Thank You Email After an Interview: Everything You Need to Know

You just had a job interview and you really feel that you nailed all of the questions asked. You hit it off with the hiring manager and feel like you made a great first impression. Congratulations! Still, your job isn't quite done yet. Most hiring managers pay a lot of attention to how well (and quickly) you write a thank you email after an interview. For this reason, we highly recommend starting on your thank you email as soon as possible after an interview.

If you've made it to the interview process, you should bear in mind that you're up against at least 4 to 5 candidates with similar qualifications. For this reason, you'll need a little extra help to outperform them and land the job. Your thank-you email could be just the edge you need. But it won't do a bit of good if you don't know some of the best tips for crafting the perfect thank-you email.

Today, we'll be sharing everything you need to know about writing the perfect thank you email. In this article, you'll learn how to write a thank you email that will dazzle any interviewer, and what you need to know about thank-you email etiquette. By the time you reach the end of this article, you'll have all of the tools you need to make a great impression.

If you really want to give yourself the best chance of landing your dream job, we highly recommend that you register for free to BuzzCV where you can access the best CV templates to help you land that coveted interview. With that, let's get on to how to create the best thank-you email.

Why You Should Write a Thank You Email After an Interview

It's critical that you always send a thank-you email once you've completed an interview. In fact, we recommend always sending the email no later than 24 hours after your initial interview. In the event that you interviewed with several different people, send a personalized thank-you email to each of them individually. When writing your email, be genuine, kind, and appreciative of their time. You should also take this opportunity to reiterate your interest in the position, referring back to topics covered during the interview.

Looking for evidence that a thank-you email is an essential component of the overall job interview process? Keep the following statistics in mind:

According to a recent survey, 1 in 5 recruiters and hiring managers will dismiss a candidate if they haven't sent a thank-you email after an interview.
Further, another survey revealed that 80 percent of HR managers consider thank-you emails to be helpful when coming to their final hiring decision.
This report by CareerBuilder shows that a total of 57 percent of job seekers don't send thank-you emails after an interview.

If you consider the above statistics, it is clear that a thank-you email can make all of the difference in you being hired or completely passed over. Often, this is with no regard to how well you performed in the job interview itself. In this way, sending any thank-you email at all already positions you ahead over half of the competition. Further, a great and highly personalized thank you email can be the determining factor in making you a frontrunner.

So, you know that you have to write a thank you email after an interview. Where do you start? In the next section, we'll cover how to write a killer thank you email in just 7 steps.

How to Write a Thank You Email After an Interview

1. Always Start With a Clear Subject Line

The first step to writing the perfect thank you email is to craft a clear, concise subject line. Don't be too frilly- take this as your opportunity to be straight to the point. Keep in mind that a straightforward subject line is the only way to ensure that your email gets opened in the first place.

Here are some sample subject lines you may want to consider using for your thank you email:

Thank you, [Interviewer's Name]

Thank you for the interview yesterday

I enjoyed learning more about [Company Name]

Thank you!

2. Start With a Personal Greeting

In your greeting, you'll want to address the hiring manager by name. In this way, you make your greeting highly personalized, as well as personable. If you interviewed with more than one person, send personalized thank you emails to each of them individually.

3. Express Your Genuine Appreciation

Next, you'll want to use most of the body of your thank you email to express your genuine appreciation for the interviewer's time. After all, since it is a thank you email, open things up with a simple "thank you"! Be both sincere and authentic when expressing gratitude (no need to go overboard here as this will make you appear desperate). Simply use this opportunity to express that you care about the interviewer's time.

4. Reiterate Your Interest in the Position

During any job interview, your future employer wants to ensure that you're the right fit for the position. That being said, they also want to know that you're genuinely excited about the job prospect. Make sure to mention this interest once again when sending your thank you email after an interview.

If you realized that this job may not be the right fit for you, however, be sure to clearly state this in your email as a matter of honesty. The hiring manager will surely appreciate this, leaving them with a good impression of you regardless of whether or not you'll be working together. Plus, it saves them time and that's always appreciated.

5. Refer to Specific Topics From Your Interview and Make an Offer

You'll also want to use your thank you email as an opportunity to cover topics discussed during the interview. Identify what was particularly interesting to you about the position and explain why. This makes your thank you email feel much more personalized and is a way of reiterating your genuine interest in the job.

You'll also want to refer back to your skills and experience in your thank you email. Thoroughly explain to the interviewer how you will use these to help the company succeed. After all, the interviewer wants to know how you can benefit the company. Don't leave them guessing- make this abundantly clear.

6. Offer to Provide Additional Information and Remind Them About the Response Deadline

Now, you may be wondering how you should end your thank you email. We always recommend that applicants keep things brief yet polite. Use a paragraph such as the sample one that follows to offer to provide additional information, while also reminding them of the response deadline:

In the event that you need any additional information from me that could assist in the decision-making process, please feel free to reach out. I look forward to speaking with you again next week, as discussed.

7. Close Professionally

Finally, end your thank you email after an interview with a professional tone. Thank them again a final time before signing off with a professional "sincerely" synonym followed by your full name. At the end of the email, include your contact details such as telephone number and email address. You may also want to include links to relevant resources such as your LinkedIn page, personal website, or Twitter page.

Should You Send a Handwritten Thank You Letter After an Interview or an Email?

A question that we often receive when it comes to thank you letters after an interview is whether or not to send a handwritten letter or an email. Put simply, an email is your safest option. This is because an email is much quicker than snail mail and, according to a recent study, 97 percent of interviewers find post-interview emails to be the most appropriate option.

Keep it Professional and Land Your Dream Job With a Thank You Email

Now that you understand the ins and outs of writing the perfect thank you email after an interview, you'll know how to set yourself apart. We hope that you have found these steps and tips enlightening and that you'll use them to your advantage when it comes time to write a thank you email.

Keep in mind that if you're still waiting to hear back after sending in your job application, you'll want to learn more about when the right time to follow up is. Check out our article "How to Follow Up on Your Job Application" for more information.

Need some tips on how to prepare for your next job interview? You may want to give our article "5 Steps to Prepare for Your Next Job Interview" a look.

As always, stay tuned to BuzzCV for more helpful tips and information on job applications, CVs, and job interviews!