How To Write a Winning Thank You Email After an Interview (Writing Samples)

Learning how to write a thank you email after an interview is just as important as writing your resume, researching a company, and leveraging LinkedIn to launch an effective job search. Sometimes your thank you email or handwritten note can be a difference maker; the reason you get your dream job or not.  You’re certainly not alone if you’re having trouble getting started writing one.

At MatchBuilt, we’ve helped thousands of job seekers find new jobs, and we often encourage them to write a thank you note following any in-person, phone, or video interview. We’ve found that many employees appreciate a well-written, concise thank you, and while it doesn’t always ensure another interview or job offer, there isn’t much downside.

What to say in a thank you letter after an interview?

To write an effective thank you, start with a formal greeting, express your gratitude to the interviewer, mention something unique you discussed, ask additional questions, reiterate your desire for the position, and inform the interviewer how they can get in touch with you.

In this article, we help you start writing a thank you email or letter by sharing some insight, samples, and templates that can be easily copied and pasted. We also asked over 50 HR managers, recruiters, and career coaches to share feedback about what is essential to include in a thank you, when to send it, and if it should be in an email format or a handwritten note.

The feedback was fantastic and contradicted some of our thoughts, but overall, the theme was the same: a thank you email leaves a good impression, can create a personal connection, and can inspire the interviewer to consider you if there are two qualified candidates and only one individual is required.

Do thank you emails make a difference after an Interview?

Yes, after each interview, you should write a thank-you email because it demonstrates you value the employers’ time and, more significantly, shows your continued interest in the position. The prospective employer you met with may be unsure you still want the job after the interview, so it’s crucial to send a note, reiterate your enthusiasm for the position and express your eagerness to learn about the subsequent stages.

HR expert Jim Sullivan, the CEO & Founder of the leading recruiting agency JCSI, agrees that a thank you email can make a difference:

I feel that a letter or email following an interview is helpful if you think you want the job. Something to keep in mind is that it’s not necessarily the context of the letter or email that makes the difference but the fact that the candidate reached out.

The letter also helps me to remember them better, especially if there are a lot of qualified candidates. An email shows respect and that you are interested in getting the position.

According to a TopResume survey, a job applicant’s thank-you message impacts their chances of getting hired. 68% of recruiters and hiring managers that responded to their survey said that sending a thank-you email after an interview affects decision-making.

In addition, over one in five interviewers tend to reject a candidate because they didn’t get an email or letter of appreciation following the interview. Further, according to current research, the COVID-19 virus has increased the significance of interview thank-you notes in applicant evaluation.

Unfortunately, not all job seekers are taking note of the advice of writing a thank you email after an interview. Nearly one-third of all professionals polled by the TopResume survey said they don’t always write thank-you emails following discussions, and a startling 7% claim they never do it.

Adriana Herrera, Founder & CEO of PayDestiny, an on-demand salary negotiation software company that empowers women and underestimated professionals to build skills and confidence to maximize their pay, shares her thoughts.

I look to hire high performers. Traits of a high performer include, but are not limited to: attention to detail (e.g., promptly following up via email), clear communication (e.g., getting across important information via email), self-direction (e.g., sending a thank you email without being told to), and a positive attitude (e.g., sending an email to express gratitude for the opportunity regardless of the outcome).

One of the ways to identify a high performer is how they follow up at each stage of the interview process.

Regardless of what a job applicant says in an interview, I will only ever select job applicants to move on in the hiring process, which:

• Meet the requirements of each stage of the interview.
• Send a thank you email after each step of the interview process.

Overall, thank you emails make a difference after an interview. Thank the interviewers for their time, appreciate the critical parts of your discussion, respond to any questions they may have had about your qualifications, and reiterate your interest in the job in your follow-up email after the interview. Keep your message brief enough to address the abovementioned elements rather than reciting your entire résumé.

Jim also adds the following on how to write a thank you email after an interview:

And although, for me, content is not as important, it does help to be grammatically correct without spelling errors. Providing points of contact is also helpful, as well as linking to social media accounts you think might be beneficial.

If your LinkedIn profile is well done and has extra information not stated in your resume, it can help to link to it to give hiring managers a complete picture.

How to Write Thank You Email After an Interview

1. Start with a formal or business salutation, such as “Hello John” or “Dear John.”
2. It would be best if you expressed your gratitude to the interviewer for their time.
3. Mention anything unique you discussed with the interviewer, and found interesting, so they will understand that the thank-you email is unique and specific for them.
4. Reiterate your desire for the position with the correct job title and let the employer know you’re looking forward to learning more about the subsequent phases of the recruiting process.
5. Inform the interviewer how they can get in touch with you if they require further details or have follow-up queries.
6. This step is optional: Include something to reiterate your confidence in your ability to excel in this capacity and provide justification for it.
7. Send individual thank-you messages to each interviewer if you had multiple interviews on one day to make it feel more personal.
8. Remember that adding step #6 to a thank-you letter or email after an interview isn’t required, but it’s a lovely touch.

Don’t worry if you’re still unsure how to start writing a thank you email after an interview — we share thank you email templates and samples in the sections below.

One last piece of advice before we move on: following an in-person interview, be sure to ask the hiring panel for their business cards so you can save their name and email address.

Only ask for the contact information or a business card at the end of the interview, and state that it’s for following up and sending a thank-you note after an interview.

Thank You Letter After Interview Samples

You should send a thank you email after the interview because it expresses your interest in the position and keeps you in the hiring manager’s mind while evaluating other candidates.

You will stand out since most people don’t remember to send a thank you message after an interview. The ideal time to appreciate the employer for their time is within 24 hours after the interview.

Below are a few examples of writing thank-you emails after an interview.

Thank You Email Sample 1

Hello Susan,

Thank you for taking the time to meet with me to discuss the project manager position! I enjoyed speaking with you and learning more about the company position itself. I particularly enjoyed our conversation about the three new high-rise projects following high-tech energy-efficient standards. I understand that there were many applicants, so thank you for meeting with me for an interview.

If you need additional information from me, please do not hesitate to email me or call the following number.

Best regards,
William Keith
555-5555 / [email protected]

Thank You Email Sample 2

Dear James,

I’m grateful for your time discussing the Senior Project Manager position. As the company grows, I found it interesting to learn how the job will strike a mix between customer meetings and internal project leadership.

Diana mentioned in our interview that I would be a good fit for this position because of my sales experience. After hearing you describe the variety of daily activities, I can see how my abilities would be used and enable me to contribute effectively.

I am confident that this position is a good fit for my skill set and long-term objectives, and I am eagerly awaiting the next stages in the assessment process.

Please get in touch with me if you require any further information. I appreciate your consideration and time.

Best Regards
Jane Bloom
555-5555 / [email protected]

Thank You Email Sample 3

Hi John,

I thank you for taking the time to interview me today. I enjoyed learning more about your marketing manager position, and I’m thrilled about the chance to join PulteGroup and support your team in expanding the audience for your awesome content. I’m particularly excited about the growth projections you shared with me for the next couple of years.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me. I am looking forward to hearing from you regarding the next steps.

Happy New Year,
Kevin Smith
555-5555 / [email protected]

Thank You Email Sample 4

Hello Christine

Thank you for this morning’s interview. I enjoyed learning more about the sales position and found our discussion about it to be interesting. Collaboration between the sales and marketing teams is paramount for achieving objectives and improving business performance.

I believe to be a suitable candidate for this role given my master’s in Sales and Marketing from Edison University and my robust experience of more than seven years of experience managing marketing teams.

I’m looking forward to discussing this with you more about this chance. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with me for any details.

Best Regards
Joy Wise
555-5555 / [email protected]

Thank You Email After Interview Subject Line Examples

Remember that the subject lines are the first thing the interviewers see in their email inboxes. The typically bolded notification is the part that catches their attention and compels them to open the email. A straight-to-the-point thank you email after an interview subject line is what you should aim for. You can include the following:

• Your first and last name.
• The position you were interviewed for.
• The date of the interview.

Just make sure it’s clear, so it doesn’t seem like spam and ends up being ignored. Below are some examples of how to write a thank you email after an interview subject line.

• Thank you for the great interview.
• The Monday interview was terrific – thank you very much.
• Thanks from Jane Bloom, Senior Project Manager Interviewee.
• Many thanks from Joy Wise!

How to Write Thank You Email After Multiple Interviews

It’s a good practice to write a thank-you note after the second interview or multiple interviews, even if your interviewer was the same as the first time. Writing a second thank-you email can occasionally be challenging because you think you’ve already covered everything in your first letter.

Don’t give up. After the second interview, writing a thank you email will leave a positive impression on the employers. You should always write a letter to stand out among other interviewees.

Follow the template below when writing a thank you email after the second interview.

Thank You Email After Multiple Interviews Sample

Hello [Interviewer’s Name],

Thank you for taking the time to interview me on [yesterday/Thursday/Friday/etc.]. I enjoyed our conversation about [specific topic you discussed], and it was great to learn about the [Job Title] position. I particularly enjoyed our conversations about [mention an important topic discussed during the process].

If given such an exciting opportunity, I will thrive and excel in the position. In the meantime, please don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns. I look forward to hearing about any updates you may provide.

Best regards,
[Your First and Last Name]
[Your Phone Number, Your Email Address]

How to Write Thank You Email After the Final Interview

No matter how many times you’ve been through interviews, whether it was your first or sixth, you should always send a thank-you email. Include a summary of the conversation, a statement of excitement for the position, and assurance that you’re a perfect fit.

Even if you don’t get the job, hiring managers will recognize your professionalism and may get in touch with you again about another opportunity in the future. To obtain your dream job, equip yourself with strong follow-up techniques.

Follow the eight steps above on how to write a thank you email after the final interview. However, these are the considerations that you need to follow when writing the thank you email after the final interview:

• Make your subject line short. In the subject field, you can write “Thank you for the interview,” “Following up on the interview,” or something similar. You can also include your first and last names.
• Send personal emails to various interviewers. Write a different thank-you message to each interviewer if you’ve more than one; however, make each letter significantly unique. Mention a topic that the two of you exclusively discussed or is a simple way to accomplish the same.
• Proofread the thank you email in detail. To ensure there are no errors, read your letter several times before sending it. Sending a note with grammatical errors will have the opposite effect on what you intended: You’ll stand out for the wrong reasons. You may also ask a reliable buddy to review it.
• Time it properly. The ideal time to thank an interviewer for their time is within 24 hours after the interview. By doing so, you express interest in the position, keeping you in their minds while reviewing alternative candidates.
• Make sure your letter is genuine. To add a little personalization to the email, consider what you would say if you conveyed your gratitude in person. A formal thank-you email sent after an interview should seem personal and not pre-written.

Sheila Musgrove, the Founder of TAG Recruitment Group and author of Hired! & Unexpected Mentors shares that MOST candidates don’t follow up AT ALL after the first interview, and that’s a missed opportunity.

The content can be brief. Thank the hiring manager for the opportunity and their time. Most importantly, don’t forget to express and emphasize your interest in the role. If there was a stand-out part of the interview, you could also mention that!

What to Include In a Thank You Email After an Interview

Here are the essential details you should include in almost all thank-you emails you write following an interview:

• Thank the interviewer for their time.
• Reiterate briefly why you are interested in the position and believe it’s a good fit.
• The thank you email should feel more personal. Do so by including part of what you discussed with the interviewer and what you found interesting.
• If there were queries you didn’t answer during the interview, please provide answers in the thank you email.
• You might add relevant anecdotes or propose a solution to a corporate problem you encountered during your meeting.
• As you end your email, express your gratitude for the interview again and inquire about the next steps you should take in the recruitment process.

Adriana Herrera adds:

The content of a thank you email absolutely matters. Thank you emails that stand out are always personalized, short with an easy-to-read and skim format, free of typos and grammatical errors, include keywords regarding the position being interviewed for, reference key topics discussed, and include contact information.

Common Mistakes In a Post-Interview Thank You Email

Use of the Wrong Tone

Your thank-you email after an interview should have a professional tone, like the entire interview process. Since email facilitates faster communication, some applicants misuse the opportunity by drafting thank-you messages too informally.

Don’t just spout out a lighthearted letter or joke. Ensure you properly craft your email to leave the same favorable impression you had during the face-to-face session.

Apologizing For the Interview Mistakes

Stop thinking about your previous answer to a challenging interview question, as it’s hard to ascertain whether the hiring committee felt you gave a poor response. You’re merely making a potential mistake stand out more by apologizing or mentioning it.

Inquiring About Salary and Other Benefits

Even if you believe you have secured the job because of outstanding interview performance, it’s not right to inquire about salary and benefits, especially in the thank-you message.

The goal of the thank-you email is to appreciate the recruiting team and adhere to correct interview etiquette. Prematurely referencing the position’s salary will mark you as inexperienced and might cause the team to have a different opinion about you.

Taking Too Long

When delivering a thank-you note following an interview, timing is everything. By disregarding this crucial component of interview etiquette, delaying for more than one day runs the danger of missing the opportunity. The first 24 hours after the interview are ideal for writing your thank-you email after the interview.

Using the Wrong Delivery Method

Your thank you message after an interview can be either an email or a note, depending on the interviewer. Well, research your interviewers to determine which method is perfect. Some prefer a thank you message after an interview written on a card; an email works fine for others. Nevertheless, thank you emails are ubiquitous as compared to thank you notes after an interview.

Sheila Musgrove shares what she prefers:

Ideally, I like to see a handwritten/printed card. It’s extremely rare – and yes, a bit old-school. But, it makes an impact because it rarely gets done! An email follow-up is also an excellent choice to follow up. It doesn’t have the same stand-out factor as a card, but it works too. The card or email should be written and sent on the same day as the interview.

What to Do After Sending Thank You Email After an Interview

What’s next after sending the thank you email?

The best thing to do is wait to hear from the company with either a regret letter, an note that you’ve been shortlisted for the next interview, or you get hired.

Adriana Herrera share more;

In my hiring process, I look for an applicant’s actions to align with what they say in an interview. Sending a well-written brief thank you email after each stage of the hiring process demonstrates the overarching attributes of a high performer I look for.

Roy Cohen, a career coach and author of The Wall Street Professional’s Survival Guide, wants the interviewees to note the following:

Follow-up emails after an interview don’t guarantee that you’ll move forward to the next round or get an offer. But they make a huge difference if the interviewer has any doubt about your level of interest, your ability to understand and respond to critical issues, and to stand out and apart simply because you made an effort, i.e., they’re on the fence.

How to Write Thank You Email after Interview FAQs

Now that you’ve met with your potential employer, it’s essential to follow up with a thank you email. A thank you email is a crucial step in the post-interview process that can make all the difference in securing the job. In this FAQ, we’ll cover everything you need to know about writing a winning thank you email after an interview, including why it’s important, when to send it, what to include, and how to stand out from other candidates.

Thank You Email after Interview with Sample Summary

Writing a thank you email during the job interview process is just as important as writing your resume, researching a company, and leveraging LinkedIn to launch an effective job search and give a lasting impression. It’s a considerate action following an in-person or phone interview that shows that you’re interested in the job opportunity and provides another way to showcase your enthusiasm for the role, knowledge of their company culture, and how you are an ideal candidate and great fit.

As one career advice expert said, since many individuals no longer snail mail letters, a handwritten thank you note adds a personal touch and may help you stand out from the competition. A letter sent via mail may work even better, even though it might take several days to notice it. Even if you want to send a handwritten note, since the decision-making process can move rapidly, always send a thank-you email.

We welcome you to explore our site further to discover more interview tips, including how to answer, tell me about yourself, what makes you unique, and why do you want to work here interview questions.

Writing a Thank You Letter After Interview 8-Step Infographic

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