After Interview Thank You Emails: The Ultimate Guide

You’re walking out of your interview, feeling great about how awesome you did, and then you remember: you have to send a post  interview thank you email. You know it’s the right thing to do, but you have no idea what you’re supposed to say in your thank you letter.

Don’t worry, I’ve got you. Writing an  interview thank you email is simple, but it also involves some strategy. Every time you communicate with an employer, it’s a chance to show off your personality and your passion, so always be intentional.

Use your after  interview thank you email as a way to remind them how fantastic you are, and it’ll definitely help you stand out from the rest of the applicants.

Alright, let’s break down everything you need to know about how to write a thank you email after an interview!

Quick note: this article has affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no charge to you if ya buy something!

Be specific

The most important thing you need to know about writing a job interview thank you email is you need to be specific. An employer will spot a generic, form email in a second, so you have to add details about you and your conversation to your post interview thank you note.

A great way to do this is by highlighting something you learned about the company during your interview and connecting it to your own experiences.

For example, a specific sentence from an interview thank you email would be:

“I enjoyed learning more about your mission to promote mindfulness in schools, because, as we discussed, I created a popular mindfulness program at my former school district.”

In that sample interview email, I combined complimenting the company with showing off an achievement from my (fictional) resume. It also connects my example passion, mindfulness, to the company’s mission of promoting mindfulness.

The best interview thank you emails are specific about the conversation and connect those details to your own experiences and accomplishments. I promise, it’s easier than it sounds, especially if you write it right after your interview ends!

Send it on time

Timing is everything when it comes to your interview thank you email. You don’t want to wait too long to send it, because they could be making their decision quickly. You also don’t want to send it so soon after your interview they think you just copy & pasted a form. 

I recommend sending your interview thank you email between 1 & 24 hours after your interview. Basically, if you can send it the day of your job interview, that’s best. If not, make sure you press send by the next day (same goes with a thank you letter, but we’ll get into that next).

Your interview thank you email is your chance to reemphasize why you’re the best candidate from the position. The sooner they get that reminder, the better!

Send 2 thank you notes

I know what you’re thinking, “Email is just so easy, why would I also send a thank you letter?” The answer: because it’s another thing that’ll make you stand out.

Landing a job in a crowded market is about doing everything you can to stand out, which includes sending a thank you letter with your email (and networking, btw). 

It also gives them one final reminder of how amazing you are and how much you care about the position.

Know what’ll make your thank you note stand out even more? Sending it from your own gorgeous, personalized stationary- you’ve gotta check these out!

To make this easier, get a big box of thank you letters, a sheet of stamps, and stash them somewhere. That way, you always have one when you need to send an interview thank you letter.

Remember, your goal is to stand out. They’re going to remember your name if all the candidates send just an after interview thank you email and you’re the only one that sends a thank you letter too.

Show your passion

This is another big part of standing out in your post interview thank you email: showing how passionate you are about the job and your field.

The key is to be passionate and show your personality without saying things like “This will be an amazing opportunity for my career” or “This will help me so much.” It sounds harsh, but they don’t care about that right now. Once they hire and get to know you, they will care about your career’s success (well, they should!).

Before you’re hired, though, they only care about what YOU will bring to THEM. So, show your passion and personality by, again, connecting your experiences to their job.

Here’s an example of how to connect your passion, experience, and the position:

“I’m also excited about this role’s focus on investing in the communities we serve. My mentor at my first school taught me the importance of doing so in a respectful way that promotes long term success, which I made sure to emphasize in my previous role.”

Showing your passion for the duties of the position or the mission of the company is one of the most important parts of writing an after interview thank you email that stands out.

Use it as an opportunity

I’ve pretty much talked about this in each sample interview thank you email above, but I want to emphasize it one more time: view your thank you as an opportunity. 

It’s an opportunity to stand out, show your personality & passion, and remind them of how fantastic you are. Don’t waste the opportunity by sending a generic, vague interview thank you template. 

The job market right now is tough, so you need to use every opportunity you can to stand out. So, keep that in mind the entire time you’re writing your interview thank you email: it’s an opportunity and you need to use it.

Did you spot any of these job interview red flags, btw?

Sample interview thank you email

This thank you email example is to give you a starting point for yours. Make sure you customize your thank you note to fit your personality and the job interview!

Dear Laura: 

I want to thank you for your time and consideration during our interview. It was great to further discuss and understand the position with you and Andrew. Also, I enjoyed discussing my innovations at my previous position and how I will utilize that creativity as a Recruitment Manager. 

After working toward your mission of educational equity for the past two years, I understand the importance and complications of the work you are doing. Additionally, I will use my communication skills, data analysis abilities, and passion for connecting with leaders on college campuses to successfully execute your recruitment strategy and innovate new ideas. I am equipped with the skills, passion, and drive needed to recruit a diverse group of leaders ready to join the fight for educational equity.

Again, thank you for your honesty, time, and insight throughout this process. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Sincerely,

Remember, the thank you email is your chance to remind them of how fantastic you are, the great experiences and skills you’ll bring, and the passion you have. With a little time and strategy, your interview thank you note can help you stand out and land that job! To write a thank you email for after a job interview, be specific, send it 1-24 hours after your interview, send an email and a letter, show your passion, and use it as an opportunity. You are amazing- don’t let them forget it!!!

Want to really stand out during your job search? Start networking by grabbing my guide on the 10 best strategies to network with confidence!