Searching for a new job can be an intimidating process. But when you get invited to an in-person interview, it’s a sign that your hard work is finally paying off. Congratulations!
After you’ve put in so much effort, like researching the company and preparing answers to questions, attending the job interview may have been the easy part. Now comes the time when many people forget their manners: sending a thank you email after the interview.
This might seem like just another thing on your to-do list related to finding employment, but there are actually several reasons why you should send one. In this blog post, we’ll discuss why and how to write a thoughtful job interview thank you email.
Why Should You Send a Job Interview Thank You Email?
In a nutshell, sending a thank you email is simply polite. Much like sending a handwritten thank you card after receiving a gift, sending an email will show your interviewer that you appreciated the time they took to meet with you. This can leave them feeling respected and appreciated and give them a positive impression of you.
Sending an interview thank you email may seem slightly outdated, but it is actually an excellent opportunity to demonstrate your interest in the position and stand out from other applicants. You can use this note to re-emphasize your skills and how they would benefit the role.
Additionally, career coach Denise Ingledue-Lopez, MA, PRC, emphasizes that the thank you note can be essential to how the hiring manager perceives you. Showing appreciation for their time and following up on details will demonstrate your commitment to the role and help you stand out. By sending this email, you can leave a lasting impression and make yourself a stronger candidate.
Do note that the job interview thank you note differs from anything else you may send during your job search journey. For example, a follow-up email might include questions about the progress of your candidacy. However, a thank you email simply focuses on expressing how thankful and enthusiastic you are for the opportunity to have been interviewed for the position. It gives off an impression of politeness and appreciation. This is why a thank you note has often been said to be necessary after a job interview.
8 Tips For Writing A Job Interview Thank You Email

When it comes to job interviews, a personalized thank you note is a must for every person who has interviewed you. Even if you have multiple interviews in one day, make sure to send each interviewer an individual thank you email. Here are some of the components that should be included in your interview thank you email:
Consider The Timing
Sending a timely thank you note after an interview is essential to making the right impression and ensuring your interviewer remembers you. To ensure that this message doesn’t get lost in the weekend avalanche of emails, aim to write it shortly following your interview. Unless there’s been some delay with post-interview reflections or due dates for notes, wait no longer than 48 hours from when you first shook hands.
Express Gratitude
Of course, a thank you note implies gratitude, but it’s also important to be more specific about what you’re thankful for. Recognize the interviewer for their time and effort in preparing for the meeting – this can be done simply and succinctly. Try something like “Thank you for taking the time to meet with me and preparing for the interview.”
Express Your Interest In The Job
After you’ve demonstrated your enthusiasm for the position in your interview, a thank you email offers one final chance to express it. To accomplish this, consider expressing yourself directly by saying something like “I want to reiterate my interest in the job,” or use more dynamic words such as excited and passionate when describing why joining a particular team appeals to you. This will show that not only are you interested but also eager and motivated!
Fill in The Email’s Subject
The subject line of your thank you email is important, as it will be the first thing your interviewer sees. To ensure your thank you note stands out, include your name after the words “Thank You.” The perfect subject line could be: “Thank You — John Anderson.” It’ll also help the interviewer quickly locate it if they have to search their inbox.
Mention Something Specific That You’ve Discussed In The Interview
When writing your thank you email, you might want to mention something specific discussed during the interview. Doing so will help you stand out from other applicants and help the interviewer remember you.
For instance, instead of just saying, “I appreciate you telling me about the role,” try something more detailed and personalized, like “I appreciate you explaining the ins and outs of the job. I’m really interested in testing and refining your content initiatives to drive more traffic to the blog.” You may also reference something personal you shared during the conversation, such as a shared love of a sports club or movie.
Make Clarifications If Needed
Next, you could also use the thank you email to clarify or add any information you may have forgotten to mention during your interview. For example, if you applied for a sales role and talked about your accomplishments, this is the perfect opportunity to highlight an additional achievement not mentioned in the interview.
You could say something like:
“I enjoyed speaking with you about my sales results from last year and the strategies I employed to reach those goals. Something I didn’t mention is that I developed a new sales deck which outlined our product’s value proposition, leading to an increase of 42% in new business.”
This shows the recruiter your commitment to improving processes and could make all the difference in their final selection.
Mention Why They Should Hire You
You can take the opportunity to remind the hiring team why you’re the most suitable candidate for the position. Emphasize a specific skill concisely and how it will benefit the organization. For example, “I am confident that my research abilities will be beneficial in helping the company locate and build relationships with potential customers.”
Add Call-To-Action
A call to action, commonly called CTA, is a specific directive in marketing messages, emails, or advertisements. It invites or encourages the audience (reader) to perform an action, such as clicking a link, filling out a form, subscribing to a service, or making a purchase. The main purpose of a call to action is to persuade or convince the users to take a desired action that aligns with the business goals.
In the case of an interview thank you email, your CTA could be as simple as “I look forward to hearing from you soon and discussing the possibility of working together. If you need any additional information, please don’t hesitate to reach out.” It encourages the hiring team to contact you for the next steps, and it’s much more effective than simply waiting for a response.
What Is A Job Interview Thank You Email Template?
Dear (Interviewer’s Name),
I would like to thank you for taking the time to speak with me on __(date)__ about the role of __(job title)__ at __(name of company)__. It was an enlightening experience discussing __(one unique element that you talked about during your interview)__ and has further stoked my enthusiasm for the opportunity to contribute my __(name a skill)__ skills to helping __(what will you help the company do with that skill?)__. (Add any other information here if you want, but keep it concise)
I’m eager to learn more about this role and hope I can be of assistance moving forward. If there’s anything else I can provide, please don’t hesitate to contact me at __(your phone number or email)__.
Thanks again for your time,
__(Your name).
What If You Don’t Know Your Interviewer’s Email Address?

At a job interview, you might meet with multiple people who are part of the hiring process. Sometimes, you may only have the email address of one person involved or even an HR representative who scheduled it but did not participate in the interview. Hence, asking for the interviewers’ email addresses at the end of the interview is recommended. However, if this doesn’t happen, how can you send a job interview thank you email without your interviewer’s email address? Don’t worry; we’ve got your back!
Try to find out if your single point of contact at the company knows anything about the missing email addresses. If that doesn’t work, you can try to imitate the email address format often used by the company. So, if you already have one of the email addresses, you can try to guess the others. It might help you reach all the interviewers and express your gratitude.
The Bottom Line:
Sending a job interview thank you email is an important step in the recruitment process. It shows your appreciation for the interviewer’s time and effort. It can also highlight any skills or experiences that weren’t discussed in the interview but could still make you stand out from other candidates.
FAQs
How soon should you send thank you email after interview?
Ideally, you should send your job interview thank you email within 24 hours after the interview. This way, your message reaches the interviewer on time. At most, don’t exceed 48 hours.
What to avoid in your thank you email?
Things to avoid in your interview thank you email- too much detail, talking excessively about yourself, or simply restating what was discussed during the interview. Keep it concise and focus on thanking them for their time.
How do you write an email after an interview?
The key to writing an email after an interview is to be polite but direct. Start by thanking the interviewer for their time, then briefly restate why you’re interested in the role. Follow up with any questions or additional information you may have and express your interest in hearing from them soon.