Job interviews can be harrowing experiences.

There are thousands of articles out there about how you can ace a job interview, and we’re not going to venture down that route for now.

Let me just add one tip – when the people interviewing you ask whether or not you have any questions about the company you want to work for, and you have nothing to ask, it makes it seem like you haven’t done your homework.

Asking questions is good – do it.

Once you walk out the door, though, the hard work is not done. Enter the follow-up email, which is becoming increasingly important.

How important? This comes via Business Insider:

Some hiring managers, like Insider Inc. managing editor Jess Liebman,will not even consider candidates who haven’t taken the extra effort to thank them for their time.

Ideally, the follow-up email should be sent within 24 hours and during business hours, and requires more than simple platitudes:

Your follow-up thank-you email (hand-written notes are almost never a better option than email) needs to stand out from the crowd. It should highlight the best parts of the conversation you had with the interviewer, and a final reminder as to why you’d be perfect for the job.

If you’re looking for a template to follow, Dr. Deborah Good, a professor at the University of Pittsburgh Katz School of Business, says this a good place to start:

OK, let me add more piece of advice.

Check that you’re spelling the person that you’re emailing’s name correctly. Then go back and check again. If you want a red flag about people who fail to pay attention to detail, spelling your name incorrectly is right up there with using emojis.

Also, a reminder that is one of the few times we will advocate for further email usage, which is generally out of control.

Good luck landing your next gig.

[source:businsider]