4 Sample Thank-You Emails To Send After an Interview

A job interview lets you position yourself as a strong candidate for the role you are applying for. Sending a thank-you letter after the interview allows you to continue to make a good impression on your potential employer. When you consider what to include in your note, opt for a strong letter that makes an impact on the hiring team.

In this article, we provide samples of the best post-interview thank-you letters and discuss which elements to include to help you get started.

Effective post-interview thank-you letter samples 

Review the samples below to get an idea of what an effective post-interview thank-you letter should look like. You can use one of the four samples below or a combination of multiple as a guide when writing your own letter:

Short thank-you note

This brief thank-you note includes all of the essentials in a straightforward manner:

Subject line: Thanks for meeting with me

Hello Pat,

Thanks again for taking the time to meet with me yesterday afternoon. I enjoyed our conversation about the Marketing Manager position and appreciated learning more about working with the marketing team.

It sounds like a rewarding role, especially given the opportunities for collaboration and advancement. I think my master's in marketing and marketing experience would make me an excellent candidate for the role.

I look forward to discussing this opportunity with you more. Please don't hesitate to contact me if you need additional information about my references.

Thank you,

Hannah Lee

hannah.lee@email.com

555-555-5555

Related: How To Write Group Interview Thank You Letters with Examples

Detailed thank-you note

If you want to add more information to what you discussed during the interview, consider sending a more detailed thank-you letter. A detailed thank you letter can show that you were attentive during the interview by referencing details of what was discussed.

Subject line: Thank you for meeting with me

Hello Pat,

Thank you for taking the time to interview me this morning. I enjoyed our conversation about the Marketing Manager position and appreciated learning more about how the role works. The way the marketing and advertising teams work together sounds ideal for reaching goals and optimizing performance.

The Marketing Manager position sounds like a rewarding role, especially given the opportunities for leadership and advancement. I think my master's in marketing from Edison University and more than seven years of experience leading marketing teams would make me an excellent candidate for this position.

I look forward to discussing this opportunity with you more. Please don't hesitate to contact me to arrange a follow-up interview.

Thank you,

Hannah Lee

hannah.lee@email.com

222-555-7777

Informal thank-you note

If you apply for a job in an industry that prioritizes casual communication, or you are interviewing for an internal position and you know your interviewer, an informal thank-you note may be appropriate.

Subject line: Great to meet you

Hi Pat,

Thanks so much for taking the time to talk with me earlier today. Our conversation about the Marketing Manager position was inspiring, and it was fantastic to learn more about the role.

The job sounds exciting, and I think I would be an ideal candidate, thanks to my master's degree and years of experience in the field.

Please contact me if you want to discuss this further. Thanks again for the opportunity.

Thanks,

Hannah Lee

hannah.lee@email.com

555-555-5555

Related: How To Write a Thank-You Email After Your Phone Interview (With Examples)

Formal thank-you letter

When you apply for a role in an industry that relies on more official interactions, plan to send a formal thank-you letter.

Subject line: Thank you for the interview

Dear Dr. Chen,

Thank you for taking the time to speak with me about the Marketing Manager position this morning. It was inspiring to have such an insightful conversation about marketing metrics, and it was a pleasure to learn more about your insight into the industry.

The details you shared about the position and future goals for the marketing team convinced me that the role would be an ideal match for my qualifications. I believe that my Master of Science in marketing from Edison University and seven years of experience as a marketing specialist would allow me to make a valuable contribution to the department.

Thank you,

Hannah Lee

hannah.lee@email.com

555-555-5555

Related: Formal Thank-You Letters: What They Are and How To Write Them 

What to include in a post-interview thank-you letter 

To make your thank-you note as effective as possible, make sure to use a few standard elements. Most thank-you notes have the following features.

1. Subject line

If you email your thank-you note, you need a subject line that easily conveys your message. A short and straightforward subject line like “Thank you for your time” can work for most post-interview thank-you notes. If you plan to write a more informal message, try something like “Great to meet you today.”

Related: List of 85 Thank-You Email Subject Lines (With Tips)

2. Personalized greeting

Rather than starting to type your message right away, always begin thank-you emails with a salutation. “Hello [Interviewer name]” or “Dear [Interviewer name]” is ideal for most thank-you notes. Remember to use the name that your interviewer provided when you met, which may be a first name or a title.

Read more: 20 Ways To Start an Email

3. Note of appreciation

When you begin writing the body of the email, start with an expression of gratitude. Thank the interviewer for taking the time to meet with you. Include the job title here for clarity, as many hiring managers may be considering candidates for multiple positions at once. For example, you can state, “Thank you for taking the time to discuss the marketing manager position with me today.”

Related: How To Thank Someone for an Interview (With Template and Examples)

4. Recap of your qualifications

Next, provide a short recap of your experience and background. The interviewer should already be aware of these qualifications after reading your resume and meeting with you, so this section should be brief. 

Connect your qualifications to the position and its unique requirements to express why you are a strong candidate for the job. For example, you can write, “My social media and search engine marketing expertise would make me an excellent candidate for this marketing role.”

In your thank-you note, reiterate how your skills can capitalize on the job and what prior experience you can leverage. Keep the thank you short and sincere. Even though you want to spotlight your talent, you do not want to take away from the purpose of gratitude.

—Genevieve Northup, MBA, SHRM-CP, HCI-SPTD

5. Prompt to take the next step

To close the thank-you note, encourage the hiring manager to take the next step in the hiring process. Reference what you learned during the interview to complete this section since you may need to provide references or complete a second interview to get the job. For example, you can write, “Please don't hesitate to contact me to arrange a follow-up interview.”

6. Contact information

Finally, provide your contact information. The interviewer should already have these details on file but listing them in your email can make it easier for the hiring team to contact you for additional steps. Include both your email address and phone number below your closing to streamline the hiring process.

Related: What To Do After an Interview: 9 Tips to Help You Succeed

Why is it important to write a thank-you letter?

Some employers indeed expect a thank-you letter after an interview. It’s a gesture that reinforces your interest in the role, while also showcasing good manners. When you write a thank-you note after an interview, you gain yet another opportunity to influence your potential employer's decision by reiterating. If you write a thank-you note, you can reiterate your interest in and qualifications for the position.

A thank-you letter is your chance to remind the hiring manager of why you're a good fit for the role and what made you stand out as a candidate. Refer to a specific comment, question or conversation you shared during the interview.

—Genevieve Northup, MBA, SHRM-CP, HCI-SPTD

A handwritten thank-you letter offers a personal touch and has the potential to set you apart from other candidates as many people don’t mail letters anymore. However, it can take days for a mailed letter to arrive. 

The hiring process can move quickly so it’s recommended to always send a thank-you email, even if you decide to also send a handwritten letter. When you email, you can connect with the hiring team much more quickly and influence their decision before they complete the hiring process. Send your thank-you email no more than 24 hours after the interview.

Related: Guide to Thank-You Notes