Thank You Email After an Interview: Best Samples & Tips

If you’ve made it to the interview, you’re up against 4 or 5 other candidates. It’s safe to assume their qualifications are similar to yours. You’ll need extra gear to outperform them.

A well-written interview thank you email could be that very gear. Most candidates don’t send thank you emails after interviews. Or send out thank-you notes that just don’t cut it. Thanks to this guide, you’ll learn how to write the best thank you email after an interview and keep the conversation running.

In this article, you’ll find: 

• How to write a thank-you email after an interview to dazzle the interviewer.
• Sample post-interview thank-you emails you can copy, adjust, and use.
• Everything you need to know about the thank-you letter after an interview etiquette.

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Still waiting to hear back? See these guides:

• How to Follow Up on a Job Application (read this if you never heard back after sending your resume)
• How to Follow Up After an Interview (read this if you never heard back after an interview)
• How to Write a Letter of Appreciation (if you want to say thank you to a helpful recruiter or potential employer) 
• How to Write a Letter of Recommendation (read this if you want to recommend an employee)

Why Should You Send a Thank You Email After an Interview

Here's some data on how critical the post-interview thank-you email is to your job search:

• According to a study, 1 in 5 recruiters and hiring managers will automatically dismiss a candidate if they haven’t sent an interview thank you email.
• What’s more, this survey revealed that 80% of HR managers consider thank you emails helpful for reaching the final hiring decision. And yet—according to the same study, only 24% of candidates send them.

Sending any thank-you letter after a job interview puts you ahead of over half of the competition. A great, personalized interview thank you email? That’s what will make you the frontrunner.

Can You Say Thank You for the Interview by Email?

Is a thank-you email always okay, or do you need a handwritten note? Actually, an interview thank you email will be your safest choice.

Why? Because it’s quicker than a snail mail interview thank you letter. Plus, this study has shown that 94% of hiring managers find post-interview thank you emails appropriate.

The only exceptions where it’s a good idea to send your thank-you letter via snail mail are:

• Jobs in extremely traditional industries such as wedding planning or stiff, suit-and-tie law firms.
• C-level positions.

Curious about more HR statistics? Check out: HR Stats: Job Search, Hiring, Recruiting & Interviews

Sample Thank You Email After an Interview

Next, we’ll examine the process of writing the best thank you email after an interview, so you can create yours in no time!

A job interview is not only about answering questions—it’s also about asking the right ones. Be always prepared to impress the recruiter with your professionalism thanks to our guide: Best Questions to Ask During a Job Interview

How to Write a Thank You Email After an Interview

Remember: when writing a thank you for the interview email, always be genuine, thank them for the opportunity, reiterate your interest, and remember to refer to what you discussed during the interview itself.

Here’s how to write a perfect interview thank you email in 8 easy steps:

1. Create a Clear Subject Line

No puns, no jokes, go straight to the point. It’s the only way to make sure your thank-you email gets opened.

Sample subject lines for a thank-you email:

• Thank you, [Interviewer’s Name]!
• Thank you for your time and advice
• Thanks for the interview yesterday
• I enjoyed learning more about [Company Name]
• Thank you!

Simple as that! 

2. Open the Thank You Letter After an Interview With a Personal Greeting

• Address the hiring manager directly, by name.
• If you’ve interviewed with more than one person, send personalized thank-you notes to each. 

3. Express Appreciation in Your Thank You Email After an Interview

• Open with a “thank you!”.
• Be sincere and authentic when expressing gratitude or appreciation.
• Show that you care about the time the interviewers spent with you.

4. Restate That You’re Interested in the Job

• Mention that you're eager to join the company in the role you interviewed for.
• If the interview made you realize the job is not right for you, clearly state that in your thank-you email. The hiring manager will appreciate your honesty, plus you’ll help them save time. 

5. Refer to Something Specific You Discussed and Make an Offer

• Identify what’s particularly interesting to you about the position and explain why. This way, you’ll make your email after an interview feel personalized.
• Refer to your key skills and relevant experience and show how you will use them to help your future employer get what they want. 

6. Remind Them About the Established Response Deadline 

• Be brief and polite.
• Say that you're ready to provide any information they might need.
• Remind them about the designated response deadline.

A succinct paragraph such as the one below will do:

Should you need any additional information from me that could assist with the decision-making process, feel free to contact me. I look forward to our call next week, as discussed.

7. Close With a Professional Sign-Off 

• Thank them again.
• Sign off with a “sincerely” synonym followed by your full name.
• Below, put your basic contact details: telephone number and email address.
• Optionally, add extra links (e.g. your optimized LinkedIn profile, Twitter, or a personal website).

8. Send Your Interview Thank You Email

Don't forget to proofread your email before you hit “send”. You can use apps like Grammarly or Language Tool to help you avoid nasty typos or bad syntax.

Remember that you should send a thank-you letter after the interview while you're still fresh in the interviewer's mind—within 24 hours of the interview (the same day as the interview or the next). If the interview takes place on Friday, send a thank-you email on Friday afternoon or Monday morning. Don’t send formal emails over the weekend.

By the way… You probably have some more interviews ahead, right? Make sure you’ll come out on top! Read our complete job interview guide: Common Interview Questions and Sample Answers

How to Send an Interview Thank You Email to Multiple Interviewers?

If you interviewed with several people, send a personalized thank-you note to each of them. Each of those thank-you notes has to be at least slightly different and personalized because they will share them. The exception is a panel interview, especially if many of the participants joined via phone or Skype: in this situation, send one thank you email after an interview addressed to everyone.

Don’t have everyone’s email addresses?
Send one email to the person whose address you have and either ask them to forward your thank-you email to other interviewers, or ask for the email addresses of the other recruiters and email them directly.

Pro Tip: If you interview with multiple people, ask for business cards during the interview, so you don’t have to search or ask for emails later.

Interview Thank You Email Templates

Alright. Enough theory. See our customizable examples of thank you notes after an interview, choose one that fits your situation best, fill in the gaps with details, and hit “Send!”

All the sample thank-you emails after interviews you will find below vary by length, complexity, and degree of formality. Give them a read and think about which one is best for you.

For starters, a basic, short thank you interview email.

Short Thank-You Email After an Interview Example

• It will be a good thank you email after the first interview.
• It’s a good post-interview thank you email for entry- to mid-level candidates.
• Notice how the tone is balanced: it’s formal and polite but with a personal, relaxed touch.
• This one will also work great as a thank you email after a phone interview.

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Formal Sample Thank You Email After Interview

• The above interview thank you note example is recommended for corporate positions.
• Notice that it’s more detailed than the first sample. Use it only after in-depth interviews that took more than 45 minutes.
• A good pick for senior or C-level candidates.

Second Interview Thank You Email Example

• Just like after the first interview, you have to send an interview thank you email after the second one, too.
• Notice how this sample thank you email after a second interview refers to specific projects.

Informal Thank You Email After Interview Example

• A good thank you email template for positions at small companies with a relaxed culture.
• The above sample will also work great for jobs at startups, or creative and artistic roles.
• If you feel that the atmosphere of your interview was very informal, make sure the tone of your thank you note matches it.

Plus, a great cover letter that matches your resume will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here. Here's what it may look like:

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See more cover letter templates and start writing.

Key Takeaways

When writing your thank you note after a job interview, remember to:

• Create a simple subject line and start your thank you email with an appropriate personal greeting. 
• Express gratitude and your continued interest in the job.
• Refer to something you’ve discussed during the interview and show how they can benefit from hiring you.
• Mention the response deadline you’ve agreed on and finish with a professional sign-off.
• Send your thank you email within 24 hours of the interview.

In other words, your thank-you email after interview example, should say something along these lines: Thank you for arranging the time to speak with me today. Our conversation made me even more excited to join your company. What interested me particularly was what you said about the working environment you developed over the years. Looking forward to hearing back from you next Monday, as discussed.

Just remember, always to tailor it to the situation and the company. Good luck!

About Zety’s Editorial Process

This article has been reviewed by our editorial team to make sure it follows Zety's editorial guidelines. We’re committed to sharing our expertise and giving you trustworthy career advice tailored to your needs. High-quality content is what brings over 40 million readers to our site every year. But we don't stop there. Our team conducts original research to understand the job market better, and we pride ourselves on being quoted by top universities and prime media outlets from around the world.

Sources

• https://press.roberthalf.com/2017-11-20-Thank-You-Notes-Can-Tip-Scale-in-Job-Candidates-Favor-Yet-Few-Write-Them
• https://www.cnbc.com/2017/12/19/hiring-managers-to-job-seekers-no-thank-you-note-no-job.html