How to Write a Thank You Email After an Interview

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 them. 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.
• What you need to know about the job interview thank-you letter etiquette: when to write it, to whom to address it, and how to send it.

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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)
• How to Write a Letter of Appreciation (if you want to say thank you to a helpful recruiter or potential employer)

To begin with, see these two very different interview thank you email examples. Read on for a breakdown of what makes a perfect post-interview thank-you letter and see 4 more samples for different types of positions.

Sample Interview Thank-You Email

Now, let’s examine the anatomy of the best thank you email after an interview so that you can write yours in no time!

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 post-interview thank-you email is to your job search:

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.

Here’s how to write a perfect interview thank you email 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 the Thank You Letter 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

• 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.

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’re going to 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 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!”

All of the sample thank-you emails after interviews you will find below vary by length, complexity, and the 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

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Formal Interview Thank You Letter Sample

Second Interview Thank You Email Example

Informal Thank-You Interview Email Sample

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.

So, you’ve just written a stunning post-interview thank-you email.

What should you do with it now? When to send it? How 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 a Thank You Email After Interviews?

It's best to send a thank you letter after the interview 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.

How to Send an Interview Thank You Email 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.

Can You Say Thank You for the Interview by 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.

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:

See more cover letter templates and start writing.

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!

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