How to Reply to An Invitation to A Second or Third Interview

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By the time you reach the second or third interview for a position, it is already clear to your interviewer that you understand the industry you’ve applied for and that you have the experience you need to do the job properly. At this stage, the aim is to discover if this position is a good fit for you in terms of work culture.

To reply to an invitation to attend a second or third interview, be polite and focus on the details. Confirm when and where the interview will be, as well as who you will be interviewing with. It may also be a good idea to acknowledge your thoughts on the process so far.

Here’s how to respond to a second or third interview invitation.

How to Reply to An Invitation to A Second or Third Interview

As mentioned, by this point in the process, the interviews you attend are no longer about assessing basic competence or advertising your skillset; your interviewers already know that you are qualified. Now, you have the opportunity to assess the company in return.  Subsequent interviews are a tool for determining fit, both on your end and theirs.

You should already have some rapport going with the interview team, so continue to use the same level of formality that you’ve been using up to this point. At the beginning of your response, thank them for the opportunity to continue the process.

After this thanks, you’ll want to confirm the details of the interview, as you probably did with previous interviews. At this stage, though, it’s important to confirm or ask who you will be meeting with, as second and third interviews are usually conducted by senior staff members under whom you would be working should you get the job.

Finally, you may choose to share your thoughts on the interview process thus far. Only do so if they are positive, however; critique may not sit well with the interviewing team if the process is not yet complete. Additionally, you should only offer your thoughts if you have a genuinely positive thing to reflect on; vapid compliments are unnecessary and may hurt your chances.

You can sign off in your usual manner. There’s no real need to include contact information unless you haven’t done so yet in the process.

Response Email Templates

You may choose to use this outline for your email response, customized to match your situation.

SUBJECT: Re: Next Steps in the Interview Process

Hello [Name],

Thank you very much for the invitation to attend a second/third interview! I appreciate the opportunity to continue in this process and am excited to move forward.

To confirm, my next interview is set for [Date] at [Time] at [Location], and I will be meeting with [Name], correct? Is there anything else I should know?

As a note, I have enjoyed [Detail] during the interviewing process. [Reason].

Thank you again. I look forward to our meeting.

Regards,

[Name]

 

Conor
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