Thank you email after an interview: what to write (with examples)
Xiang (Arnold) Shang · · 4 min read
Short answer: send a short thank you email the same day, or the next morning at the latest, to each person who interviewed you. Thank them, mention one specific thing from the conversation, and say in a sentence why you still want the role. If you gave a weak answer, you can fix it in two sentences. If you hear nothing by the date they gave you, follow up once.
Why it is worth sending
A thank you email rarely decides an interview by itself. What it does is smaller and still useful: it arrives while the interviewer is writing up their notes about you, so a concrete sentence from you can end up in those notes. It is also your one chance to add something you forgot, or to fix an answer that came out wrong.
When to send it
The same day, or the next morning. After that it reads like an afterthought.
Send one to each person who interviewed you, not one email to the group. They do not need to be different essays, but each should mention something that person actually talked about.
If you do not have their email address, reply to whoever arranged the interview and ask them to pass it on.
What to put in it
- Thanks, in one line.
- One specific thing from the conversation: a problem they described, a project they are about to start, a question they asked.
- Why you fit that thing, in one or two sentences, with a real example.
- Optional: a fix. If you fumbled an answer, give the better answer in two sentences. Do not apologise twice.
- Close without asking for anything.
What to leave out: a summary of your whole resume, how much you want the job, and anything that reads as pressure (“I look forward to your positive response”).
Examples
After a phone screen with a recruiter
Subject: Thank you — [Role] call today
Hi [Name],
Thanks for the call today. It was useful to hear that the team is [what they told you], and that the next step is [the next step].
That matches what I enjoy most: [one sentence with a real example]. I’m happy to send anything else that helps.
Best,
[Your name]
After a technical or hiring manager interview
Subject: Thank you — [Role] interview
Hi [Name],
Thank you for the time today. You mentioned that [a specific problem or project]. I worked on something close to that at [company], where [what you did and what came of it, in one sentence].
I’d be glad to help with that here.
Best,
[Your name]
When you want to fix an answer
Hi [Name],
Thanks again for today. One thing I’d like to answer better: when you asked about [topic], I should have said [the better answer, in one sentence], for example [a short example].
Best,
[Your name]
To each person on a panel
Write a separate, shorter email to each person, with the one thing they asked about or talked about. Three short emails beat one long one sent to everybody.
If you hear nothing afterwards
Wait until the day after the date they gave you. If they did not give one, wait about a week. Then send one short follow-up:
Subject: [Role] — checking in
Hi [Name],
I wanted to check whether there is any update on the [Role] position. I’m still very interested, and happy to send anything else you need.
Thanks,
[Your name]
If two follow-ups go unanswered, close it in your list and move on. Our follow-up email after an interview guide has six emails for the usual situations (a date that passed, a final round, another offer with a deadline), and this one covers what to say if the answer is no.
Keep a note of what you sent
Write down who interviewed you, what each of them asked, and what you said in your thank you email. If you get a second round, those notes are the best preparation you have. A job application tracker keeps them next to the job.
Questions
Should I send a thank you email after an interview? Yes. It is short, it costs nothing, and it arrives while the interviewer is writing up their notes. Send it the same day or the next morning.
Is a thank you email after a phone screen too much? No. Keep it to three or four sentences: thanks, one thing from the call, and that you are happy to send anything else.
Should I email everyone who interviewed me? Yes, separately, each mentioning something that person talked about. Ask the person who arranged the interview for addresses you do not have.
How long should a thank you email be? Five sentences or fewer. One specific detail from the conversation is worth more than a paragraph of enthusiasm.
How long should I wait to follow up after an interview? Until the day after the date they gave you, or about a week if they gave none. Follow up once, and at most twice.
Everything here works on paper. If you would rather not keep the paper,the app does this bit — paste a posting and it fills in the details, and it all stays on your own computer.