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How to Write a 'Thank You' Email After Interview

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From the subject line to pitching your skills one last time to the hiring manager, here's how to write a good 'Thank You' email after an interview.
Sep 8, 2022 9 min read

You have worked hard, and you have reached the interview for your dream job.

And now that it is over, you can take a breath and relax.

Well, not quite.

There are a few steps you can take right after your interview to improve your chances a little more.

If you have made it to the interview, you can assume that there are other candidates for that position too.

And all of you probably have almost the same qualifications.

So anything you can do to be one step ahead of the others may be crucial.

A great thing you can do just after the interview is to write a thank-you email to the interviewers.

It is a great way to show your appreciation for being called for an interview.

And it makes a great impression that can only work in your favor.

But that is only if you do it right.

But how to write your thank-you email after your interview and make it a good one?

We’ve got you covered.

In this article, we are going to explore the following questions:

  • Why is a thank you email after your interview important?
  • What should you include in that thank you email?
  • What Should You Avoid In Your Thank-you Email After Interview?

And we are going to leave you off with some great tips and tricks to help you write a perfect email. If you’re still waiting for a call-back for an interview, maybe you need to make your resume stand out a little more.

And, the best way to ensure you have a standout resume is to do it with an ATS-compliant Resume Builder.

But if you are ready to write your thank-you email after the interview, stick around.

Why is a thank you email after interview important?

A thank-you email after an interview has lots of benefits that you can take advantage of.

It is a perfect combination of good manners and showing interest in the job position.

Just like you are not sure if the interview went well, the hiring manager would be in doubt if you still want the position.

A thank-you email after an interview can help with that and increase your chances of getting the job.

Furthermore, you can always include any links or mention important facts that you could not get to share during the interview.

So it is essential to write a thank-you email to the interviewer and re-assure them of your interest in the position and share whatever you might have missed.

But make sure you do so within 24 hours.

Some hiring processes move along faster than you would expect.

You would want your thank-you email to arrive and be noticed before the company has made its decision.

So don’t waste any time and send it within a day after the interview has ended.

What to include in a thank-you email after interview?

Okay, now you understand why a thank-you email after the interview is essential.

But that is not enough.

You might still have no idea how to write one.

We got you covered.

We are going to go through everything you need to know, step by step.

Subject line

Just like any email, you send out, your thank-you email after the interview would need a subject line.

It should be short, straightforward, and easy to understand.

Make sure it includes the words “thank you”, as well as your name.

Listing your name in the subject can help the hiring manager see your response.

That way they would know your email is important and would be easier to make sense of who is it sent from.

Appropriate greeting

As soon as you are ready with your subject line, it is time to focus on the body of your email.

Don’t make the mistake to start it right away.

Before you dig deep into what you want to say, start with an appropriate greeting.

You can use either “Hello”, or “Dear” for that purpose, and follow it up by the interviewer’s name.

Make sure you use the name that they provided when you met, it may be a first name, the last name, or a title.

Either way, make sure you address them directly.

If you were interviewed by multiple people, make sure you send personalized thank-you emails to each of them.

To do so, you should ask each interviewer for a business card.

A thank-you email after an interview can get you pretty far, so make sure you do your part.

Show your appreciation

As it is a thank-you email, you should start with a “Thank you”.

Make sure you provide a sincere appreciation of the time the interviewer has spent meeting with you.

An important step here is to also include the position you interviewed for.

It is common for hiring managers to consider a candidate for multiple positions, so you would want to make clear which one you are after.

Assure them of your interest in the job

We already mentioned that just like you wonder if the interview went well, the hiring manager would be wondering if you are still interested in the job.

If you really are, make sure you state that clearly.

On the other hand, if you have realized that it is not the right fit for you, share it with the hiring manager.

They would appreciate your honesty, and you will save them some valuable time.

Mention your qualifications once more

Your qualifications are one of the key points that should get you the job.

So no matter that the hiring manager should already know them from your application documents and interview, it wouldn’t hurt to mention them once more.

But when you are doing so in your thank-you email after the interview, don’t stretch it out too much.

Make it brief and to the point.

What is more important is to show once more the connection between your skillset and the job position you are applying for.

After all, you want to show them that you are the best fit for that job.

Remind them of a specific point of the interview

A thank-you email is your chance to shine with some personal touch.

For that purpose, you can always remind the hiring manager of a discussion you had during the interview.

That’s the place to highlight your skills and expertise once again.

You need to show the hiring manager that you are not only the right fit for the job, but you can also provide some original ideas to the team.

Show the hiring manager how your skills and expertise would help the company get to new heights.

Be available for further questions

It often happens that an interviewer gets caught up in so many details that they forget to ask you a key question.

That’s why you should make yourself available for future questions.

You would want to show the interviewer that they can contact you and clear out any details they may be wondering about.

That way, you can be sure that you would not lose the job over something the interviewer is not sure about.

This is an important part of your thank-you email, but don’t stretch it out.

Make it brief and polite, that’s all you need.

A call to action

A great way to wrap up your thank-you email after interview is with a call to action.

You would want to prompt the interviewer to take the next step in the hiring process.

You can mention what you learned during the interview and ask them what the next steps are.

That can show them that you are really interested in the job, which can only work in your favor.

Furthermore, by having the deadlines set by the interviewer, you can also plan your other interviews accordingly.

Use a professional sign-off

Just like you need a greeting, you need a professional sign-off to wrap things up nicely.

Make sure you thank the interviewer again and finish it up with one of the most popular conclusions:

  • Kind regards
  • Best regards
  • Sincerely

And follow it up by your full name.

Contact information

Last, but not least, it is a great idea to list your contact information at the bottom of your thank-you email after interview.

The interviewer should already have your contacts, but listing them at the bottom of your thank-you email can make the process of contacting you easier.

Make sure you include your email address, phone number, and LinkedIn profile if you have one.

Make sure you make yourself available on all contacts you list so that you don’t miss your chance.

What should you avoid in your thank-you email after interview?

Okay, now you know all about what to include in your thank-you note after interview.

But what about the things you need to avoid?

We got you covered.

The first big mistake you can make is waiting too long.

As we mentioned, you should send your thank-you emails within 24 hours from the end of the interview.

Sending it out later can and probably would negate the effect that your thank-you email would have had.

Another thing you should never consider doing is copy-pasting the same email, or adding more people in the “To:” field.

You need to make your thank-you emails personalized.

Otherwise, they not only lose their effect, but they can backfire.

Last, but not least, don’t forget to write a thank-you email to each interviewer you met.

You should also make the habit of asking people for their business cards.

It is a great manner to take on, and it is also a great way to keep track of all their names and contacts you can use for your thank-you emails.

Tips and Tricks

Great, now you know what you should, and what you shouldn’t write in your thank-you email after interview.

But, as promised, we wouldn’t leave you off with some great tips and tricks to get you started.

So here we go.

Really show them why you want the job

We said that already, but you really need to show the interviewer that you want the job.

Showcase your qualifications and expertise once again.

Think of your thank-you email as one final pitch.

And what you are trying to sell is yourself.

You would want to show the hiring manager that you are the perfect fit for the job.

Don't hesitate to bring up anything you wanted to say

It often happens that you don’t have a chance to share everything you meant to in an interview.

But a thank-you email is the perfect place to fill up these holes.

You can bring up any topic you would like, and provide what you had in mind.

The hiring manager would surely appreciate that.

Proofread

Just like it is with your resume and cover letter, you need to take time and proofread your thank-you email as well.

You wouldn’t want any grammar or spelling mistakes there, as it would hurt your chances.

Make sure you ready it carefully.

Everything on your thank-you email should make perfect sense.

The last thing you want is for the hiring manager to think that you just copy-pasted a template email from somewhere.

Takeaways

We are all done.

Now you know how to write a thank-you email after interview.

You are now ready to impress the hiring manager one last time and improve your chances of getting the job.

Don’t forget – personalize each thank-you email you send out and remind the interviewer of your skills and expertise.

Check out our examples once again, and make your thank-you email after interview set you once step ahead from other candidates.

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