How to Write a Thank-You Note After an Interview by TeenLife
TIMING MATTERS
Send your thank-you note as soon as possible (preferably within 24 hours of your interview), but allow yourself enough time to craft a thoughtful email. If you interviewed with several people, ask for everyone’s contact information, as you’ll want to thank them individually. If you forget, reach out to your primary company contact as soon as possible to request their names and email addresses.
WHOM TO THANK
Whether you interviewed with one person or several, send a thank-you to everyone. And don’t use the same exact email for each person. Guaranteed that they’ll compare notes, and it’ll be very obvious if you’ve simply gone the ‘cut and paste’ route. Tailor your emails to each recipient, if you can. For example, try to include small details you learned about the interviewer, such as a common interest or something about your background that piqued their interest when you spoke.
You can write shorter emails to those who aren’t the main decision-maker, thanking them for their time. But even those brief notes can include a sentence or two that demonstrates your engagement in the conversation and shows that you understood their priorities. If you participated in a panel interview, you may choose to send a similar email to all participants, as you all engaged in the same discussion.
CRAFT A CATCHY SUBJECT LINE
The first thing your interviewer sees is the subject line, so make it a good one to catch their interest. Keep it clear and informative, but also short enough to avoid being cut off, especially on a mobile device.
While there’s no strict formula for a thank-you note subject line, thoughtful communication reinforces the positive impression you’ve already made.
Be direct: Avoid using clickbait; the interviewer should immediately understand the email’s purpose.
Provide context: You’re probably not the only candidate interviewing for a role, so include enough information so they can recall who you are and what you discussed.
Keep it brief: Different email platforms and viewing methods mean there’s no “perfect” length. But most mail apps truncate subject lines after about 40 characters, so use that for your guide.
To encourage the recipient to open your email, consider including one or more of the following: “Thank you” or “Thanks”
A concise reference to your meeting: “Thanks for the interview” or “Thanks for our discussion”
The job title: “Thank you - marketing manager interview”
The interview’s time or day: If you send your note promptly, you can use phrases like “Thanks for the chat this morning” or “this afternoon”
Here are some templates you can tweak and use:
[Thanks/Thank-you] for [chatting/meeting/talking/your time, etc.]
[Thanks/Thank-you] for [chatting/meeting/talking, etc.] with me [this morning/afternoon/yesterday]
[Thanks/Thank-you] for [discussing X with me]
» Thank you for our chat about the Engineering I position
» Thanks again! Loved learning about the Engineering I role
» Thanks for a great chat yesterday! Need my portfolio link?
» Thanks for the call; here are my references
STEPS TO WRITE AN EFFECTIVE THANK-YOU NOTE
The most important thing to remember about your thank-you? Keep it brief and to the point. This follow-up message should express gratitude for the interviewer’s time, emphasize key takeaways from your conversation, address any reservations they may have raised about your qualifications, and reaffirm your enthusiasm for the role. Don’t simply regurgitate your resume.
Follow these steps:
1. Use the interviewer’s name: Your greeting should address the interviewer directly.
2. Express gratitude: Start by conveying your thanks and appreciation for the interviewer’s time and consideration. One sentence is all you need. Don’t do this: “I’d like to take the opportunity to thank you for meeting with me.” (too wordy!) Do this: “Thank you for our chat yesterday.” (short & sweet)
3. Reaffirm your interest: Reiterate your reasons why you believe you’re a strong candidate.
4. Reference a specific discussion point: Include a specific detail you remember from the interview. For example, you could say, “I found our conversation about the company’s development of a new tech stack that integrates with Salesforce particularly interesting.”
5. Highlight your potential contributions: Build on the previous point, give an example of how your skills or experience would benefit the company. For example, you could say, “My two internships have allowed me to grow my proficiency with Python, which would be highly relevant for helping the company to build machine learning models.”
6. Reiterate the timeline (if relevant): In the last paragraph, politely remind the interviewer of the timeframe they provided for when you can expect to hear from them about the next steps in the hiring process.
7. End professionally: Conclude with a professional sign-off, such as “Regards,” “Best regards,” “Warmly,” or “Sincerely,” followed by your complete contact information.
TEMPLATES & SAMPLES
You may wonder if using AI to help write a thank-you note is acceptable. The short answer? Yes, but with a caveat: Don’t use the AI-generated copy without personalizing it with your own style, otherwise it will sound like a computer wrote it.
Adding personality to your thank-you email will help you stand out from the others. Chances are, your interview started with a few pleasantries or perhaps veered into non-job-related topics. Did you chat about favorite books on organization or best apps to manage schedules if you were sharing how you prioritize multiple projects? Mention that bit in your thank you!
You can add it as a PS:
EXAMPLE #1
PS — Here’s the link to the app I mentioned. I couldn’t believe how helpful it was in keeping my schedule straight during my senior year, when I was balancing classes, my internship, and my part-time job.
EXAMPLE #2
PS — Always good to meet a fellow sci-fi fan. I thought of another book you might love if you haven’t read it yet: Starter Villain.
EXAMPLE #3
PS — Thanks for the recommendation to download Calm. I just tried a 5-minute guided meditation and it felt amazing! Do you recommend any specific programs for professional growth?
TEMPLATES & SAMPLES
If writing isn’t your strong point, or you’re worried about how your thank-you might sound, feel free to use and adapt one of these templates—or combine elements from multiple templates to create your unique thank-you.
TEMPLATE 1 (SHORT & SWEET)
Subject line: Thanks for meeting with me
Hello Sam,
Appreciate the opportunity to chat with you this morning about the [job] position and learn more about working with the [type] team. It was a pleasure to meet you!
It sounds like a rewarding role, especially given the opportunities for collaboration and contributing to [something the company is building/making/developing, or something the company does]. I think my [skills/abilities] skills and knowledge about [topic(s)] make me an excellent candidate for the role.
I look forward to discussing this opportunity further with you. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you need additional information. [If relevant: I’ve attached my references as per your request and] I look forward to hearing about the next steps.
Best,
Kylee Metzger
TEMPLATES & SAMPLES (CONT.)
TEMPLATE 2 (A MORE DETAILED VERSION)
Subject line: Thanks for our chat about the [position] role
Hello Sam,
So great to meet you today! I enjoyed our conversation about the [position] position and learning more about how the role works. The way [something from your conversation] sounds ideal for [company goals discussed].
The [position] position sounds like a rewarding role, especially given the opportunities for me to contribute [one or two areas you can highlight on how you add value]. My [degree] from [college/university] and experience [something relevant to the role] make me an excellent candidate for the position.
I look forward to discussing this opportunity further and hearing about the next steps. Please don’t hesitate to contact me to arrange a follow-up interview.
Warmly,
Kylee Metzger
TEMPLATES & SAMPLES (CONT.)
TEMPLATE 4 (A MORE DETAILED VERSION)
Subject line: Thanks for our meeting today!
Hi Sam,
It was great to meet you today! Thanks for taking the time to share more about the [role] at [company]. It was interesting learning about [mention a specific aspect of the role or company discussed, e.g., the team’s collaborative approach, company’s growth plans, a particular project].
Our conversation solidified my interest in this opportunity. I was particularly excited to hear about [mention something specific, e.g., opportunities for professional development, company culture, chance to work on a specific project]. My [mention relevant skill/experience, e.g., coding ability, background in data analysis, passion for creative problem solving] aligns well with the requirements you described, and I’m confident I could make a significant contribution to your team.
I look forward to hearing about the next steps in the hiring process.
