You just walked out of a job interview. You gave great answers to all the interview questions and really hit it off with the hiring manager. You nailed it! That’s great—but you’re not done yet.
Fair or not, most hiring managers pay very close attention to whether you write a post interview thank-you email (and you’ll want a catchy subject line to go with it).
Our advice? Follow up as soon as humanly possible by writing a terrific interview thank-you note. Below, we list out tips for writing the perfect thank-you email—and provide a template to get you started.
Why send a thank-you note after a job interview
Olivia Johnson, a Muse career coach with more than 20 years of experience in the corporate world, says there’s no good reason why you shouldn’t send a thank-you note after every interview—and plenty of reasons why you should.
It's proper business etiquette and builds rapport
“It’s almost like if you invite someone in your home, and then they’re leaving your property and don’t say anything as they walk out the door,” Johnson says. “They selected you to move forward and have a conversation with, so it deserves a thank you.”
It immediately makes you stand out from other candidates who don’t send a follow-up email. “I always ask my clients after interviews, ‘Did you remember to send a thank-you note?’” she says. “Usually, 80 to 90% of the time, I hear, ‘Oh, right’—because they forget to do it.”
It also helps you build on the rapport you established in the interview by reminding the hiring manager who you are, what you talked about, and how you’re a great fit for the job and company.
It's a second chance to answer or ask a question
A thank-you note can help alleviate any concerns you had about your conversation. Maybe you forgot to ask about a specific part of the role or maybe you flubbed an answer and want to clarify your statement. Here’s your second chance.
“I actually had someone who did really well on the tech interview, but they missed a question,” Johnson says. “They went home, continued to figure it out, and then sent a note sharing what they came up with—that’s impressive. That’s somebody that you want on your team.”
Even when an interview goes swimmingly, Johnson still advises sending a thank-you note. “Even if the interview went so awesomely that they offered you the job on the spot, you should be sending a thank-you note,” she says. You won’t regret taking that extra effort to make your appreciation and excitement known.
The more interviews you land, the more options you’ll have—check open jobs on The Muse to find your next opportunity »
How to write a thank-you email after an interview: 5 tips
Here’s what to keep in mind when crafting your professional thank-you email:
1. Actually say “thank you”
In all your wordsmithing, don’t forget to thank the person for taking the time to meet or speak with you.
You should be thanking them for the discussion, Johnson says, not the interview. “Never refer to it as an interview, a lot of people do that. They're like, ‘Thanks so much for interviewing me.’ It makes it seem more of a check-the-box process, especially if you had a great rapport or relationship starting to form with that person,” she says.
2. Keep it short and sweet
Brevity is key, Johnson says. No recruiter wants to read an entire page of flattery. She recommends aiming for three 2-3 sentence paragraphs max, with the bulk of the message focusing on what stood out in your conversation and what you’re most excited about in the role.
3. Tailor it to your recipient
Each thank-you note should be unique to the person you spoke with, if you want to grab their attention and leave a positive, lasting impression. For example, if you’re thanking an outside recruiter, you may not need to touch on the more technical aspects of the role.
“If it's an executive, you definitely don’t want to go into the day-to-day,” Johnson says. “They’re more visionary, so you want to say things about being eager to make an impact within the organization.”
4. Be your authentic (professional) self
There’s no need to try to mimic the interviewer’s tone or personality in your note. Johnson advises making it feel and sound like you (without coming off too casual—this isn’t a text to a friend). Doing so, she adds, also ensures you’re the right match for the job.
If you don’t mesh in writing, you’re likely not going to mesh well when you start working together.
However, it’s OK to mimic some of their internal language to show you can catch on to their processes and communications. For example, she says, “If you say ‘deadlines’ and they say ‘milestones,’ you might want to use ‘milestones.’”
5. Know it doesn’t have to be an email
Johnson notes that while email is the primary medium for sending a thank-you note, it doesn’t have to be the only format you use. “It’s OK to use the platform where they found you,” she says. “If they reached out to you on LinkedIn, it is perfectly fine for you to message them back on LinkedIn to say thank you after an interview.”
Another way to go the extra mile—especially if your interviewer is more traditional or you have a feeling they’d appreciate a handwritten note—is to drop a card in the mailbox as well. To connect the two, you can simply add a line to your email like:
P.S. Just because I’m an appreciator of handwritten thank-you notes, you should be receiving a letter in the mail/I dropped a letter off at the front desk as well!
(And yes, even if you send a snail mail note, you’ll still want to send the email thank you to cover your bases—just in case your interviewer doesn’t get the letter right away.)
Sample interview thank-you emails
So, what do all these tips look like in practice? Here are some example thank-you notes you can use to build your own perfect email:
Sample #1: Short thank-you email after interview
This one’s concise and to the point—perfect if you’re looking to quickly follow up after a phone interview or it’s an early-round discussion.
Hi Jimmy,
Thank you so much for chatting with me today. It was such a pleasure to learn more about the marketing manager role, and I’m very excited about the opportunity to join News Crew and help your team reach a new audience with your amazing content.
I look forward to hearing from you about next steps, but please don’t hesitate to contact me if I can provide any additional information.
All the best,
Ana
Sample #2: A specific thank-you email
To show you were paying attention during the interview and reiterate what a great fit you’d be for the job, write an email like this:
Hi Ms. Bernard,
I just wanted to thank you for inviting me to your office today. It was great to hear about 4Apps’ goals for streamlining your software and placing an emphasis on quality UX design, as well as how you see the engineering department playing a role in these initiatives.
4Apps seems like a wonderful place to work—and not just because you mentioned some great summer outings! I really admire the mission that drives your business, and look forward to the opportunity to help your team implement some of the ideas I mentioned around redesigning the homepage.
Please let me know if there’s anything else you need from me to move the process forward.
Enjoy the rest of your week,
Kyle Chang
Sample #3: An above-and-beyond thank-you email
If you really want to blow a hiring manager out of the water, add in another few lines before “I look forward to...” with some ideas that show how you could add value. For example, a quick mock-up of something discussed in the interview, taglines if you’re in branding, or some slides or possible partners if you’re in business development or sales.
Hi Jamaal,
Thank you so much for meeting with me today. I really enjoyed learning more about your career trajectory at CarRuns (and hearing what it was like to join as the fifth employee—so impressive!) and where you see the company going in the next couple years.
To follow up on our conversation about churned clients, I’ve attached a short deck I mocked up on my initial ideas for increasing renewals. Happy to discuss further if you see it being a helpful resource.
I can tell CarRuns is a special place to work, and I would be thrilled to join such an innovative, hardworking, and passionate team of individuals. Please let me know if there’s anything else I can provide to make your hiring decision easier.
Best regards,
Adelaide Jenkins
Sample #4: Thank-you email after Zoom interview
Since Zoom interviews can often feel less personal, sending a thank-you email could definitely make you stand out. Here's an example.
Hi Grace,
Thank you so much for taking the time to get to know me today. It was amazing to learn more about the web development role and your current projects at Web Company.
I look forward to hearing from you about next steps. Please let me know if you need any additional information.
Best regards,
John
Sample #5: Thank-you email for multiple interviewers
If you were a part of a panel interview, you can express your thanks individually or send one email to all interviewers at once. Sending a thank-you email after an interview to multiple interviewers may look like this:
Hi Jake, Jill, and Maria,
I wanted to thank you all for chatting with me today. I'm very excited about the opportunity to join your team and develop campaigns with social impact—which has been a passion of mine for years.
Please let me know if you need anything else from me.
Regards,
Kyle
Sample #6: Thank-you email after phone interview
Sometimes, phone interviews end with a request for additional information, such as your portfolio or LinkedIn profile, for example. Instead of simply sending what was requested, express your gratitude in the email as well. For instance, you could say:
Hi Sabrina,
First, I would like to express my gratitude for your call today. I know recruiters have busy schedules, so thank you for taking the time to get to know me.
As promised, I’ve attached my portfolio and reference letter here. Please let me know if you need anything else.
Best regards,
Michael
Thank-you email after interview template
Hi [Interviewer Name],
Thank you so much for meeting with me today. It was such a pleasure to learn more about the team and 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 in the hiring process, and please don’t hesitate to contact me if I can provide additional information.
Best regards,
[Your Name]
How to send an additional follow-up email after an interview (after your thank-you note)
In a perfect world, we’d always hear back quickly after an interview—maybe even faster than the timeline they gave you during the conversation. But, of course, that’s not always the case. Here’s some advice on how to send a follow-up email after your thank-you note:
Your thank-you note sets the tone after your interview. Whatever you do: Don’t skip it. Use the template above to remind the hiring manager what a great applicant you are, and to show how much you care.
FAQs
How soon should I write a thank-you email after an interview?
An interview thank-you email should be written on the same day of the interview. There’s no need to rush, though. Write it calmly, making sure there are no grammatical or spelling errors, and send it a few minutes or hours after the interview.
What not to say in a thank-you email after interview?
Don't pressure the interviewer for feedback on your performance or whether you'll be chosen for the role. There are often many candidates being interviewed, and the decision process can take a couple of weeks. If you haven't heard back within a week or two, it's okay to follow up.
What should I title my thank-you email after an interview?
Be brief and direct. “Thank you for meeting with me,” “Thank you,” and “Thank you for your time” are good enough subject lines for a post interview thank-you letter.
Is sending a thank-you note after an interview desperate?
No, it isn't. Actually, employers find it nice and thoughtful. Besides that, thank-you emails are considered proper business etiquette and are often expected.
Alex Cavoulacos contributed to an earlier version of this article.