How To Write the Perfect Thank You Email After Your Interview

Should you send a thank-you note after an interview? Yes.

The post-interview thank-you note is an opportunity for you to stand out, express your excitement, and reinforce why you would be the best candidate for the position. While a handwritten thank-you note may be unique, a thank-you email is the better route in the current job marketplace.

Below are some tips, templates, and examples for writing a post-interview thank-you email that stands out and increases your chances of being hired.

When to send a thank-you email after an interview

If you’re writing a thank-you letter to the interviewer, it’s essential to consider the email timing. For the email to be relevant, you should try to send it while the interview is still fresh in your mind and in the mind of your interviewer. Try to send the email as soon as possible, within 24 hours ideally.

Pro Tip: To make it faster, you can prepare a thank-you email template in advance. Leave blanks in the template that you can personalize after the interview.  

Note: If you are communicating with a hiring manager for a job through the Upwork platform, please note that all communication should be through Upwork. Instead of sending an email, users are required to use the Upwork Messages feature, where you can send a thank-you message. Learn more about Upwork Messages.

Who to write a thank you letter to

You should write a thank you note to each person that interviewed you.

Most interviews are one-on-one, making it clear that you should send the thank-you email to the person that interviewed you. This person may not be the same person that contacted you to set up the interview.

Some interviews consist of two or more interviewers simultaneously. In these situations, you can send an email directly to all of the interviewers. If you had a personalized connection with the specific interviewers, you could create a unique email to each individual separately.

Finally, there are situations where you may have multiple one-on-one interviews with different people within the same company. You may meet with several rounds of people, from the hiring manager to your potential colleagues. In these cases, send an email to each individual you spoke with for an extended time.  

Note: You may not have an email address to directly contact each person, but you can always try to find the individuals on LinkedIn. You can also try to guess their email based on the corporate email structure. Ex: If Susan Trout's email is strout@company.com, you can assume that the other coworkers' emails will be the first letter of their first name followed by their last name @company.com.

How to write a follow-up email after an interview

In general, your post-interview thank-you note should include the following parts:

• Subject line
• Personalized greeting
• Letter of appreciation
• Recap of your qualifications and value
• Call for the next steps
  

How long should a thank-you letter be?

Keep your thank you letter short. If the email is too long, the interviewer may not even read it. Aim for an email around two short paragraphs or between 80-150 words.

How do you start a thank-you letter?

Subject line

There is no need to get creative with the email subject line. A clear subject line that lists what the email is about, such as "thank you for the interview," will work great. If multiple candidates are being interviewed, it may be beneficial to include your name in the subject line so that the interviewer can quickly see the email is from you rather than a different candidate.

Example: "Thank you for the interview – John Smith"

Personalized greeting

There are many appropriate ways to address a thank-you email. In today's business culture, it’s more common to greet the contact person with a "Hi First Name," or "Hello First Name," rather than the more formal way of using an honorific and the contact’s last name

The best way to determine your email greeting is based on what you called the interviewer during your meeting with them. If you used their first name in the interview, address the email to their first name. If you used their last name, address it to their last name.

How to format a thank-you letter

It is vital to remember that you’re sending the thank-you email to a potential employer. It’s good to personalize the email, but you want to avoid being overly casual. Below are some quick tips to ensure that your email is appropriate for the workplace.

• No emojis
• No slang
• No foul language

Note of appreciation and personal touch

The first line of your email should thank the interviewer for taking time out of their day to speak with you. Make sure you express your gratitude for the opportunity to interview with them.  

To personalize the email, try to reference a discussion from the interview. Did the interviewer share information about their personal life, other things going on in the company, or a specifically interesting subject discussed? Adding this quick reference to a topic during the interview helps the reader remember who you are, and it demonstrates that you were paying attention and engaged during the interview.

Recap of your qualifications and value-add

The next thing that your thank-you note should include is how you can provide value to the company. Identify a problem, pain point, or opportunity that you discussed, and reinforce how your experience can resolve the issue.

Note: This should focus on how you can provide value to them, not how they can provide value to you.

Call for next steps

The conclusion of your post-interview email should express that you're looking forward to continuing the interview process. This can be accomplished by restating the next steps you discussed in the interview or asking about the next steps.

Thank-you letter templates and examples

Now that we’ve covered the things that should be included in an interview thank you email, let's use these tips to create some email examples. Below are four thank you email templates that can be used for inspiration when creating yours.

Example #1

Hi Steve,

Thank you for taking the time to interview me for the Marketing Director position at XYZ Enterprises. I am very excited about this opportunity and believe I would be a great addition to your team. As we discussed in the interview, my experience at ZYX Company directly matches your expectations for this role. Specifically, my experience managing ZYX's online advertising campaigns and improving online revenue will bring a lot of value to XYZ Enterprises.

I look forward to hearing back from you regarding next steps.

Thanks,

Navi

Example #2

Hi Jessica,

Thank you for taking time out of your busy day to interview me for the research assistant position. It was a pleasure meeting you, and I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about the opportunity to become part of your team.

I would be an asset to your company because of my strong research, data entry, and writing skills. As we discussed in the interview, my work at the University Library introduced me to the foundations of scholarly research. At the same time, my experience as a writing tutor at the University Writing Lab expanded my writing and proofreading abilities. If given the opportunity, I’m confident that my knowledge and skills will be a great fit for this position. I’m very interested in this position, and I look forward to discussing this opportunity with you soon.  

Thanks,

Randy  

Example #3

Hi Ranjit,

I loved our conversation today during the interview. Thanks for making time for me. I feel that I’m very qualified for this freelance project because of my education, experience, and interpersonal skills.

In my previous projects, showcased on my Upwork Profile, I have honed my web development abilities and provided excellent value for my clients. I know that I will be able to apply my skill set to create a visually appealing website with all of the functionality your project requires.

Thank you for your consideration,

Stephan

Example #4

Hi Petro,

I am very excited about the open position at yourcompany.com and appreciate you taking the time to talk with me today. I am confident that I possess the necessary skills and experience you seek and that I would be a valuable addition to your company's writing staff.

As I mentioned in the interview, I have more than ten years of experience writing blogs for the healthcare industry. My most recently published article is attached for you to review.

Enjoy your son's game tomorrow. I hope that he scores two goals this time! If you have any additional questions for me, I’m available by email or at 555-555-5555. I look forward to hearing from you regarding the next steps for this position.

Sincerely,

Alison

‍

A thank-you note after an interview is a great way to show appreciation for an interviewer’s time, and it can set you apart from the other candidates. Just make sure that it comes from the heart and doesn’t sound generic or insincere. With these helpful thank-you email tips, you are ready to win your next freelance project on Upwork.

Browse Upwork’s work marketplace to see thousands of freelancing projects that are posted every day.