Thank-You Note After an Interview: Tips and Sample Email

After an interview, job seekers should send a post-interview thank-you note. Candidates might send multiple thank-you letters if they’ve met with various people at the company throughout their job search, such as the recruiter, hiring manager, and team members who were at the interview. Whether or not you had an in-person interview, video interview, or phone interview, a follow-up email or letter is essential in making a good impression and bringing you closer to attaining your next job.

It’s ideal to send a thank-you note the morning after your interview. If you send your handwritten note via the post office, it might take a few days to arrive, so it’s better if you send it immediately. Be sure there is ample time to allow for snail mail in the hiring process.

While handwritten notes are thoughtful, they are unnecessary. In today’s digital world, a thank-you email is acceptable and should follow the same level of formality and appreciation that handwritten ones do. If you have the opportunity to do a second interview, however, a handwritten note might show vested interest and create more of a positive impression if your note after the first interview was an email.

Your thank-you note should be singular to your job interview experience and edited to ensure you impress your potential employer. Whether you participated in an in-person interview or a virtual interview, the thank-you note should follow the same template. Follow this outline:

1. 1. Craft a subject line. If you’re sending a post-interview email instead of a written note, include a short subject line saying something to the effect of “Thank you for yesterday’s interview.”
2. 2. Begin with a salutation. The note is a brief but formal letter, so start with the person’s title, such as “Dear Mr.” or “Dear Dr.”
3. 3. Express your thanks. Start by expressing gratitude; thank the person for taking the time to meet you and provide more information about the company culture, position, and expectations.
4. 4. Make the note personal. Mention something specific from the interview, maybe what you learned from the interview questions, something about the workplace culture, or new insights about the job. This section might start your second paragraph, but this type of thank-you note should generally not exceed two paragraphs.
5. 5. Use a closing salutation. End formally, using words like “sincerely” or “best regards.” Add your name and include contact information below it to ensure the reader can get back to you.
6. 6. Proofread your note. Reread your letter a few times to make sure there are no typos. You might even invite a friend to proofread it, too. The last thing you want to do is send a professional note rife with errors. That means checking spelling and grammar but also the spelling of the reader’s name and job title.

When crafting an interview follow-up, consider following this sample thank-you letter or email body copy:

Dear Ms. Lopez,

Thank you so much for taking the time to meet with me this week. It was a pleasure to learn more about the Associate Marketing Manager position and the company culture. I would be excited for the opportunity to join the team and help build the subscription base. I feel my skills and experience would be a great asset to your team.

I look forward to hearing from you about the next steps in the hiring process. Please feel free to reach out if you need any additional information.

Sincerely,
Lilian Miller
123-456-7890
l.miller@email.com

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