A thank-you email after an interview is an opportunity to build rapport with the hiring manager and demonstrate your continued interest in the position. It’s also a great way to showcase your people skills, which are essential for every job.
Sending an authentic yet professional thank-you email after an interview will make you more memorable in the recruiter’s mind, setting you apart from the competition. That’s why you need to pay close attention to how you’ll craft it—it’s almost as important as the interview itself.
In this article, we’ll offer a few helpful tips on how to express gratitude to a recruiter, complete with samples of a thank-you email after an interview you can draw inspiration from. Let’s begin!
Key Takeaways
You should send a thank-you email shortly after a job interview to build rapport with the recruiter and reiterate your interest in the position.
A post-interview thank-you email shows professionalism and is a chance to polish an answer you may not be entirely satisfied with.
Your thank-you email should be brief and tailored to the recipient.
In a thank-you email, you should express your gratitude for the interviewer’s time and consideration and offer to answer any additional questions they may have.
Should You Send a Thank-You Email After an Interview?
You should send a thank-you email after an interview with a recruiter for several reasons, starting with the most obvious one—because it’s proper business etiquette. You were selected from a pool of candidates for a conversation, and it deserves a “thank you.” It’s a sign you possess strong, soft skills, which are equally important as technical expertise.
Furthermore, a thank-you email is a second chance to answer questions. For example, you may have done well at the interview but are not entirely satisfied with your answer to a specific question. In this case, you can figure it out post-interview and share your new insights in the thank-you email.
This way, you’ll demonstrate genuine interest in the job, as well as your problem-solving skills and willingness to learn.
Lastly, sending a thank-you email after an interview can cement your positive impression on the hiring manager. That is, if you craft it properly, which brings us to our thank-you email guide.
How to Write a Thank-You Email After an Interview in 5 Easy Steps
In a thank-you email after an interview, you should briefly express your interest in the job, thank the recruiter for meeting with you, and offer to answer any additional questions. As for the tone, you should tailor it to the recipient to avoid sounding generic.
Let’s explore these tips in more detail:
#1. Thank the Recruiter for Their Time and Consideration
Crafting the perfect thank-you email isn’t an easy job—you want to come across as professional yet personable and express your enthusiasm about the job without seeming pushy. Navigating through this task can make you forget to actually thank the recruiter for meeting with you, which is ironic, given the point of your email. To avoid this conundrum, start your message by thanking the interviewer for their time and consideration. This way, you’ll demonstrate thoughtfulness and self-awareness, both of which are highly valued traits in a job candidate.
#2. Reiterate Your Interest in the Job
People often apply for many positions and go from one interview to the next routinely until they land a job. While there’s nothing wrong with that, recruiters usually don’t want to waste time on someone who’s not truly interested in their company. In addition, they can lose sight of you in the sea of applicants.
For these reasons, you should use your thank-you email as an opportunity to reiterate your interest in the job. You can highlight a specific aspect of the company that drew you in, emphasizing how it could contribute to your professional growth. The point is to set the company apart from other potential employers and express your excitement at the prospect of working there.
#3. Tailor Your Thank-You Email to the Recipient
To tailor your post-interview thank-you email’s subject line and body to the recipient, go over your previous exchanges and pay attention to how they started and signed their messages. Were they formal or casual? What was their writing style? Answer these questions to yourself and try to match the tone of your email to theirs.
Moreover, think about the recipient’s position. For example, if they’re an outside recruiter, you don’t need to go into technical details. However, if they’re an executive, you should focus on the concrete aspects of the job and your desire to make a positive impact within the organization.
#4. Keep It Short
You don’t need to (and shouldn’t) sing praises to the interviewer on an entire page. It’s unnecessary, and they most likely don’t have time to read long thank-you emails. Instead, briefly express your gratitude in the introduction and highlight the key points of the interview and reasons you find the role appealing in the body of your message.
Keep your sentences concise and paragraphs short—your email shouldn’t be over three paragraphs long with two to three sentences each.
#5. Offer to Answer Any Additional Questions
You and the recruiter both face challenges—searching for a job isn’t easy, and neither is choosing the right candidate. Keep this in mind and offer to answer any additional questions they may have for you. In fact, you can conclude your thank-you email on that note.
This shows your willingness to assist their decision-making process and keeps the lines of communication open. It’s a simple yet effective way to continue making a positive impression.
4 Thank-You Email Examples & Templates That You Can Use
Now, let’s explore examples of a thank-you email after an interview. Whether you’ve met with one recruiter, had a panel interview, or had a phone interview, these can help you convey your message concisely and to the point.
#1. Thank-You Email After a Phone Interview
Let’s see how you can thank a hiring manager after a phone interview:
Thank-You Email After a Phone Interview Example
Dear Mrs. Johnson,
Let me start by expressing my gratitude for your call. I understand how busy your schedule must be, so thank you for taking the time to get to know me.
As per our agreement, I’ve attached my reference letter and portfolio to this email. If you have any more questions for me, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Kindest regards,
Anna Matthews
#2. Thank-You Email for Multiple Interviewers
If you’ve had a panel interview, this is how you can thank multiple interviewers:
Thank-You Email for Multiple Interviewers Example
Dear Mr. Robinson, Mrs. Andrews, and Mrs. Hudson,
I want to thank you all for meeting with me today. I’m very excited about the prospect of joining your team and contributing to the organization’s goals. Creating campaigns with social impact has always been my passion, and I believe this role would be the perfect opportunity for me to develop my knowledge and drive positive change in society.
If you have any additional questions for me, I’ll be happy to answer them.
Sincerely,
Alice Ayers
#3. Short Thank-You Note
If you need to write a short thank-you note after an interview, here’s an example:
Short Thank-You Note Example
Dear Mrs. Roberts,
Thank you for speaking with me this morning. It was a pleasure to learn more about the content manager role. I’m enthusiastic about the opportunity to join your team and help you reach a wider audience with your content.
I’m looking forward to hearing from you regarding the next steps. In the meantime, please don’t hesitate to contact me if you need anything else.
Kind regards,
Jane Jones
#4. Thank-You Email After the Interview for an Internal Position
If you’ve been interviewed for an internal position, here’s how you can express your gratitude to the recruiter:
Thank-You Email After the Interview for an Internal Position Example
Dear Mr. Smith,
Thank you for talking to me today. I was happy to learn more about the role, as well as the responsibilities and challenges it entails. I believe I’m ready to take the next step in my career, and I’m excited about the opportunity to do so within the company.
Please don't hesitate to reach out if you need anything else from me.
Sincerely,
Amanda Wallace
Final Thoughts
Sending a thank-you email after an interview is a good way to strengthen the positive impression you’ve hopefully left on the recruiter. It’s also proper business etiquette—it shows your appreciation for someone else’s time, which is a highly valued trait in a job candidate.
Additionally, a thank-you email is a chance to express your continued interest in the job, especially if you highlight what you find the most appealing about it. However, be brief and concise—don’t make your email an extension of the interview.
If you do it right, your thank-you email can make a meaningful difference in the hiring process, helping you stand out from other candidates.
Thank-You Email After an Interview FAQ
#1. How soon should you write a thank-you email after an interview?
You should write a thank-you email within 24 hours of the interview. Not only does this show your enthusiasm and initiative, but it also ensures your conversation is fresh in the recruiter’s mind.
#2. What shouldn’t you write in a thank-you email after an interview?
You shouldn’t request feedback or ask whether you’ve been chosen for the job in a thank-you email after an interview. Remember, there are likely many candidates being interviewed, so you need to be patient and respectful of the interviewer’s time.
#3. Do interviewers read thank-you emails?
Not only do interviewers usually read thank-you emails, but they also find them helpful in deciding who to hire.
