Looking for an impressive response to the Interview Request. Well, you are in the right place. Here, let’s know How to Respond to an Interview Request?
Getting a job can be tedious, but what seems more nerve-wracking is to set the correct impression – impression matters. From the very start, any candidate works actively impressing the hiring managers. Be it polishing resumes, dressing well, having a perfect cover letter, and so much more.
But what about responding to an Interview Request. Many candidates get overwhelmed with the interview response and they often tend to ignore some basic things that need to be involved in the email. The mistakes are very minute and this can often lead to a negative impression. Any candidate needs to keep in mind that they must involve proper grammar, salutation, professional tone, and proper formatting in the email.
But this isn’t it. You would also be required to follow certain guidelines and effectively draft your email to respond including your questions and answer to the query. Each section matters in the email response and we are here to help you draft your response in such a manner that it reflects a positive impression on the hiring manager.
Draft your response along with us. We also have presented sample responses for easy reference.
Sample Emails:
Let us dive into more concrete examples and look at how you could answer emails.
For acceptance at the given time [200]
This email can be referred to when candidates want to immediately accept the offer of their company and do not want to change the details of the interview. This includes keeping the date, time, venue, and other things necessary as a constant.
Subject: [ position you applied for] [Your Name]
Dear [ receivers name/ designation]
Yes, I want to confirm that I will be available on Monday, September 27 at 10:00 am.
I am very happy that company provided me with an opportunity to talk to you. Looking forward to the interview process and learning about the position more.
Yours sincerely,
[ Your name]
[Email signature]
The same format can be followed for any designation that you would like to apply for. Look at how the format is short, simple, and nearly confirms all the details of the interview. It also ends with a thank you note that adds to the professionalism of the email.
This can be an ideal reply for hiring managers. Hiring managers go through thousands of emails in a day, and a short email with necessary details is the best way to bring forward a good impression of the candidate with ease of review.
To alter the details of the interview[200]
This email format can be used in times of conflict with the interview details. This can include changes in time and date. Make sure to have a valid reason to reschedule an interview and make sure to provide them with necessary solutions or availability details at the same time.
Subject: [ position you applied for] [Your Name]
Dear [ receivers name/ designation]
Thank you for the interview request from the company.
I am very sorry for the inconvenience, but I will not be able to attend the interview on Monday, September 27 at 10:00 am, due to a scheduling conflict. Please, take into consideration the following dates for rescheduling the interview and whether any date works for you. I will try my best to accommodate the new details.
I am looking forward to having a conversation with you. I apologize for the inconvenience.
Yours sincerely,
[ Your name]
[Email signature]
Whenever replying to an email that has a scheduling conflict inform the person about the dates you would be available for. Be precise and to the point and do not try to explain every situation in depth. Ensure that you include the solution to any other problem that exists.
Another point to understand here is, it is ok to reschedule an interview. Just be precise, and make a timely response that informs them of your unavailability.
For rejection of request [200]
Often it might happen that you do not find the role suitable. This can mean you will reject the offer. If you are not interested in the position, respectfully decline the offer rather than ghosting the employer with no messages.
Subject: [ position you applied for] [Your Name]
Dear [ receivers name/ designation]
Thank you for the interview request from the company.
I appreciate that I was selected to be a part of the esteemed company, but I would like to reject the current interview as I am not open to working for [ position]. I would like to retain my position in my existing company.
However, I would love to work for you for [ position] and contribute to the company’s success.
Yours sincerely,
[ Your name]
[Email signature]
Rejection of the interview can take place due to multiple reasons. This may include salary issues, position conflict, and many other problems. Make sure to list the issues and add any details like, when you would like to work, or at what salary you would be considering the job and other details.
Email to schedule a phone interview
This email is usually written to schedule an interview over the phone. The company often sends this email to confirm the contact information of the candidate. So make sure to add the information correctly.
Subject: [ position you applied for] [Your Name]
Dear [ receivers name/ designation]
Thank you for the interview request from the company.
I would love to go forward with the phone interview, this is my phone number [ phone number] that could be used for the interview. If any inconvenience occurs for the above number my alternate number [ Alternate Number] can be used for the interview.
Please let me know if you would require any additional information.
Yours sincerely,
[ Your name]
[Email signature]
As you see in the above response ensure that you add an alternate number that can help them to reach you. This can save a lot of effort if any discrepancies occur during the call.
Emails to answer or ask for follow up questions
Often you would be stuck in a dilemma of whether you are required to reach a particular venue, the technology used for the interview, salary negotiations, and other details. To help you find answers, draft a message as given below.
- To ask question
Subject: [ position you applied for] [Your Name]
Dear [ receivers name/ designation]
Thank you for the interview request from the company.
I am aware of the availability of your offices across the town. I would be glad to know which office I am supposed to appear for the interview.
Yours sincerely,
[ Your name]
[Email signature]
- To reply to a question
Subject: [ position you applied for] [Your Name]
Dear [ receivers name/ designation]
Thank you for the interview request from the company. The answers to the previous emails aforementioned below.
[ Include the answers here]
Please let me know if you would require any additional information. I would be glad to talk to you again. Looking forward to hearing from you.
Yours sincerely,
[ Your name]
[Email signature]
- Phone interview
If the company wants to confirm the interview through a phone interview ensure that you immediately reply to them via a call. Mind your time when talking to the hiring manager and also ensure to cordially thank them before you start with any response.
When you make a call, start with a thank you, add your name and the date and time that you will be available for the I interview.
” Hii, This is [ your name ]. Thank you so much for the interview call, I am calling back to inform you, I am available on Monday, September 27 for the interview. I look forward to talking to you.”
Keep the call short and to the point, add additional questions for any queries. Ensure that you use your hiring manager, the name of the previous callee. Pick a time to call where you are undisturbed and do not have any background noises.
Things to include in the email
Contact Information
Contact information can be very useful for scheduling phone interviews. The details can help the hiring managers to perform a quick review of the information provided thus making their work at ease. Also, ensure to add an alternative number or Skype account to avoid any discrepancies on the day of the interview.
Clear answer in first-line
Make sure to have a clear answer in the second paragraph of the email or the second sentence in the phone call. This helps the hiring manager to quickly review the message and not waste unnecessary time looking for the answers.
Subject Line
Include a subject line that informs the hiring manager that you are confirming the interview and look forward to having a conversation. The line can give a quick glimpse of the content included in the emails so that the hiring managers do not have to go through the entire text.
Message line
Add a message line wherein you confirm the date, time, and venue of the interview. This helps in checking the details of the interview and also ensures that you have the correct information. In case of rejection or rescheduling, this can include the reason for a rejection or a new time for rescheduling.
Additional questions
Ask for the information of documents you would be required to bring for the interview. In the case of virtual interviews for technological details and or the platform that will be used for the interview if not mentioned in the original email.
Guidelines
Follow the guidelines to draft your email, the following points need to be kept in mind to ensure the responding email meets the basic criteria for setting a good impression around a professional structure. The guidelines to follow include:
- Using professional language and avoiding slang words that exhibit unprofessional behavior. Avoid using emojis, exclamations, capitalization, or funky fonts for the reply. A standard Times New Roman or Calibri can do the work right.
- Be polite, thank the receiver of the email, and demonstrate how important the position is for you. Express your happiness in the text.
- Be precise and to the point. Add your reply in the initial sentence of the email rather than stalling the man content at the end. Avoid using more than two paragraphs to respond to the interview request. Use the third paragraph in case you have additional queries.
- Use proper delegation to address the receiver of the email. Use Mr., Mrs, Ms., Dr, etc. If you do not know who you are addressing, it is recommended to start with ” Respected, or Dear”.
- Draft your response separately before hitting the send button. There are high chances that the first draft of the response can contain grammatical, spelling, and other similar errors. So ensure you go through the required tools to improve your writing.
- When you send the reply ensure that you use ” Reply All”. This helps in ensuring that every person who is involved in the thread receives the email.
Tips on replying
Give a to the point and use professional language
Enough emphasis can be placed on the point of giving a to-the-point response with professional language. You do not need to have the extravagant vocabulary to answer an email, just make sure to have a response ready and add the response in the first few lines of the email. This helps the hiring manager in curing short the chase and finding the answers that they are looking for.
Additionally, professional language helps you to maintain an impression in the interview. Get help from different grammatical tools to avoid any unnecessary fumble on the emails. This can be a very common mistake and easily rob you of opportunities. Review your email before sending them.
Follow a proper format
All interview responses need to follow oper formatting. A proper format helps the hiring manager to quickly skim through your response and get the necessary answers. A proper format of the interview needs to involve,
- Subject
- Salutation
- Body
- Email signature or contact information.
Add a subject without fail to the email. This step is quite easy to overlook and often creates mishaps at the end moment. To add a subject line that addresses the purpose of the email concisely. Add necessary positions and words like “confirmation email” to the subject for quick access to the email.
Salutation can start with the standard ” Dear”, “Respected”, and any other words of preference. Make sure to research the name of the manager that you would be contacting or some other person that you would be talking to in the process of the interview.
Body, keep it brief and to the point. The body contains the entire message you want to pass to the hiring managers. Add a thank you note in the first line and continue with the confirmation or rejection of the email according to your decision. In case of rescheduling mention new times or other necessary details. For any additional information or queries, draft the third paragraph and add your questions.
Endnote, add an email signature, contact information, name, etc at the end of the email. Thu helps the hiring manager to have quick access to your details and makes the work painless.
Be prompt with your response
Be quick when you reply or plan a reply to the interview. The entire span of the interview does not last more than 23 days, ensure that you reply to the interview request within hours or a maximum of one day. Companies give priority to time management, and time is money for a lot of them. Ensure that you are quick with your replies.
Check your schedule before replying to the email and go through all your prior commitments. If you do not have commitments for the day you select or forward, ensure that you do not take up any tasks during the time of the interview. Catch errors in your email before sending it. It is very common to find simple errors in emails when drafting the response for the first time, use appropriate tools and detectors to catch any errors or suggest templates.
A quick response helps the hiring manager understand how serious you are about the position. So make their work easier by replying quickly and precisely.
Things to do before a Job interview
Now that you have drafted a great email, you would be required to prepare for the interview. The task immediately follows your response. We are here to help you with the information of what you should prepare before your big day.
Research about the interview
Research about the position you are going to interview for and also look at the basic information of the company. This can be a very important point when appearing for an interview. Doing the basic research can help you understand the basic requirements of the position and you can prepare accordingly.
Researching about company values, goals, management, departments, products, can also help you in understanding the work culture of the company. This could prove useful for personality questions that are put forward during the interview. You can draft your responses in such a manner that they lie parallel to the company’s goals and vision.
Connect to people
Networking can also play an important role in landing a perfect job. Make sure to connect different people from the company on networking platforms, get close to the managers, and leave subtle hints about your skills. This helps in building a positive impression and talks about how you are sociable and can handle the company’s conversation model efficiently.
Keep in mind that, while connecting to people, send them a proper message on networking platforms. Do not ghost them or stock them, this can leave a bad impression and can rob you of millions of opportunities in the industry.
Practice interview questions
Get your concepts right. Interviews are often curated in such a manner that they check the overall capabilities of the candidate. Be it technical or behavioral interviews, each question matters and each answer decides the worth of the candidate.
Make sure to practice interview questions thoroughly. Try answering the questions, a peak out loud to yourself in the mirror or with family and friends. This will help in boosting your confidence and giving you a heads-up of how things can go in the interview. Brush your concepts and ensure that you go through all kinds of questions.
Choose a good outfit
Apart from answering in the interview and person is going to take into consideration how the candidate presents. This adds to the look of the candidate and provides them with confidence that they can portray in the interview.
Make sure to choose an outfit that is formal and goes with the setup of the interview. Make sure the clothes are comfortable enough and you don’t feel irritated in any fabrics. Plan your outfit and get all your accessories ready a day before the interview. This will save your time on the day of the interview and help you with focusing on other things.
Plan your elevator pitch
Practice a good elevator pitch. An elevator pitch is often a few lines of introduction that helps the hiring manager to know about the candidates, their interest, their projects, work experience, and other necessary details. Make sure you draft an elevator pitch of at least 2 minutes to get started with the interview.
To draft a perfect elevator pitch follow different templates on the internet. You must include prior experience and talk about all the relatable projects and responsibilities you took in your previous positions.
Check your technology
Interviews may consist of several rounds, sometimes the initial rounds of the interview are held through a virtual platform. Make sure you know which platform you would be using for the interview and ensure that you know how the platform works.
For coding interviews companies often use virtual editors that lack syntax corrections. Make sure you understand the technology you would be using for the interview and plan your setup accordingly.
Conclusion
Drafting an impressive response is extremely important to set your impression right. Be it following grammar or looking for the right format, everything matters to get the right job opportunity. Email responses are highly recommended even after you have personally talked to your manager. This helps in confirming all the details of the interview and also to solve any discrepancies on the day of the interview.
Lastly, don’t overthink the process of responding. Think carefully, get your professionalism on, craft a draft, and follow the guidelines and tips presented above. You are surely going to ace your reply and create a great impression.
