How to Respond to Interview Request

Key takeaway

• Always start your email response with a thank you message showing your appreciation for this opportunity.
• Make sure to include any information your employers' ask for
• Respond to your interview request in a timely manner
• Carefully proofread and edit your email response
• Maintain professionalism in your writing, avoid using unnecessary items such as emojis in your response

As technology advance and everything is moving online, the hiring/recruiting process going virtual as well. It is common to get invited to interview through email, so being a job-hunting candidate you should always keep an eye on your inbox.

Now you are being invited to an interview, congratulations, you have made significant progress to getting your dream job. But what do you do when you get an email asking you to schedule an interview? Or asking your availability for an interview? It may seem daunting trying to figure out how to respond to such a message as you not only want to leave a good impression for your employers but also using the proper tone, only including necessary information and following appropriate etiquette are all extremely important to demonstrates your professionalism in the workplace.

Therefore, the WriteoWriting team put together a complete guide to show you how to respond to interview requests with writing tips and a sample template that help you stand out among a vast amount of job applicants. Before getting into how to respond to job interview invitations, the WriteoWriting team wants to first highlight what the job interview invitation email is asking as having a general understanding of what employers are asking is essential to crafting an appropriate response.

Interview Invitation by Email

A top concern among job applicants is what does it mean to receive an interview invitation from your potential employers, we asked our WriteoWriting human resource specialist this very same question and he responded that usually, an interview invitation means that a particular candidate is being selected into a talent pool since you have already passed the initial resume review and you have already met the qualification for that particular job and it is time to impress your potential employer during the interview in order to get that dream offer.

It is rare that hiring managers will contact you by phone to invite you for an interview, therefore most job candidates will be invited to interview by email. Interview Invitation email can come in a variety of formats and is often informal as it is direct contact from the hiring manager to potential job candidates. In an interview invitation email, it may ask you to:

How to Respond to Employer's Interview Request

After you've received potential employers' interview requests, before drafting your response make sure you carefully read and understand what's expected of you, what they are asking of you and what information they wish you to provide.

Our WriteoWriting team conclude a complete guide and a general format to respond to interview request. While drafting your response, remember the two most important things.

Follow these steps below:

1. Start your email by thanking the hiring manager for their consideration to show them you are grateful for this opportunity.
2. If you’re interested in the position, provide your interview availability along with your phone number. and answer any question about your experience and skills.
3. If you are not interested, respond politely with a short explanatory message.
4. Keep your tone professional and upbeat.
5. Keep your email short.
6. Avoid emojis, emoticons and slang.
7. Proofread your messages for typos before you hit send.

Mistakes to look out for

Respond to your interview request in a timely manner: It is always a good idea to show your interest by responding quickly to interview requests. You don’t want to keep a company waiting for your response, so just reply as soon as you see their email.

Add your contact details: Although you may have already provided your contact details during the initial job application process and on your resume, it is necessary to provide your phone number and email again in your response email as this will make it easier for your hiring manager to initiate further communication with you. For example, add this sentence near the end of your email response:

• Please let me know if I can provide any further information to assist with the decision-making process at xxx-xxx-xxx or [email protected].

Proofread and edit: Before hitting send, take a moment to re-read your email. Check to make sure you gave the recruiter everything they asked for, you have the right interview time, and you didn’t make any spelling or grammar mistakes. You can also use proofreading software like Grammarly to make sure that your response does not have any grammatical error as it will hurt your chance of finding a job.

Maintain professionalism:Though these emails are short and friendly, you should still take them seriously. Don’t use any texting lingo or emojis so you can keep your response professional.

Respond to email invitation example #1 -Reply to proposed date

Dear Hiring Manager: (Preferably address by name if possible)

Thank you for your consideration and invitation to interview for the administrative assistant position at WriteoWriitng. I would love to participate in the interview as this position perfectly aligns with my past experience and career aspiration. I am available this Thursday at 2 pm, and I look forward to discussing this position in more detail.

Please let me know if you need any additional information from me at xxx-xxx-xxx or [email protected]. Thank you again for the opportunity to interview, and I look forward to speaking with the team.

Sincerely,

Jane Doe.

Respond to email invitation example #2-Reply to availability time

Dear Hiring Manager: (preferably address by name if possible)

Thank you for reaching out and I deeply appreciate this opportunity to interview. I'd love to participate in the zoom interview with the hiring team. From your available schedule, I’m free Wednesday from 1:30 pm to 4:45 pm, or Friday from 8:30 am to 12 pm. If those times don’t work, I’m free Tuesday and Thursday from 2:30 pm to 5 pm next week. Please let me know when is your most desired time.

Thank you again for this interview opportunity, and feel free to contact me at xxx-xxx-xxx or [email protected].

Looking forward to speaking with you!

Best Regards,

Jane Doe.

Respond to email invitation example #3-Reply when your schedule isn't flexible

Dear Hiring Manager: (preferably address by name if possible)

Thank you for reaching out with the opportunity to interview. I’m more than happy to participate in the zoom interview with you this Friday at 9 am. Unfortunately, the time you listed doesn’t work for me as I am currently doing a part-time job. Do you have any availability on Thursday afternoon or next Monday morning?

As you requested, I’ve attached my portfolio to this email for you to review. Please let me know if I can provide you with anything else ahead of our meeting at xxx-xxx-xxx or [email protected].

I look forward to meeting you and learning more about the position.

Best Regards,

Jane Doe.