Best Thank You Email After Interview [2023]

Why is it important to write a thank you letter after an interview?

Some employers may expect a thank you note after an interview. It’s a gesture that depicts your interest in the role, while also showcasing your good manners. When you write a post interview thank you email, you get another opportunity to influence your potential employer’s decision. With the follow-up email after the interview, you can reiterate your interest in and qualifications for the position.

A thank you letter after interview offers a personal touch and has the potential to set you apart from the league of other candidates. When you email, you connect with the hiring team much more quickly and influence their decision before making any hiring decision. It is recommended to send your thank-you email within 24 hours after the interview to make an impression on the recruitment team. It enables the hiring process to move quickly. Research indicate that 80% of HR managers consider thank-you emails influential in their hiring decisions, highlighting the importance of this often-overlooked step in the interview process.

The employer has to interview all the suitable candidates, which might take a few weeks, since this depends on the applicants’ availability and everyone who will interview them.

To keep your expectations in check, asking the interviewer about their timeline for deciding on a candidate before you leave the interview room is always a good idea. This way you’ll know when it’s appropriate to follow up. Start by following up with the individual who said they’d be in touch with you. That could be the recruiter, recruiting coordinator, or hiring manager. Email is the best way to follow up without appearing pushy.

Read on more as we have some sample thank you emails after interviews.

How to write a follow up email after an interview? 

What should you do after you’ve given a job interview? 

First, let out a deep breath. Regardless of how it went, you can now relax. The tough part is over. But do not think you are in the clear completely. Many other thoughts are crawling into your mind: how it went, what would be the result, will I make it through, when should I put up a follow-up mail after the interview, etc.

We know it is obvious to fall into such a trap of thinking post interview that you should wait to be contacted with a decision. This is not the case. Within an hour of being interviewed, you can take steps to improve your chances of being hired.

Start by following up with the person/interviewer who said they’d be in touch with you. That could be the HR, recruiter, recruiting coordinator, or hiring manager. Emails are the best way to follow up without being pushy on the interviewers.

1. Send a thank-you note after interview

First step should be to send a thank-you note to the interviewer/s and the person who scheduled it within two days of the interview. It leaves a positive impression on the interviewers.

Keep the email brief. Recruiters appreciate brevity given their busy schedules. Show gratitude and thank everyone who interviewed you on their busy schedule, re-emphasize your interest in the role, and express curiosity about the next step in three 2-3 sentence paragraphs max. 

3. Express genuine interest in the role.

Experts suggest tailoring each thank-you note to reflect the specific conversation you had with the interviewer, avoiding generic statements and focusing on unique aspects of the discussion.

4. Tailor it to your recipient

Craft a unique thank you message to each person interviewed based on their role. Personalizing shows attentiveness and leaves a favorable impression. For e.g. an external recruiter, focus on the hiring process rather than technical job details. For executives setting strategic vision, express eagerness to positively impact the organization.

5. Stepping Outside Just Emailing Thanks

Not just email, thank you notes can be sent through the same platform used to contact the candidate. If reached out to on LinkedIn, for example, it’s appropriate to message back gratitude on that channel. This flexibility allows matching the communication type to what the interviewer prefers. The main goal is expressing appreciation in a timely personalized manner.

At last, if there’s something you forgot to mention during the interview, this is a great opportunity to bring it up during follow-up emails post interview.

When to follow up after an interview?

The employer has to scrutinize and interview suitable candidates, which might take a few weeks. Since it depends on the availability of both the parties and people involved to interview the selected candidates. After your interview, if the company has not updated anything about the next step, it’s best to wait at least a week and then follow up. If you are over-curious, you risk annoying the recruiter or the hiring manager through your mail or call.

What to include in a thank you letter

To make your thank-you email effective, ensure to include the standard elements below.

Most thank you notes after the interview has the following content: 

1. Email Subject line

You need to write a subject line that efficiently conveys your message. Like: “Thank you for taking time for the meeting” or “It was a pleasure to meet you today”  Personalized greeting  

A very standard and foremost thing is to begin thank-you emails with a salutation. “Hello {interviewer name}” or “Dear {Interviewer name}” is ideal for most thank you notes.

2. Note of appreciation

Start with an expression of your gratitude. For example, ” Hi {interviewer’s name}, Hope you are doing good. Thank you for the time to discuss the {position’s name} with me.”

3. Recap of your qualifications for the role

You should write a brief recap of your experience, background and how it matches with the position after a note of appreciation. For example, you can write, “My insurance claims handling expertise would make me an excellent candidate for this chief claims manager role.” 

4. Prompt for the next step

To close the thank you note email; you may ask the hiring manager about the next step and arrange a follow-up interview, stating, “please update me if there is any further round to be kept”.

5. Contact information

Finally, write your contact information (email address and phone number). The interviewer should already have it with him, but listing them in your email can make it easier for them to locate you for additional steps.

Example of Thank You Email After Interview

Thanking someone for giving their time and efforts to line you up for an interview is a professional etiquette every jobseeker should follow. It is a basic professional etiquette to show them your gratitude for considering you for the position, an eagerness to get another better opportunity on your career front. It also provides an excellent opportunity to build a relationship you established in the interview.

Aside from being polite, there is a way to thank your interviewer and express your interest in the position. You can seize the chance to be considered more on writing a professional mail to them and clarifying any other details if you want to ask. 

For those unsure of where to start, here’s a simple email template to craft your thank-you email. If you’re looking to quickly follow up after a phone interview or after first round of discussion, this brief thank-you note includes all of the essential elements while adding a personal touch:

Sample thank you email template after interview

How to Follow Up after a Second Interview?

A follow-up email is a mail sent to the company by the candidate after completing a job interview. Typically, it should be sent after the interview is given by thanking the hiring manager for the opportunity. 

Second follow-up email should be sent to ask about the status of the position you applied and interviewed for, if you have not heard from the company after about two weeks.

Here’s what all your second follow-up emails should contain- 

1. Enter relevant information related to your position in the subject line

For example: ‘Digital marketing manger’s position’, Question about {job title}

2. Open with a greeting 

For example – Hello, {name} 

3. Include a sentence about the position 

After the greeting, write about the role you applied for. It will help the hiring manager to check your exact details and status. Since hiring managers generally interview several candidates every day. 

4. Ask a question 

After reminding them of the role, you can ask about their status. You may ask the following questions in your email:

Wanted to check, if you have filled the position?

How is the hiring process advancing forward?

5. Show your interest 

Include a statement which shows your interest in the position and you’re a passionate candidate. Here’s how you can convey – 

I am happy to express my interest in becoming a team member of {department} at {company’s name}. 

I am excited about the thought of working for {company name}.

6. Offer thanks 

Thank them.

7. Write your full name and direct contact information 

Always end your mail by your name and direct contact details like mobile no and email id. 

Best, 

Thanks again, {your full name}

{Email id} 

Related : How to End an Interview as a Job Candidate

Follow-Up Email after a Second Interview Example

Here’s a how-to follow-up guide after the second round of interview

A follow-up email after the second round of interview refers to an email candidate sends to a company after completing the second round of discussion. Typically, a candidate should send his/her first follow-up email the day after the interview thanking them.

It’s essential to respect the job hiring process that recruiters go through. If the interviewer told you a decision would be made by next week, don’t contact them before this apart from your thank you note.

If you do not hear back from them even after that time, you can send a second follow-up email and check the position status if you have not heard from the company after your first round of interviews.

There is nothing wrong with sending a short interview follow-up note to see if the company has made a decision.

Example email template of what should your follow-up after the second interview email say – 

Related : Interview Tips: How to Improve Interview Performance and Get a Job

Cultural Considerations in Crafting Your International Thank-You Emails

When applying internationally, it’s important to research etiquette and best practices for job applications in that particular culture. Certain societies may appreciate a more formal, politely worded approach in an introductory email, with clearly structured content and carefully chosen phrasing. Others prefer brevity and straightforward communication without a lot of elaborate formalities. Taking the time to understand customary conventions in the target country and crafting your email accordingly demonstrates respect and shows that you did your homework as an applicant. The goal is to find the right balance between professional decorum and conversational directness based on what will resonate best in that specific locale.