4. Re-emphasize your interest in the position

While it’s important for your employer to know that you’re qualified and ready for the position, they also want candidates who are eager and enthusiastic about joining the company. So, when writing your thank-you email (or letter), be sure to re-emphasize your interest in the position.

Alternatively, if the interview helped you realize that you’re actually not as interested in the position as you thought you would be, make sure to state that in your email instead! This will help employers narrow down candidates, and your honesty will certainly be appreciated.

5. Mention something specific you discussed in the interview

Thank-you emails are written for many reasons. Most of all, though, they are written to stand out from other applicants. So, how can you make sure your email does just that?

Well, one way is by personalizing your thank-you email. This can, and ideally should, extend beyond the greeting. To make your email as individualized as possible, mention something specific that was discussed in the interview. This may be something that was particularly interesting to you about the position or the company itself, but be sure to explain why it stood out to you. If possible, elaborate on how your skills and experiences can help the employer reach company goals (especially if they’re relevant to what you just mentioned!).

6. Let them know that they can contact you for further information

Close off your thank-you letter by prompting your interviewer(s) to take the next step and let them know that they can contact you for further information (or a reference, another interview, etc.). Something along these lines will do the trick:

“Please feel free to contact me should you need any additional information that could assist with the decision-making process.”

7. Sign-off, professionally

Finish off your thank-you email by once again thanking your interviewers. Then, sign off with a “Sincerely,” (or “Best,” “Warmly,” “Thank you for your time,” etc.) followed by your full name. 

Be sure to list your basic contact details (i.e. email address and phone number) below your name, to make it easier for the hiring team to contact you if any further information is needed. 

And with that, you’re done! Let’s take a look at what such emails should look like when each step is completed.