How To Write An After-The-Interview Thank You Email

Updated 3 March 2023

If you recently interviewed for a job, it may be a good idea to follow up with your interviewer by sending a thank you email. Writing this email may show your appreciation for the interviewer considering you and reiterate your interest in the position and desire to work for that particular company. Sending this email may also increase your chances of the organisation hiring you. In this article, we explain why it is important to send an after-the-interview thank you email, discuss the steps and tips for writing the email and provide examples for you to review.

Why Sending An After-The-Interview Thank You Email Matters?

Sending an after-the-interview email is an important way to ensure you make a good impression on your interviewer. It reinforces your interest in the position and the opportunity to work for the organisation. This email may also show your desire to build and maintain a personal connection with the interviewer.

Sending this email may offer a variety of other benefits, such as:

Separating you from other candidates that the organisation interviews
Highlighting ideas you require to help the organisation succeed
Fostering your personal connections within the organisation
Reinforcing your unique skills and qualifications for the position
Increasing the hiring manager's awareness of your credentials and motivation
Emphasising your gratitude for the opportunity
Sharing your thanks more quickly than a letter sent via mail

How To Send A Thank You Email After An Interview?

Follow these steps to write and send an after-the-interview thank you email:

1. Write a subject line

Begin writing your email by choosing a subject line. It is important for the subject to represent the content of your email and reflect your professional tone accurately. For example, for a more casual but still professional subject line, you may write "Thank you for our interview" or "Following up on our discussion." Conversely, if you are writing after a highly formal or professional interview, you may write "Thank you for your time during my interview."

2. Add a greeting

Open your email by greeting the recipient with "Dear" followed by the recipient's first name and a comma. Using the interviewer's first name is often a good idea to personalise your email and further the connection you made during the interview by using a conversational but professional tone. However, if the interview was formal, you may use the interviewer's title and surname instead, such as "Mr Sharma" or "Ms Singh."

3. Thank the interviewer

Begin the body of your email by thanking the interviewer. Offer your gratitude that they met with you, and consider including the purpose of your meeting, such as mentioning the specific job you met to discuss. You may also provide the specific day of the week and general time of day you met to help them remember who you are.

4. Include details or examples

Continue writing the body of your email by including specific details about what you discussed during your interview. This may help build the personal connection you established during the interview, fostering your relationship with the hiring manager and strengthening their impression of you. For example, you may follow up regarding a specific topic you discussed or share an idea you have related to the position.

5. Emphasise your interest

Reiterate your interest in the position, and remind the interviewer of your skills. Provide support that emphasises your interest in working in this specific role at this particular company. Focus on what makes you a good candidate and how your skills could benefit the organisation.

6. Close your email

Conclude your email by thanking the interviewer again for meeting with you and considering you for the position. Think about adding a call to action that encourages them to contact you with additional questions or concerns they may have. Add a professional sign-off statement, such as "Sincerely" or "Best regards," followed by a comma, then enter before adding your first name and surname. Consider using a full email signature that also includes contact information like your phone number or links to your online portfolio or professional networking profiles.

Tips For Sending A Thank You Email

Consider these tips as you prepare your email to follow up about your interview:

Be confident. Your email is required to reflect the same attitude and confidence you displayed in your interview. Refrain from expressing any doubts about your qualifications or the role.
Be timely. It is important to send your email shortly after your interview. Try to send your message within 24 hours of your interview, especially if the hiring manager is making a quick decision.
Mention anything you forgot. A thank you email is a good opportunity to mention anything you did not have the opportunity to discuss during the interview. For example, you may mention why you think you could be a good fit within the company culture.
Proofread your email. It is important your email is free of inaccuracies or grammatical errors. Proofread your message for typos, especially misspellings of important names.
Provide examples. Sending an email may allow you to share examples of your work that you mentioned during the interview. Consider including a link to your portfolio or attachments, and explain what you are sharing with the interviewer.
Revisit any issues. An email allows you to expand on subjects you may feel you did not properly address during your interview. For example, you may provide longer answers to questions you felt unsure about answering.

Thank You Email Template

Use this template as a guide for writing your own thank you email:

Dear [interviewer's name],

I wanted to write to you to thank you for meeting with me on [when you met for your interview]. I truly enjoyed our discussion about [topic discussed during your interview], and it was a pleasure to learn about the [job you applied for] position available at your [type of company].

I appreciate you answering my questions about [something discussed during the interview], and it made me even more confident that I could succeed as a [job you are interviewing for] at [organisation name]. I believe I have the right skill set and attitude your organisation needs.

Again, thank you for meeting with me and considering me for this position. If you have any questions for me, please do not hesitate to contact me. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

[Sign-off],

[Your name]

Examples Of Thank You Emails

Review these examples of after-the-interview thank you emails to help you write yours:

Example of a casual thank you email

Dear Deepak,

I wanted to send a quick note to thank you for meeting with me Thursday afternoon. I truly enjoyed our discussion about different styles of teaching and was happy to learn more about the teaching position currently open at your school.

I am very excited about the possibility of joining your staff for the upcoming school year, and I feel I could truly succeed in this job. If you have any updates to share or further questions for me, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Thank you again for sharing your time.

Best,
Seema Arya

Example of a formal thank you email

Hello Ms Chopra,

I would like to thank you for taking the time to meet with me on Monday regarding the paralegal position at your firm. It was wonderful to learn more about this opportunity, and it was a pleasure to learn more about your firm and clients specifically.

I appreciate you answering all of my questions, and our discussion about your firm's business litigation services was highly interesting to me.

I am confident my skills and experience would support my role in your firm. I believe it would help me to succeed and excel as a paralegal.

I look forward to hearing from you soon, and I am happy to answer any further questions at your convenience.

Once again, thank you for your time and consideration.

Best regards,
Naveen Mannan

Example of a personalised thank you email

Dear Priya,

Thank you so much for speaking with me yesterday. I really enjoyed learning about how you established Priya's Place, and I would love to help you connect with your customers even further by helping you establish a unique social media presence. I believe I could do this successfully as you and your brand's values of health and well-being align with my own personal values.

Since our discussion, I brainstormed some ideas about how to promote your newest products. I am excited to discuss these with you as soon as you are available. Also, I just purchased the book we discussed, and I look forward to reading it.

Thank you again for your time. I truly learned so much from our conversation, and I am grateful for your time. If you have any questions for me or other projects that I could help you with, please feel free to contact me. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Sincerely,
Niharika Shah