The Post-Interview Thank-You Email | Template Toolbox

The Post-Interview Thank-You Email | Template Toolbox was originally published on Idealist Careers.

If you’re on the job hunt and are wondering whether you really need to send a post-interview thank-you email, the answer is a resounding yes! Now that we got that out of the way, use these helpful tips and the template below to draft the perfect note of gratitude to your interviewer.

Quick pointers for your post-interview thank-you email

  • Send the email on the same day as the interview. Even if your interview was later in the day, you should definitely hit send before the day is done. Feel free to send in the evening, as business-hours rules need not apply to this particular situation.
  • Send a different message to each interviewer. Did you interview with more than one person? Do not—I repeat, do not send them all the same thank-you email. Use unique details from each conversation, or a specific point of commonality as fodder for each message. Make it personal. Sincere gratitude is what makes these notes count.
  • Proofread your message. If ever there were an opportunity to improve upon a first-impression, it’s in a post-interview thank-you email. This can influence or even change an interviewer’s first impression of you, so the last thing you want to do is fire off a message that has not been thoroughly checked.
  • If you were unable to get contact information for each of your interviews, try to do a little digging online. Chances are, the email addresses for each employee at a particular organization all follow the same formula, so if you met with one person whose email address was FIRST-INITIAL-LAST-NAME@ORGANIZATION.org, it’s safe to assume that each of your interviewers’ email addresses follows that same format. If all else fails, when you do send a thank-you email to one interviewer, simply mention that you didn’t get contact information for her colleagues and ask her to please pass along your message.

The different sections of a thank-you email

You’ll, of course, want to make any email you send out your own, but here are the different sections and items that you should be sure to include:

  • A clear subject line
  • A greeting that matches the formality of the interview (first name versus courtesy title and last name)
  • A specific reference to what, exactly, you’re thanking your interviewer for (coffee, details about the organization, great conversation, all of her insightful questions and thoughtful answers, etc.)
  • Reiterate (without being too verbose or specific) what you like about the organization and/or the position, and why you think this role is a great fit for you

Post-interview thank-you email template

Email Subject: Thank you again

Dear [FIRST NAME, or COURTESY TITLE and LAST NAME],

Thank you again for taking the time to meet with me [THIS MORNING/AFTERNOON]! It was such a pleasure to hear about the culture of the team and the organization, and to have the opportunity to share some of my story with you, as well. I’ve been following [NAME OF ORGANIZATION] for some time, and so I really enjoyed having a chance to get into the details with a member of the team.

The position sounds like a wonderful challenge and an exciting next step for me, aligning nicely with my personal and professional trajectory. As I mentioned during our interview, I have a lot of ideas on how to get this work off the ground, and I’m excited to explore new ways to address [ORGANIZATION’S ISSUE AREA] alongside such an impressive team.

Of course, if you have any more questions, please feel free to reach out, and I look forward to reconnecting with you soon!

Best,

[YOUR FULL NAME]

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Need help sending messages of gratitude to others? Be sure to check out our post, 5 Thank-You Letter Examples for Extending Gratitude to Your Network