Post-interview: Thank-You Email

Is a Post-interview Thank-you Email Necessary?

YES!!!

It’s recommended that you send a thank you email after each job interview you attend

• show the employer that you appreciate their time $\rightarrow$ showcasing good manners
• show that you’re still interested in the position
• gains another opportunity to influence your potential employer’s decision

So it’s important to write a thank you message and to reaffirm your interest in the position and tell them that you’re eager to hear about the next steps. If you don’t say this, they won’t know!

What to Include?

Most thank-you notes have the following features.

Subject line

Should be short and straightforward.

Personalized greeting

• Always begin thank-you emails with a salutation
• Remember to use the name that your interviewer provided when you met, which may be a first name or a title.
• Example
  • Hello [Interviewer name]
  • Dear [Interviewer name]

Note of appreciation

• Start with an expression of your gratitude
  • Thank the interviewer for taking the time to meet with you
• Include the job title here for clarity
• Example: “Thank you for taking the time to discuss the marketing manager position with me today.”

(Optional) Recap of your qualifications

• provide a short recap of your experience and background.
• Connect your qualifications to the position and its unique requirements to express why you are such a strong candidate for the job.
• Example: “My social media and search engine marketing expertise would make me an excellent candidate for this marketing role.”

Prompt to take the next step

• To close the thank-you note, encourage the hiring manager to take the next step in the hiring process.
• Reference what you learned during the interview to complete this section since you may need to provide references or complete a second interview to get the job.
• Example: “Please don’t hesitate to contact me to arrange a follow-up interview.”

Contact information

• Provide your contact information (email address and phone number)
• Listing them in your email can make it easier for the hiring team to contact you for additional steps.

How to Write?

1. Begin with a professional or formal greeting (e.g. “Hello Susan,” or “Dear Susan,”)
2. Thank the interviewer and tell them that you appreciate their time spent during the job interview
3. Mention something specific you talked to them about in the interview, that you enjoyed learning about, so they know that this interview thank you note is written specifically for them
4. Reaffirm your interest in the position and tell the reader that you look forward to hearing about the next steps in the hiring process
5. Tell the interviewer that they should feel free to contact you if they need any additional information or have follow-up questions in the meantime
6. Optional: Include something to reaffirm that you’re confident you can perform well in this role and explain why
7. If you interviewed with multiple people in a single day and want to thank them all, send a separate thank you note to each for a more personalized feel

Tips

How long?

Keep the Email brief and concise (85 to 150 words).

How soon to send?

Always make sure the email is sent within 24 hours of your interview so that your conversation is still fresh in the interviewer’s mind.

• send your post-interview thank you email the day after your job interview, between 12:00 pm and 3:00 pm
• If your interview was on a Friday, then send your email the same day, in the evening instead of waiting a day.

Add customization

• Be sure to mention a specific topic you discussed with the interviewer, and why you enjoyed discussing it with them.

  • Show them that your post-interview thank you email is written especially for them, and not quickly pasted from a generic template.

• Ideas

  • Reference one or two of their interview questions and answers you gave in response
  • Mention something personal they discussed with you

• The more you customize your email after the interview, the more hiring managers will appreciate it.

Proofread EVERYTHING before sending

• Go over every detail and make sure it actually makes sense for your situation.

❌ Mistakes to Avoid

• Waiting too long to send it. (Send the Email within 24 hours after your interview!)
• Copy and paste the same exact email to send to multiple people
• Put multiple people in the “To” field of the email either.
• Thinking you don’t need to send an interview thank you email because the person you met wasn’t the official hiring manager (Send it to everyone you’ve met face to face and play it safe!)
• (Minor) Not asking for business cards after you meet each person during a day of interviewing.

Templates

Dear [Interviewer Name],

Thank you for taking the time to speak with me [yesterday/Friday/etc.] about the [Job Title] position at [Company Name]. It was such a pleasure to learn more about [Company Name], the [Team Name] team, and the position. and I’m very excited about the opportunity to join [Company Name] and help [bring in new clients/develop world-class content/anything else awesome you would be doing] with your team.

I look forward to hearing from you about the next steps, and please do not hesitate to contact me if you need any additional information in the meantime.

Best regards,

[Your Name]
[Your Email]
[Your phone number]

Reference

• Best Sample Thank You Emails After an Interview (4 Examples)
• 4 Sample Thank-You Emails for After an Interview
• The Perfect Template to Write a Thank You Email After an Interview (Plus Samples!)