The interview is over. While many candidates skip the next step or send a one-line email from the parking lot, it is a good idea to write a proper note within a day to thank the interviewer and add one more reason to hire you. This allows you to shape what they remember when they sit down to compare candidates.

Email is usually the right choice, and it arrives while the conversation is still fresh. A handwritten card is a nice extra for a small office, but it takes days to arrive, so send the email first.

What to Include

  • A subject line that says thank you and names the job.
  • The interviewer's name, and thanks for their time on the day you met.
  • One detail from your conversation, such as a project, a problem the team faces or something they said about the job.
  • A sentence linking that detail to something you have done.
  • Anything you promised to send, such as a work sample or a list of references.
  • A short close that says you look forward to the next step.

Thank-You Email After an Interview

Sample letter. Names, organizations and details are fictional.

Thank you: IT Support Specialist interview

Dear Ms. Carver,

Thank you for meeting with me this morning about the IT Support Specialist position. I enjoyed hearing how your team keeps six branch offices running with just three people, and the tour of the server room was a nice surprise.

You mentioned that new laptops for all 60 staff will roll out in January and that every branch needs to keep working through the change. At my current job I planned a similar rollout for 45 users, swapping machines after hours one office at a time, and we finished without losing a working day. I would be glad to bring that plan with me.

As promised, I've attached the checklist I use for each laptop swap. Thank you again for your time, and I look forward to hearing about the next steps.

Best regards,
Omar Farouk
(555) 018-9051
omar.farouk@example.com

When to send it

Send it the same day if you can, or the next morning at the latest. If you interviewed on a Friday afternoon, a note sent that evening is fine, since the interviewer will read it on Monday morning with everything else.

Panel interviews and several interviewers

Write a separate note to each person who interviewed you, and change the detail in each one. Interviewers often compare notes, and three identical emails look copied. If you don't have everyone's email address, send one note to the recruiter or your main contact and ask them to pass on your thanks.

Short thank-you note

For a phone screen or a short video call, three sentences are enough.

Dear Mr. Ruiz,

Thank you for taking the time to talk with me today about the Account Manager role. I especially enjoyed hearing about your plans for the Denver office, and I'm even more interested in the job now. I look forward to hearing from you.

Best regards,

Hannah Price

If you get no reply

Wait until the date the interviewer gave for a decision, then send one short email that restates your interest and asks whether there is any news. If they gave no date, a week to ten days is a reasonable wait. One follow-up is enough, and after that the best use of your time is the next application.

Tips

  • Check the spelling of the interviewer's name and title against their email signature or business card.
  • Keep it short enough to read in a minute. Interviewers often read these between meetings.
  • Add one thing you forgot to say in the interview, if it matters, in a single sentence.
  • Skip a recap of your resume. Pick the one example that answers whatever the interviewer seemed most unsure about.
  • Send it from the same email address you applied with, so it lands with the rest of your application.
  • Thank the recruiter or coordinator who scheduled you as well, especially in a long process with several rounds.
  • Send a note even if the interview went badly. A thoughtful one still shows the kind of colleague you would be.