Jim was dissatisfied with his work. His job as a sales professional brought him little joy and didn’t fit his God-given design. Jim decided to complete career testing and career counseling to help him determine the work he should pursue. His greatest desire is to serve God in his work. Jim prayed, read God’s word, and paid attention to the Holy Spirit guiding him. He also used career testing results to explore ministry jobs.
As he took these action steps he felt that God was calling him towards being a pastor. To further reality test this area of work Jim even conducted an informational interview with a pastor where he is a church member. After much thought, research, and prayer, Jim decided to complete an MDiv to become a pastor. He also was excited to be invited by the pastor to be a church leader alongside other volunteers at his church. This provided Jim with a great experience while completing his Master’s in Divinity Degree.
While getting near to end of his MDiv program, Jim requested job search help from his career counselor to write a resume, cover letter, LinkedIn profile, and other marketing materials to target associate pastor openings. His career counselor also helped him to prepare for the interview questions that are frequently asked of pastor applicants. This in addition to some other interview tips helped Jim to ace the interview. He then got busy and neglected to send thank you letters to the three people who interviewed him. Jim wondered if not having sent thank you letters may have cost him the job.
Reasons to Write a Thank You Letter After a Job Interview For a Pastor Job
Do you remember giving a gift and not getting a thank you from the receiver? It’s certainly not a good feeling to wonder whether the gift receiver appreciated your thoughtfulness. When it comes to saying thank you, it’s always best to err on the side of being thankful rather than remaining silent. Showing gratitude lets others know that you sincerely care about them!
Besides showing good manners and thoughtfulness, a recent CareerBuilder survey showed that 22% of employers are less likely to hire a candidate who does not send a thank you, while 91% like being thanked, according to an Accountemps survey. Who doesn’t like being thanked for their time?
Did you know that eighty-six percent of employers view candidates who do not send thank you notes as clearly not being good at “follow-through” — which is a big negative. Unfortunately, fewer than 25% of job interviewees send a thank you after their job interview, according to a Careerbuilder study. Don’t be one of them!
Below, we will share with you our top career tips for crafting a thank you letter after a job interview. These tips can be used for pastor jobs, church jobs, or other ministry jobs. Following these tips and using the thank you letter templates below, you will be ready to thank your interviewer after your next church job interview. For something that takes a little effort and a small amount of time, the payoff of landing your dream job is worth it.
Tips for Writing an Effective Thank You Letter
Step 1: Craft a Clear Subject Line
Simple and succinct is best when writing a subject line for your interview thank you letter. Creating a simple and personal subject line is the only way to make sure your thank you email doesn’t get lost!
Here are some sample subject lines for a thank you email:
• Thank you!
• Thank you, [Interviewer’s Name]!
• Thank you for your time, [Interviewer’s Name]
• Thanks for the interview today
• I enjoyed learning more about [Church Name]
It really is as simple as a “thank you” that will get your email noticed and opened!
Step 2: Start with a Personalized Greeting
• Make sure to address the interviewer directly by name.
• If you interviewed with more than one person, sending a personalized thank you note to each of them is warranted.
Step 3: Express Your Sincere Appreciation
• Since it’s a “thank you email,” it never hurts to begin with a “thank you!”
• It is important to be authentic when expressing your appreciation in your personalized thank you email.
• The goal is to illustrate you care about the time the hiring manager spent with you, and the time spent describing your potential future position.
Step 4: Emphasize That You’re Interested in the Job or Your Reason for Declining the Job
As much as your potential employer wants to make sure you’re the right fit for their church, it’s important for you to display your eagerness for the position. A few tips:
• It’s a good idea to mention that you are excited to join their church in your thank you email.
• Perhaps on the other hand the interview made you realize the pastor or church job is not suitable for you; if that is the case clearly state that in your thank you email. The hiring manager will appreciate your honesty, plus you will be saving them time in their search.
Step 5: Emphasize Specific Parts of The Job That You Would Enjoy
• In your thank you email, identify what specifically is interesting to you about the church or pastor position, and explain why. This personalizes your email ever further and shows your attention to detail.
• Refer to your specific skills or experience which will help your potential future employer get the results needed in the job.
Step 6: How to Close the Interview Thank You Letter
• Mention that you can provide additional information. This is also the time to remind them about any established response deadline.
• The golden rule is, be polite and brief.
• A succinct paragraph such as this will do:
“Should you need any additional information please feel free to contact me. I look forward to hearing from you.”
• Thank your interviewer again before closing with a professional sign-off.
• Close your letter or email with a “Sincerely,” followed by your full name.
• Below your signature, put your basic contact information such as your telephone number and email address.
• Add any optional, extra links below your full name (e.g., your LinkedIn, Twitter, or a personal website).
Sample Thank You Letter After Interview
According to another recent study, 1 in 5 recruiters and Hiring Managers will automatically dismiss candidates if they haven’t sent a thank you email after the interview. What’s more, this survey revealed 80% of Hiring Managers consider thank you emails helpful for reaching the final hiring decision.
As the tips above describe, short and straightforward is what it takes to thank the recruiter, search committee member, or hiring pastor quickly and professionally. The sample thank you email template below is perfect for a quick follow-up after your pastor job or church job interview.
Short Sample Letter Example Template #1
Hi Frank,
Thank you so much for chatting with me today. It was a pleasure to meet you and learn more about the pastor job available. I am very excited about the opportunity to join Harvest Church and help your church staff bring new life to your church congregation.
I look forward to hearing from you about the next step in your hiring process. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if I can provide any additional information.
Sincerely,
Tom Smith
Here is another thank you letter template to send after your pastor job interviews that includes more specific information, including adding a personal touch.
Sample Thank You Letter Email Template #2
Hi Ms. Jones,
Thank you for inviting me to your church today. It was great to hear about First Christian Church’s philanthropy and outreach programs for the homeless. I was encouraged to hear about the wonderful community within your congregation. First Christian Church seems like a wonderful place to work. I am excited about the summer events that you described. I really admire the mission that drives your church and I look forward to the opportunity of working with your team in developing dynamic youth outreach programs.
Please let me know if there’s anything else you need from me to move the process forward.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Noah Platt
Now that you have all the tools to write a great thank you letter after your job interview, don’t forget to collect a few pieces of information at your interview. Before you leave the interview, collect names and addresses. You need the correct spelling of each interviewer’s name as well as their email and postal addresses.
When possible, exchange business cards with each person who interviews you. If you can’t collect the business cards in person, confirm names (with the correct spelling) and contact information with the recruiter or search committee or someone else on the staff. It is always a good practice to obtain this information before the interview. You can use Google, LinkedIn, and the church website to find contact information and to gain more information about the interviewer and church.
Send Thank You Letters Right After Interviews
Wondering how long to wait or when to send a thank you letter after a church interview? Regardless of how the interview happened- in person, over the telephone, at lunch, or via an online video – a quick thank-you letter, to each participant is appropriate for all church jobs, ministry jobs, and pastor jobs. And since a prompt response is needed, you can email your thank you letter as soon as possible after the interview. In addition to an email thank you letter, you can also send a handwritten letter, a “snail mail” thank you letter, if it appears the church will not be making a decision within a week. Employers and recruiters love to receive written thank you letters. You can stand out by sending these two types of thank you letters.
Don’t consider the interview process as being completed until after you have sent your thank you letter(s). When you arrive at home make it a habit of writing and sending your thank you letter immediately!
After outlining the numerous benefits of writing a thank you letter after your job interview, we hope you are inspired to write a great thank you letter for pastor jobs, ministry jobs, or church jobs. Use the templates above as a starting point to personalize your own thank you emails and written thank you notes after interviews.
Should You Write a Thank You Letter After a Second Interview
The hiring process for a pastor typically will involve a second interview and maybe a third and fourth interview. Although you have already written a thank you letter after the first interview, it is important to send an email thank-you note to anyone who was a part of additional interviews even if you already thanked them for the first interview.
The Most Important Tip – Pray for Guidance
Church jobs, ministry jobs, and pastor jobs all necessitate a quick and professional thank-you email and note to secure the career of your dreams. Make sure to use this last tip for boosting your chances of getting hired for ministry jobs: Pray for those interviewing you and ask God to guide them in their decision-making. Ask God to guide you in accepting the right pastor job or church job that fits your God-given design – a job that allows you to live your calling.
Summary
Jim learned from his mistake of not sending a thank you letter after his first interview for a pastor position. After applying for a few other associate pastor jobs, Jim received an interview request. He researched the church, carefully studied the job description, practiced answering frequently asked questions for pastors, and when home he wrote and sent thank you email letters to the three church leaders who had interviewed him. He did this again after a second interview and a few days later received a job offer!
Throughout the hiring process, Jim saw God at work even in his job search mistakes. His favorite Bible verse during his job search was Romans 8:28 which says “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who and have been called according to his purpose.”
More Job Search Help
ChristianCareerCenter.com, ChurchJobsOnline.com, and PastorJobs.Net can help you in your search for the right pastor job or church opening. No matter what your question is our services can help you to target the right job, write a compelling resume, interview to showcase your strengths, and of course write an effective thank you letter.
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