How to Write a Cover Letter for a Job in 2021 (12+ Examples)
It took weeks to find *this* job. It took hours to get your resume right. Almost there. You just need a cover letter. The problem? You only get one shot.
In 8 minutes you’ll know how to write the best thank you email after an interview. And it matters a lot:
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 an extra gear to outperform them.
A well-written interview thank you email could be that very gear.
Most candidates don’t send them. Or send out thank-you notes that just don’t cut it.
Thanks to this guide, you’ll do way better than them.
In this article, you’ll find:
- How to write a thank-you email that will dazzle every interviewer.
- Sample thank-you emails after an interview you can copy, adjust, and use.
- What you need to know about the job interview thank-you note etiquette: when to write it, to whom to address it, and how to send it.
Still waiting to hear back? See:
- 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)
To begin with, see these two very different interview thank you letter examples. Read on for a breakdown of what makes a perfect post-interview thank-you email and see 4 more samples for different types of positions.
Sample Interview Thank-You Email
Here's the perfect thank you email—from subject line to sign off:
Subject Line: Thank You Amanda!
Hello Amanda,
Thank you so much for taking the time to meet with me and talk about the position of the Senior Digital Marketing Specialist with ABC Inc. yesterday. It was a pleasure to learn more about your approach to growing organic traffic.
Our conversation made me even more excited to join ABC. What interested me in particular was how sharply your efforts are focused on the actual reader experience, not just technical SEO issues.
I was thinking about what you said regarding your plans to expand the email subscribers base by offering free bonus content downloads in the upcoming quarter. In my current role as Content Marketing Specialist with XYZ I found that using contextual click-triggers for bonus downloads within blog posts increased the subscription rate by 35% compared to regular pop-ups. I hope that helps!
I’m sure my experience can translate into similar success as your new Senior Digital Marketing Specialist.
If you need any additional information from me at this point, please feel free to contact me. Looking forward to hearing back from you next Friday, as discussed.
Thanks again for your time!
Sincerely,
Jane Redlock
515-255-0812
j.m.redlock@gmail.com
Now, let’s examine the anatomy of the best thank you email after an interview so that you can write yours in no time!
1
How to Write a Thank You Email or Note after an Interview
You must always send an interview thank-you email no later than 24 hours after the interview. If you interivewed with several people, send a personalized thank-you note to each of them. Be genuine, thank them for the opportunity, reiterate your interest, and remember to refer to what you discussed during the interview itself.
And here's some data on how critical the thank-you email is to your job search:
Sending any thank you email 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.
The bottom line: yes, you always need to send a “thank you for an interview” email.
Here’s how to write a perfect thank you email after an interview in 7 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 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 of them.
3. Express your appreciation
- Since it’s a “thank you email” 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 describing the details of your position.
(To see what I mean, check out the wrong example above again. See how many personal pronouns the candidate used. It doesn’t read like a sincere “thank you,” more like “I know I’m awesome.”)
4. Restate that you’re interested in the job
- During the interview, your future employer wants to make sure you’re the right fit for the company. But…
- They also want to know you’re genuinely eager to join. Make sure to mention that in your thank you email.
- 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 during an interview 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 skills and experience and show how you’re going to use them to help your future employer get what they want.
6. Say you can provide additional information and remind them about the established response deadline
How to end a thank you email after an interview?
The golden rule is, be brief and polite. 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 LinkedIn, Twitter, or a personal website).
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
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!”
2
A Few Extra Examples for Different Scenarios
All of the below interview thank you note examples vary by length, complexity, and the degree of formality. Give them a read and think about which one is best for you.
But remember:
These sample thank you for an interview emails are here just for reference. Don’t copy-paste them. The more personalization you add, the better!
For starters, a basic, short thank you interview email.
Simple and Short Thank You Letter
Subject Line: Thank You [Interviewer’s Name]!
Hello [Interviewer’s Name],
Thank you so much for taking the time to meet with me and talk about the position of the [Position Name] yesterday. It was a pleasure to learn more about your business approach.
Our conversation made me even more excited to join the [Company Name]. What interested me in particular was [something specific you discussed during the interview].
I was thinking about what you said on [the upcoming challenge your interviewers mentioned]. In my current/previous role as [your current position] I found that [a quick explanation of how you tackled a similar problem].
I’m sure my experience can translate into similar success as your new [the name of the position you’re applying for].
If you need any additional information from me at this point, please feel free to contact me. Looking forward to hearing back from you on [the specific date established during the interview].
Thanks again for your time!
Sincerely,
[Your sign-off]
A More Formal Thank You Note
Subject Line: Appreciate your time and advice, Mr./Ms. [Interviewer’s Last Name]
Dear Mr./Ms. [Interviewer’s Last Name],
I want to take a moment to thank you for taking the time to talk to me about the position of [the position you’re applying for] with [Company Name] yesterday. It was truly inspiring to have such a meaningful conversation with someone who shares my approach to [the type of business activities you discussed] and to learn about your industry insights.
The information you shared about your future projects convinced me that this job is a perfect fit for my professional and personal interests and one where I could make a valuable contribution. I particularly enjoyed learning about [specific information about the job the interviewer shared with you] since [the reason you found it interesting].
I was also thinking about what you said on [the upcoming challenge your interviewers mentioned]. In my current/previous role as [your current position] I found that [a quick explanation of how you tackled a similar problem].
Finally, please find attached the details of some of my projects we discussed and an exact documentation of their business impact.
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.
Thank you once again.
Best regards,
[Your sign-off]
Thank You Email after a Second Interview
Subject line: Thank you for the opportunity!
Dear [Interviewer’s Name],
It was a pleasure to come and chat for the second time, thank you for this opportunity! Now I’m even more certain that I will be able to help deliver great results working as [the name of the position] with [Company Name]. What’s most exciting for me is [a detail you discussed that makes you most eager to join the company].
As regards the project we discussed, I started to think about what is necessary for us to make it successful. Please have a look at the attached presentation where I outlined my preliminary ideas. If you have any questions, please let me know. I’ll be happy to elaborate on the details.
Thank you again for your time. I look forward to hearing from you on [the established date] as discussed.
Best,
[Your sign-off]
An Informal Approach to a Thank-You Email
Subject line: Great speaking with you!
Hi [Interviewer’s Name],
I had a lot of fun learning more about the challenges ahead of the next [the name of the position] with [Company Name] yesterday! I’d be really excited to join your team and help [bring more users/increase revenue/anything else you’d be doing].
I was thinking about what Michael said regarding [a specific issue one of the interviewer’s discussed]. In my last role as [the name of your current/previous position] I found that [a specific solution you used to tackle a similar problem] is by far the most effective strategy. It helped bring an overall increase of X% in [a specific metric in question]. I hope that helps!
Please feel free to contact me if you find you need any more information. I look forward to our call next week. Thanks so much again!
Best wishes,
[Your sign-off]
P.S.—I also wanted to say that you were right about the coffee at Luke's. I stopped by on my way home. Delicious! [Or an informal reference to any other part of the interview. Something along the lines of: “I hope you enjoyed the concert last evening”/”I followed your recommendation to start watching ‘Sharp Objects.’ I’m super hooked!”]
Pro Tip: Don't forget to proofread your email. You can use apps like Grammarly or Language Tool to help you avoid nasty typos or bad syntax.
3
When, to Whom, and in What Form to Send a Thank You Note after an Interview: The Logistics
So, you’ve just written a stunning post-interview thank-you note.
What should you do with it now? When to send it? To whom to address it? Is a thank you email always okay or do you need a handwritten note?
It’s a lot to remember, but don’t worry—
When to send thank you email after interview?
It's best to send a thank you letter while you're still fresh in the interviewer's mind. So you should send the email message 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 on Monday morning. Don’t send formal emails over the weekend.
What about sending a thank you email after an interview to multiple interviewers?
- Send a thank you email after every interview to everyone that was in the room with you.
- Each of those thank you notes has to be at least slightly different and personalized because they will share them with one another.
- 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.
Handwritten thank you letter after an interview or an email?
An interview thank you email will be your safest choice.
Why? Because it’s quicker than a snail mail interview thank you letter. Plus, a recent 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.
Have any extra questions on how to write a perfect thank you letter after an interview? Could use some help crafting yours? Drop me a line in the comments and I’ll reply to all your questions!
