How to write a thank you email after a job interview

You used every job interview tip you could find online and came out feeling like you aced the interview – congratulations! But what do you do now? Would it be weird to contact the company straight away to express your gratitude? The answer: it’s not weird at all! In fact, it’s a nice touch to let your potential employers know you’re excited by the prospect of the role.

Learning how to write a thank you email after an interview can go a long way in helping you leave a good impression and stand out from other applicants. It’s also a good chance to show off your written communication skills and form a stronger connection with the interviewer. 

So if you’re ready to reach out and say thanks, in this guide you’ll find some handy tips and thank you email after interview examples. Just be sure to personalise your email and make it your own to match the role, the interview and your personality.

Why send a thank you note after an interview?

Sending a thank you note after an interview is a small gesture that can make a big difference. A short, simple email saying thank you for the interviewer’s time shows appreciation and professionalism. Many interviewers even say they expect a thank you note or email after an interview, and add it to their checklist for the hiring process.

Aside from being professional and polite, a post-interview email is a good idea because it allows you to:

• Stay top-of-mind for the interviewer/hiring manager
• Remind them how passionate you are about the job and why you’re the right person for it
• Ask any questions about the role that didn’t come up during the interview.

When to send a thank you email

You should send your thank you email either on the same day as your interview, or the day after. Don’t wait more than 48 hours to send it, unless your interview was on a Friday afternoon, in which case the following Monday would be an appropriate time. 

What to include in a thank you email

So, you know it’s nice to send a short thank you email after interviews and when you should send it, but let’s look at what you should include. 

Personalised greeting

Start your email with a personalised greeting to the interviewer. Make sure you spell their name correctly. If your interview was with multiple people and you’re thanking them all in one email, address each of them by name. 

Gratitude for the interview

Remember: you’re emailing to thank the interviewer for their time and the opportunity to be considered for a role at their company. Be sure to mention the business name and job title, as this will help the interviewer identify you if they’re in the process of filling multiple roles. 

Interest in the position and business

Interviews provide the opportunity to learn whether a business is a good fit for you and vice versa. If all went well, let the interviewer know you’re interested and excited by the role, and include specifics of why you want to work for them. Keep your message short, to the point and positive. 

Key qualifications and skills

Your thank you email after an interview is the perfect chance to remind the interviewer how well your skills fit the role. Include any qualifications required, as well as specific skills you feel will help you in the role and benefit the business. There’s no need to cover every little detail – a single sentence summary of your relevant skills is enough.

Concerns and questions

Perhaps there were questions you had that weren’t covered in the interview. If so, you can include them in your thank you email, though it’s advisable to keep them to a minimum.  

Call to action

Your email should end on a positive note and include a call to action. Thank your interviewer and let them know to contact you if they have any follow-up questions or need any other information from you. For example, “Thank you again for meeting with me, and if there’s anything more you need, please don’t hesitate to reach out.” 

Tips for writing a thank you email

As with writing your resumé and application email, there is an art to writing a good thank you email. Now that you’ve met your interviewer, you can personalise your message and include details you think may appeal to them and make you more memorable. Here are some more email tips to keep in mind. 

Use a clear subject line

The subject line for a thank you email after an interview should catch the hiring manager’s attention and let them know straight away what the email is about. Keep the subject line succinct, mentioning the interview. For example, “Thank you for the interview, Sue.” Ideally, your subject line should be less than seven words to ensure it’s not cut off by the recipient’s email platform. 

Keep your email concise

The aim of a thank you email is to keep you top of mind while showing gratitude and making some positive lasting impressions. Aim to keep your email short and to the point, leaving out unnecessary details. A few sentences should be enough. 

Give the email a proofread 

Proper spelling and grammar is important when writing your thank you email, especially if you listed written communication as one of your skills or it’s part of the job. Once you’ve written your email, give it a close read, ensuring you’re using the correct spelling and grammar, and you’ve touched on all the important points. 

Bonus tip: double-check you’ve spelled the names of the interviewer and the company correctly. Misspelling names shows a lack of care and attention to detail – you want to be absolutely certain you get them correct.

Personalise it

Your job interview thank you email should be as sincere as possible. Even if you use a thank you email template, personalise it with details that came up during the interview and change the language to reflect your tone of voice (how you write and speak). If you don’t, it might be obvious that you used a template, especially if it’s in a different tone to your application and how you spoke in the interview.

Customise your email to each interviewer

If your interview was with multiple people and you’ll be sending an email to each of them individually, be sure you customise your email to each person. There’s a good chance the other interviewers will see your emails, so personalising them will show the effort you put into your thank you notes. 

Use a professional tone

While it’s important to use your own tone of voice, you’re still in the interview stage of getting the job. Keep it professional and avoid using slang or being too casual in your post-interview email.

Follow-up strategies for your post interview email

Waiting to hear back about an interview can be nerve-racking, but it’s important to wait an appropriate time before following up your thank you email. If the interviewer told you when they’d get back to you, wait that full amount of time. If you haven’t heard back after 48 hours past the point they said they’d contact you, send a second email thanking them again and asking if there is anything more they need for your application.

There is a chance the interviewer didn’t let you know when you’d hear back from them. If this is the case, give them at least a week before sending a follow-up email. Again, be sure to thank the interviewer for meeting with you, and ask if there is anything else you can provide. If you don’t hear back after this follow-up email, it may be time for you to move on with your job hunt.

Common mistakes to avoid

While there are many things that are appropriate to include in your thank you email, there are also common mistakes you should try to avoid, to help better your chances at a reply or even a job offer. 

Top mistakes to avoid in your thank you email include:

• Sending a generic email – personalise it!
• Focusing too much on yourself – instead, focus on how you’ll benefit the company
• Being too informal or casual – be yourself, but be professional
• Forgetting to proofread – triple-check your email before you hit send.

With these tools in your arsenal, you’ll be able to write a memorable thank you email to help you stand out and remind your interviewers why you’d be great for the job. 

Thank you email vs. thank you note

There’s another way you can say thank you to your interviewer: in a letter, note or card. In the digital age, sending a thank you email after interviews is usually the way to go, but there are a few situations where you could send a physical thank you note instead.

When to send a thank you note over a thank you email

There are a few instances where a thank you note or letter could be a better choice than an email, such as:

• Where the interview process is longer and you’re looking to stand out
• Where the interviewer is ‘old-school’ and may not use email much
• Where there is time to do so and it feels like the right thing to do

In most situations, a thank you email after an interview is the best option, but a note can also be a nice touch in the right situation.

Five job interview thank you email examples

So you’re ready to put fingers to keyboard and type up a thank you email. If you’re not sure where to start, give these templates a try. Remember to personalise them and add details that are relevant and specific to your interview.

1. Traditional thank you email

A standard thank you email after a job interview shows gratitude and reiterate why you believe you’re the best person for the job. It’s the most popular type of post-interview thank you email and will work in most situations.

Example of a traditional thank you email

Hi [interviewer’s name],

Thank you again for meeting with me on [date] for the role of [job title] at [business name]. I’m excited at the prospect of working with your team and using my skills in [relevant skills/expertise] to help you to [company goal]. [Key function of role] is a passion of mine, and I believe it’s something I would excel in for [business name].

If there’s anything you need from me, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. 

Kind regards,

[Your Name]

This may read like:

Hi Mary,

Thank you again for meeting with me yesterday for the role of Junior Manager at ABC Bank. I’m excited by the prospect of working with your team and using my skills in client services and EFTs to help you build your customers’ portfolios. It’s a passion of mine to help people reach their financial goals, and I believe this is something I would excel at for ABC Bank.

If there is anything you need from me, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. 

Kind regards,

[Your name]

2. Short thank you email

A short thank you email is exactly that: a brief message to thank an interviewer. While all thank you emails should be concise, a short message is appropriate when you know the interviewer is very busy or you are passing the message onto them via a recruiter. Even with this shorter thank you email (after interview) example, you’ll want to add personalised touches relevant to you and your experience.

Example of a short thank you email

Hi [interviewer name],

Thank you for taking the time to meet with me on [day] to discuss my suitability for the role of [job title] at [business name]. I loved hearing about the team and the great work that you do, and feel my [top skill] skills would make me a great fit.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out for anything you may need.

Kindest regards,

[Your name]

3. An email following up on your thank you email

If you don’t hear back from the interviewer after five business days (or by the date they said they’d be in touch), you can send a follow-up email. This helps the interviewer know you’re still interested and puts you front and centre in their mind, which is where you want to be if they’ve been interviewing other people. Here’s an example of how that email might sound. 

Example of a follow-up thank you email

Hello [interviewer name],

Hope you are well. I’m just checking in to see if there’s any news about the [job title] role I interviewed for on [Interview Date]? 

Please let me know if there is anything more you need.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Kind regards,

[Your name]

4. Thank you email for a group interview

It can be a bit harder to make an impression in a group interview as you have to share the spotlight with other applicants. That’s why a thank you email after a group interview is an important tool to help you stand out. It shows gratitude and gives you a chance to differentiate yourself. The best thank you email after interviews with multiple applicants focuses on the unique skills and experiences you could bring to the role. 

Example of a thank you email for a group interview

Dear [interviewer],

Thank you for inviting me to interview for the [role] role at [company name]. It was great meeting you and getting the opportunity to learn more about the company and how important the role is to [company mission].

During the interview, you mentioned [key objective], which is something I’m also passionate about. I really believe my [skills/expertise] skills, in addition to my [unique experience], would help me excel in the role.

If there is any other information you’d like to know, feel free to contact me at any time.

Thanks again,

[Your name]

5. Thank you email with additional information

During your interview, you may be asked to send additional information to the interviewer later, or maybe you volunteered to send some examples of your work. Extra information could include your portfolio, references or qualifications that help you stand out. 

In your email, take the chance to thank the interviewer and include any helpful context about the information you’re sending them. It’s best to send requested information straight after the interview or within a few hours, so they can move forward with your application.

Thank you email with additional information example

Hello [interviewer name],

Thank you again for meeting with me today. It was a great pleasure to hear more about the [Job Title] role at [company name], and how I can be a part of [company key mission].

As discussed, please find [type of information] [attached/below]. If you need any more information, please don’t hesitate to contact me. 

Again, I appreciate the opportunity and look forward to hearing from you.

Regards,

[Your name]

A thank you email takes only a few minutes to send, but can have a lasting positive impact on your application. It helps you stay in the interviewer’s mind and gives you that extra chance to show why you’re the perfect person for their team. Keep it short and to the point – and don’t forget to proofread before you hit send!

FAQs

What if I don't have the interviewer's email address?

If you don’t have the interviewer’s email address and you want to thank them personally for their time, you can do so through the person who set up the interview. For example, if a recruiter arranged the interview, you can start by thanking them for giving you the opportunity, then ask for an email address for the interviewer – or write a message for them to pass along. 

Alternatively, if the interview was arranged over the phone, you can look online to see if you can find the interviewer’s email address or call the company and ask for their information, if they’re allowed to share it. The interviewer will be impressed that you’ve made such an effort to send a post job interview thank you email. 

Can I send a thank you email to multiple interviewers?

You can definitely send a thank you email to multiple interviewers, if you have all their email addresses on hand. You should send a follow-up thank you to each interviewer, whether that’s sending an email to each person or including them by name in a group email. Sending an email like this to thank them for their time and touch on something you discussed with them shows good attention to detail and that you were actively listening. If you don’t have each interviewer’s information, a single email is fine, but should name each interviewer.

Should I send a thank you email if I feel the interview did not go well?

A post-interview email is always a good idea, even if you feel it didn’t go well. You never know how the interviewer felt about the meeting, so it may have gone a lot better than you think. It’s also a good opportunity to highlight any of your best qualities you feel would make you perfect for the job, so be sure to mention those in your email. 

Is it okay to send a thank you email from my personal email address?

It’s okay to send a job interview thank you email from your personal email if it’s the address you used to apply for the role and it’s a professional-looking address. Send the email from your own personal email rather than from your work email.

On that note, ensure your email address looks as professional as you did at your interview, by using a format like this: [email protected].

How long should my thank you email be?

A thank you email after a job interview should be kept short and to the point, ideally no longer than 200 words. The more concise, the better!

You want to thank the interviewer for their time and touch on why you feel you’re best suited for the role, without losing their interest. It’s a good chance to show off your written communication skills, even more so if they're listed as an essential part of the job!