Like so many elements of the job search process, crafting the perfect follow up thank you email after a job interview is easier said than done. It can be a challenge to strike the right tone. You want your interviewer to get the right impression, but trying too hard can be a real turnoff.
If you’re doubting about writing one, just remember that thank you letter is just another opportunity to show that you are:
- Detail-oriented: You remembered specific details about your interviewers.
- Direct and confident: You’re not intimidated to reach out directly to someone who could become your teammate.
- People-focused: You recognize that connecting on a personal level is valuable on so many levels.
- Love feedback: You know that you can always improve.
- A team-player: You spent some time imagining what it would be like to work alongside this group of people.
- Someone who values other people: You understand that every work team is made up of people who each have something unique to offer.
- A big-picture thinker: You’re looking beyond the small details of everyday work and considering the environment as a whole.
- Serious about the job. You’re thoughtfully considering details about the position and the work the company does.
- Ready to be an engaged member of the team. You’re spending time thinking about the kind of problems you would be solving in this position.
- Excited. You seem motivated about the position and value the conversation you had during your interview.
- Personally connected. They are reminded that you may have gone to the same college or university, are from the same hometown, or share an interest in a unique hobby. You could fit right in!
- Confident. You’re not afraid of appearing out of your element to find out information about something.
- A serious candidate. You are looking ahead to the questions you might have if you were to be hired by the company.
Here are some interview thank you email examples that will show your hiring manager that you are friendly, thoughtful, and excited about joining the team. If you are having trouble landing on the right template, take some time to think through your phone interview. Jot down a few notes about what you talked about, and you’re sure to come across an ideal angle for your interview thank you note.
Table of Contents
Best thank you emails after an interview:
18 samples (2020 update)
A simple, direct, thank you email
Subject: Thanks for your time today
Thank you for spending part of your day with me today talking about the ____ position. I came away feeling excited about joining the team and confident that I could hit the ground running.
Please let me know if I can provide any additional information that might help as you move ahead with your review process.
Thanks again,
Offer to provide references
Subject: Thanks so much for your warm welcome today
Thanks so much for taking the time to talk with me today about the ____ position. It was honestly a fun day!
Happy to send along references or any other info that you might need.
Thanks again, and looking forward to hearing from you.
Best regards,
Subject: Thank you!
Wanted to drop a quick note to thank you for your time earlier today. It was great to meet you via ___ and to learn more about ___.
If you would like references, please let me know and I’d be happy to provide.
Best wishes with ___.
Cheers,
It was great meeting the team!
Subject: Meeting the team today
Thank you for taking the time to talk to me today!
It was great to meet the team and connect with people who clearly love what they do 🙂 I left the interview feeling super excited about whatever my future will look like in this field.
If you need any additional information, please let me know.
Take care,
Make An Impression & Continue the Conversation
Subject: Thank you and a quick question
Thanks so much for taking the time to meet with me today. It was great learning more about ___.
What you said about ______ made me think you may find this [LINK] interesting. Curious to hear your thoughts.
Talk soon,
Offer Something In Return
Subject: Post-interview thought
I appreciate you taking the time to talk with me today during my interview. I loved getting a chance to talk to people who are as geeky as I am about ____ 🙂
The way you described ____ is brilliant. I think you’ll enjoy reading this article on by ___. It was a huge inspiration for me when I started in ____.
Thanks again, and please reach out if you need references, portfolio, etc.
Best,
Reference The Conversation
Subject: {website or tool name}
It was very nice talking with you today 🙂
This is the website / tool I was talking about earlier:
Thank you!
Excited about the mission
Subject: Thank you for your time yesterday!
Thank you for your time yesterday afternoon. I really appreciate you sharing your vision for ___ and taking the time to get to know me and my background.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any additional questions. I’m looking forward to hearing back on the next steps in the process.
Cheers,
Excited to build together
Subject: Appreciate your time
Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with me yesterday about all things ___! Would love to build ___ together. It’s something I’ve been passionate about for the last few years, and I think you’re onto something very compelling.
Please let me know if there’s anything you need from me in order to move forward. Stay safe and have a great day!
Cheers to your success,
Poor internet connection or call dropped off
Subject: Appreciate your time
So sorry our call today dropped off a few times today! I really enjoyed meeting you.
If you have any availability later this week, I’d love to finish our conversation. Let me know what times work best for you, and I’ll put a quick follow-up on our calendars.2
Cheers,
18 more interview thank you email samples
Thanks again,
Who to send a thank you note to
There are two philosophies about who to send the post-interview appreciation emails to if you had a panel interview with a prospective employer. You could either send one email to both interviewers at once or you could send two separate emails.
If you are going for a more personalized approach and want to highlight something that you have in common with a specific interviewer, definitely go for separate emails. It will make each person feel special and give you room to set the tone for future conversations with each interviewer individually. If you want to come across friendly and someone who values transparency, following up with both interviewers in one email.
Never send a thank you note to one of the interviewers but not another. It alienates the interviewer that was left out and can come across as plain rude.
When to send a job interview thank you email
There are two philosophies about who to send the post-interview appreciation emails to if you had a panel interview with a prospective employer.
Most job seekers send a note either immediately after an interview, at the end of the day, or next day. What do all of these cadencies have in common? You follow up, you’re organized, and you value other people’s time. There are nuances, however.
- By following up immediately after an interview, you show that you love playbooks, and sending a thank you email after the interview is one. You also come across as someone who has a high sense of urgency.
- By following up at the end of the day, you give an interviewer a chance to process the information they gathered from an interview. Because it takes more effort to remember to do something when there is a time lag, this send time shows that you follow up and follow through.
- Following up the next day shows that you love balance. You remember things that matter but you have other opportunities and everything will happen at the right time.
What email address to send a thank-you note from
Common interview thank you email pitfalls
There are also some things that can go terribly wrong for job candidates in a follow-up email after an interview:
- You misspell the interviewer name
- You reference the wrong job title or position name
- You show too much enthusiasm by including keywords like “job offer”
- You don’t include sample work when you were explicitly asked to provide it
- You use an inappropriate signature (too formal, or too informal)
- You don’t use a clear subject line
Don’t Miss the Opportunity to Make a Good Impression
Here’s the thing. No, you don’t have to send a follow-up email to recruiters or hiring managers after your interview. It’s not a rule, and the company won’t think less of you or not invite you to the second interview because of it.
However, when you take the time to send a sincere thank you note, you stand out from the crowd just a bit more. Follow it with an invite to connect on LinkedIn, and it shows that you take every interview as an opportunity to network and build a great relationship, even if it doesn’t work out this time. You always have a chance to improve the impression you made in person or over a video call. It also feels nice to express your gratitude for the opportunity to interview as time is our most precious asset. Good interview followed by a timely thank you note shows you’re a great candidacy for the open role.
Need help finding opportunities at companies that fit who you really are? Betterleap can help. We put your employment search on autopilot, so you can concentrate on landing your dream job. Learn more and get started today.
- Author Details

While Anna cut her corporate teeth on the product team at Airbnb, it was her early-stage startup experience that really introduced her to the world of recruiting. While she was growing the team there, she realized how painful, arduous, and challenging recruiting really is. That is, until you find a stellar recruiting team. Today, she leverages her deep recruiting experience as Betterleap’s co-founder and visionary.