Your qualifications and skills are not the only things which ensure you get hired by an employer. Job recruiters and hiring managers also form an opinion about you by the way you interact with them during the interview and before the interview. When applying for a job, most people think their qualifications and the way they interact in the interview are the only aspects the employer observes. How you communicate (both verbal and written) forms an integral part of the selection process. So, following proper communication etiquettes from the early stages of applying for the job is one of the important Interview Preparation tips.
The prospective employer starts to form an opinion about the potential candidate from the moment the job application is received. A good first impression is useful in the entire selection process. Therefore, it’s essential to be professional and considerate in all your communication when applying for a job, especially in response to a job interview request.
Here's what this article will cover:
- How to respond to an interview request
- Additional interview invite tips
How to respond to an interview request
How you respond to a job interview request is paramount as it’s your chance to demonstrate your prospective employer your professionalism and communication skills. It improves your chances of getting hired by creating a positive impression. Read the below few tips on how to respond to a job interview invitation for an impactful response.
- Respond promptly- After you receive the interview request, ensure you promptly respond to it. Your response ideally should be on the same day or the next business day. To adhere to this rule, check your mail regularly or set up your mail push notifications on, so you receive the notification of the interview mail. Sometimes important emails end up in spam folder, so do remember to check your spam folder regularly, to avoid delay in response or missing the interview invitation mail. A swift response shows the employer your genuine interest in the job and your etiquettes.
- Structure well your interview response email- Your interview response email should be formally structured to give a professional impression. A few thumb rules to remember when responding to a job interview are:
- Always use formal greetings and salutations like Dear Mr./ Ms./Dr. XXXX(Surname/last name). Avoid using the first name of the hiring manager unless you share an informal or close relationship with them.
- Start your response by first thanking the recruiting or hiring manager for considering you for the interview. Be polite in accepting the interview invitation formally and express your enthusiasm for the prospective job opportunity.
- In case for some reason you are unable to accept the job interview, politely decline the invitation. Do remember to provide a short explanation for your declination.
- The interview invitation mail specifies the date, time, location and sometimes the interviewer details. In your response mail, confirm the scheduling details again by mentioning them briefly. This will tell the hiring manager that you have read the scheduling details properly and also if they made any mistake in writing any of the details, they will rectify it.
- At times the interview time or date might conflict with an already confirmed engagement of yours. In such a scenario, politely request for a reschedule of the interview at an alternate time or date. You can offer several options for date and time and ask the hiring manager if any of them suits them or they can mention their own convenient rescheduling details.
- In the scenario where you have requested for rescheduling of the interview, request the hiring manager to reply with alternate interview scheduling details. You can also request a reply to confirm the interviewing scheduling details, even when you agreed to the mentioned date and time for the interview.
- Close your response mail to the interview invitation with formal salutations such as sincerely, regards, yours, etc. Ending your reply without salutations is not professional.
- After the salutations, write your full name with your contact details including your phone number. You can add an alternate number and/or your email.
- Throughout the response, your tone should be positive and professional. No excess or unasked details should be there, neither the mail should be extremely brief with you just accepting the interview invitation.
- Make sure to avoid the usage of emojis, slang, text / chat abbreviations and emoticons.
- Proofread your response thoroughly, before sending the mail. Your mail should not have any spelling or grammar errors.
Few email examples for how to respond when an employer requests an interview
Most of the interview invitation emails are standard, which ask you to confirm your availability for the interview. However, sometimes the employer may ask for additional details or some other things. For such emails, your response will vary accordingly. Few email examples of how to respond to a job interview invitation for reference according to different scenarios.
How to respond to an interview invitation mail in which the employer has asked you to call to schedule the interview- At times the employer doesn’t mention the interview schedule date and time and request the candidate to call them/ their office to schedule the interview. In such a scenario, although the employer has asked you to call them/ their office to schedule the interview you should not forget to send a confirmation mail. This will make the employer know that you have read their mail and understood the process. Your mail should be brief, polite and professional. An example mail is :
Dear Mr./ Ms. xxxxx (Surname/Last name),
Thank you for the invitation to the interview of the role of Relationship Manager at XYZ (name of the company) company. As per your request, I will call you tomorrow morning between 10 and 11 am to schedule the interview.
I am looking forward to speaking with you. In case you require any additional information, do let me know.
Sincerely,
Jxxxx Yxxxx (Your full name)
Phone- (91)123 456 789
How to respond to an interview invitation mail in which the employer has asked you follow-up questions- Sometimes the employer in their interview invitation email asks some follow-up questions before they schedule the interview. You should read the email thoroughly, respond to the email in the same format and answer all questions. Don’t skip any question or give vague answers. This email is like a preliminary interview, so your professional and accurate response is a must. An example mail is :
Dear Mr./ Ms. xxxxx (Surname/Last name),
Thank you for considering me for the role of Relationship Manager at XYZ (name of the company) company. My answers to your follow-up questions are below:
(Question asked by the employer)- (Your response)
I appreciate the opportunity you provided me by asking follow-up questions. I am looking forward to speaking with you soon. In case you require any other additional information, do let me know.
Sincerely,
Jxxxx Yxxxx (Your full name)
Phone- (91)123 456 789
How to respond to an interview invitation mail in which the employer has asked you company-related questions- Sometimes the employer in their interview invitation email asks a few company-related questions before they schedule the interview. You should read the employer’s mail thoroughly, respond to the email in polite language and answer all their questions with specific answers. Research the company through news articles, social media and corporate blogs. Answer the company related questions with similar language as the corporate blog and official website but in your own words. Don’t copy and paste the answers. An example mail is :
Dear Mr./ Ms. xxxxx (Surname/Last name),
Thank you for considering me for the role of Relationship Manager at XYZ (name of the company) company. My answers to your questions are below:
(Question asked by the employer)- (Your response)
I appreciate the opportunity you provided me by asking these questions. I am looking forward to speaking with you soon. In case you require any other additional information, do let me know.
Sincerely,
Jxxxx Yxxxx (Your full name)
Phone- (91)123 456 789
When the employer asks you about your pay or salary expectations- Employers mostly ask this question in interview invitation mail to know beforehand the expected salary and to align your expectation with what they will offer. You can answer this question in a few manners such as either you can directly inform them about your salary expectations or delay the salary talk until you know more about the nature of the job. Another option is to mention a range instead of a specific number. An example mail is :
Dear Mr./ Ms. xxxxx (Surname/Last name),
Thank you for considering me for the role of Relationship Manager at XYZ (name of the company) company. My salary expectation is as per the industry standards. I am looking for a competitive pay offer including benefits and other compensations. I would like to know in detail about the job first.
I am looking forward to speaking with you soon. In case you require any additional information, do let me know.
Sincerely,
Jxxxx Yxxxx (Your full name)
Phone- (91)123 456 789
When the employer asks about your career path- When the prospective employer asks about your career path, then align your career path as per your resume with the job description to make an organic connection. Don’t force a connection. Respond with enthusiasm for the job. An example mail is :
Dear Mr./ Ms. xxxxx (Surname/Last name),
Thank you for considering me for the role of Relationship Manager at XYZ (name of the company) company. My career path is (your specific answer).
I can assure you that my skill-set and job background will be an asset for your company. In case you require any additional information, do let me know.
Sincerely,
Jxxxx Yxxxx (Your full name)
Phone- (91)123 456 789
When the employer asks about some skills you don’t have- When the prospective employer asks about certain skills and you don’t have them, then don’t lie about them and show a willingness to learn them. Show your enthusiasm to learn and grow in the organisation. An example mail is :
Dear Mr./ Ms. xxxxx (Surname/Last name),
Thank you for considering me for the role of Relationship Manager at XYZ (name of the company) company. My answer to your questions is below:
(Question asked by the employer)- (Your response)
I can assure you that my skill-set and job background will be an asset for your company and I am looking forward to speaking to you soon.
Sincerely,
Jxxxx Yxxxx (Your full name)
Phone- (91)123 456 789
How to respond to an interview invitation mail if the employer has asked you to email him/her for scheduling the interview- Sometimes the employer asks you to email some other person to schedule the interview. In this scenario in addition to emailing the other person to schedule the interview, it is necessary to mail the employer too. The mail to the employer would be brief and the second mail would be in detail with the context of your writing to the person. The samples emails in both scenarios are:
Dear Mr./ Ms. xxxxx (Surname),
Thank you for considering me for the role of Relationship Manager at XYZ (name of the company) company. As per your instruction, I will email Mr./Ms. xxx (name of the other person) to schedule an interview.
I am looking forward to speaking with you soon. Please let me know in case you require any additional information.
Sincerely,
Jxxxx Yxxxx (Your full name)
Phone- (91)123 456 789
- To the other person scheduling the interview-
Dear Mr./ Ms. xxxxx (Surname),
I received an email from Mr./Ms. xxx (name of the employer) requesting me to schedule an interview with you for the position of Relationship Manager at XYZ (name of the company) company. At your convenience, please inform me about the interview schedule.
I am looking forward to speaking with you soon. Please let me know in case you require any additional information.
Sincerely,
Jxxxx Yxxxx (Your full name)
Phone- (91)123 456 789
Additional interview invite tips
Few additional tips for responding to interview invite are:
- Try to respond in the same format as the interview invite mail.
- Reply to all the people in the mail. Don’t exclude anyone.
- Don’t mention your qualifications again unless asked.
Responding to an employer’s interview request is the beginning of your communication with the employer. Your interview Preparation Guide should include how to respond well to an interview invite to create a professional impression. First impressions always help in setting a positive tone for the interview and improving your chances in getting the job.
