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How to Write a Post-Interview Thank You Note That Impresses

"Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to interview for this job." Are you writing a thank you note or a thank you email after your interview? Use our free template to make that thank you easier than ever.

By Lauren McGoodwin
January 11, 2024

Photo collage by Aliya Kamalova

When the interview is over, it's not really over until you write that post-interview thank-you note.

It's time to say thank you with a post-interview thank you note or email.

Sending a thank you email after the interview can really set you apart from other job seekers, and it can even influence hiring decisions. That's because only 24 percent of candidates actually send a post-interview thank-you note according to Robert Half. Impress your potential employer (and get a leg up on a quarter of the other candidates) by showing off your good manners.

By drafting and sending a thoughtful thank you note, you are signaling your continued interest, and it solidifies a (positive) lasting impression with the interviewer and/or recruiter.

Why You Need to Send a Post-Interview Thank You
How to Write a Thank You Letter After an Interview: 5 Things to Say in Your Thank You Email
6 Post-Interview Thank You Note Tips
Bonus! Second Interview Thank You Note Sample

Why You Need to Send a Post-Interview Thank You

You'll need to make this a habit because it doesn't matter if it's a phone, video, in-person, or final panel interview. You're engaging the interviewer's time and sharing your gratitude throughout the hiring process.

It's just plain good etiquette to say thank you after an interview. We’ve actually had hiring managers tell us to wait to schedule a second interview until we receive a post-interview follow-up email, and we've skipped hiring someone at Career Contessa because we didn't receive a thank you (it's one of our least favorite ways for an applicant to fail an interview). Yup, saying thank you is that important.

Beyond that, by sending a short thank you note, you're keeping yourself fresh in an interviewer's mind by reminding them of your best qualifications and why you're the best candidate for the role.

The Anatomy of an Effective Post-Interview Thank You Note

The magic of a great post-interview thank-you note can be broken down into five easy components:

A greeting detailing your appreciation (the “thank you” part!)
Something specific about the interview or items discussed
Why you see this as an exciting opportunity
A brief explanation of why you’d be a good fit for the job/your qualifications
Next steps and your contact information

The Interview Thank You Email Template

Here's an email template of a short and sweet post-interview thank-you note. The keyword here is short. When it comes to interviewing follow-up emails, less is usually more. But that doesn't mean you can't fit gratitude, thought, and excitement into a few short sentences!

Email Subject Line: Thank You From [NAME]! | [JOB TITLE] Interview Candidate

Dear [NAME],

Thank you again for taking the time to speak with me about the [JOB TITLE] position and for giving me additional insight into the responsibilities and day-to-day duties involved.

Our conversation today only increased my interest in the role. I would be thrilled to use my [SKILLS YOU DISCUSSED DURING INTERVIEW] to benefit [COMPANY NAME] and your goals, including the work you're doing on [SPECIFIC PROJECT OR WORK DISCUSSED IN INTERVIEW].

Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have additional questions for me! I look forward to having another conversation with you soon.

Best regards,

[NAME]
[CONTACT INFO]

5 Tips for Writing a Thank You Note After an Interview

The post-interview thank-you note is more than a formality. It's a signifier that you are a serious and qualified candidate who respects the interview process and all the time and effort that goes into it.

1. What Should I Say in My Post-Interview Thank You Email?

Avoid only going through the motions, because employers will see right through a generic note like this:

Hi there,

Thank you for taking the time to interview me! I really enjoyed meeting you and I hope to hear from you soon.

Best,
[NAME]

Instead, tailor your message to the specific interviewer and company using a flexible format—without writing a tome that they don't want to read. Make it personal, thoughtful, snappy, and quick!

Here's an email example using this template:

Subject Line: Thank You From Zoe Brown! | Product Coordinator Interview Candidate

Dear Leslie,

It was wonderful to meet you in person today at my interview for the product coordinator role. It was especially interesting to learn more about your role as a senior product manager, your team, and the recent product launch you're rolling out.

You mentioned needing a coordinator who's able to learn on the go, and that's a skill I'm eager to continue. Most recently, I built my own personal website for this job search and enjoyed the process of figuring it out.

I'd love the opportunity to continue learning with an innovative team and feel confident I'd be a great addition.

I've attached my resume and cover letter so you have digital copies. Please let me know if you need anything else from me. I look forward to hearing about the next steps in the interview process.

Sincerely,
Zoe Brown

[EMAIL]
[LINKEDIN PROFILE]
[PHONE NUMBER]

2. When Should I Send a Post-Interview Thank You Note?

Send it immediately, ASAP! Make sure to send the note (via email) within one business day—and be sure to send one to everyone you interviewed with, not just the hiring manager.

You can skip the handwritten note sent via snail mail approach—especially as the workforce embraces remote work. Email is appropriate and formal enough to make a good impression.

Even if you interview on a Friday afternoon—especially if you interview on a Friday afternoon—make sure to send that thank you email before starting your weekend activities. Don't wait until Monday. This shows the hiring manager that you appreciate the time she took, her thoughtfully-prepared interview questions, and the job at hand.

Bonus: Click here to get 5+ ridiculously useful email templates to send to your network.

3. Who Should I Send the Post-Interview Thank You Email To?

Send that note of gratitude and appreciation to each person who interviewed you—even if you only sat down to speak with them for three minutes—and personalize it by using their first and last names. For example, if you're being hired for an entry-level role and a potential coworker who would be your peer sat down with you, say thank you!

That person has more pull than you might think. Multi-person interviews exist so that hiring decisions are more shared. If you don't have their contact information, you can ask your recruiter to share it with you.

Another idea is to ask each person for a business card. The nice thing about having their business card is that you'll get their name, job title, and email.

Pro Tip: After you interview with a person, write notes on the back of their business card about your interview. Maybe you two bonded over a specific product or project? Write it down and it will come in handy later on when you're writing your thank you note.

4. How Long Should My Thank You Note Be?

The short answer here is just that—keep it short. After a day full of interviews, when your interviewer opens their email and sees a page-long block of text, they're probably not going to read it.

Upwork suggests keeping your post-interview thank you note to 80-150 words.

But don't fret. You can do a lot in 80-150 words, which brings us to our template!

5. What Are Common Mistakes in a Post-Interview Thank You Email?

Be sure to read through your email before you hit send. You don't want it to be full of typos or misspell the person's name. You'll also want to avoid sounding too casual, accidentally attaching something inappropriate, or following up so much it becomes annoying.

Also, to be safe, you might consider moving their email to a special folder. Someone on our team accidentally replied to their interviewer during a job interview when she most definitely meant to forward the reply. Luckily, she was expressing her enthusiasm and not anything negative.

Bonus: Second Interview Thank You Note Sample

Remember what we said earlier? Send a thank you note after every type of interview. When you're asked in for a second interview, you should send another thank you note via email (again, within 24 hours).

Send it to everyone who is involved. Really, the process doesn't vary too much from the first interview thank you note, except that you'll want to make it shorter.

One trick I love is to expand on a topic you covered with your interviewer in your second meeting. You can also use a more personal greeting since you've had some rapport by now.

Subject Line: Interview Round Two Thank You | [NAME]

Hi [NAME],

It was a pleasure speaking with you again today about the [POSITION]. I loved hearing more about [PROJECT OR GOAL DISCUSSED IN THE INTERVIEW]—and can't wait to potentially help your team on it! As always, please let me know if you have any questions or if I can send any additional information your way.

Regards,

[NAME]
[CONTACT INFO]

Simple enough, right?

A Few Final Notes

If you don't hear back right away, that's okay—wait five to seven days before following up (you can reply to your original thank you note) and express interest one more time. If they don't reply to several emails or by the date they promised, you might also consider this to be a bit of a red flag of a dysfunctional or even a toxic workplace.

Communication and respect are important from the start. Don't forget that. Good luck out there! We hope you're well on your way to your next interview!

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Lauren McGoodwin

Lauren founded Career Contessa in 2013 after experiencing a gap in career development resources for women who might be job searching, soul searching, leading and managing, or trying to find new ways to advance within their careers. With women accounting for more than 50% of the workforce and the workforce being less defined than ever before, it seemed crazy (and outdated) that a resource for us didn't exist.

Fast-forward to today, Career Contessa is now the largest online career site built inclusively for women. Lauren is also author of Power Moves: How Women Can Pivot, Reboot, and Build a Career of Purpose (2020), co-host of The Career Contessa podcast, and an educator/speaker on a variety of career topics.

Formerly, Lauren was a University Recruiter for Hulu focused on hiring, employer branding, and program management. Lauren has a Bachelors in Education from the University of Oregon and a Masters in Communication Management from the University of Southern California where she wrote her thesis on millennials and career resources.

When not Contessa-ing, you can find Lauren spending time with her family in Redondo Beach, CA where she lives with her husband and daughter.