We’ve all heard the advice: Always, always, always send a post-interview thank you email. Here, we’ve got 3 thank you email templates to get you started. Our tips in this post will help make you the most memorable job candidate long after the interview has ended.
The thank you email signals to the hiring manager your continued interest in the position and company. Many hiring managers want to know if you were engaged during the interview. Plus, the post-interview communication can also reiterate how your experiences and skills make you the best-fit candidate for the opening.
The secret to the most memorable thank you email: Preparation
The secret to writing a great post-interview thank you email starts with the job interview itself. During the job interview, write down a few notes.
Keep a short list of the main topics that you discussed with the interviewer. This list will help you remember what to highlight in your thank you email. Plus, if you interviewed with multiple people, then your notes will help you personalize the thank you email.
Consider the following items to note during the interview:
- The most important responsibilities of the position (e.g., what did the hiring manager want to know that you could do, amongst the long list of responsibilities in the job ad)
- Potential opportunities for growth in the position or goals that the hiring manager has for that position (e.g., taking the lead on a therapeutic area or transitioning to becoming a people manager from an individual contributor)
- Qualities of the ideal candidate or what makes someone successful in that position
- Characteristics of the company that came up in the conversation that were attractive to you (this could be the mission or special initiatives or even employee engagement activities)
- Topics that piqued the interviewers’ interest (e.g., they asked you for more details about your biomarkers project or about that time you developed an SOP)
- Anecdotes or experiences that your interviewers shared with you
- Main questions or comments after your presentation, if you gave one
- Any questions that you did not know the answers to during the interview (the thank you email could be a way to follow up with a well researched answer)
These might even be good talking points to keep in mind for when the interviewer asks you, “Do you have any questions for me?”
A few tips to taking notes for the thank you email
Currently, during the pandemic, many hiring managers are conducting their job interviews virtually (see our tips for acing your virtual interview here). Scribbling a few notes on a notepad next to your laptop is likely not a problem.
Someday soon, though, employers will want to meet you in person for the interview. Here are a few tips to keep in mind:
- What if you have back-to-back interviews with barely any breathing room in between them? Try to take minimal notes during the interview itself. Jot down key words only to jumpstart your memory later. If your interviewers give you their business cards, then write notes on the back to tie the points to that person.
- What if I don’t have a pen or paper to write notes? In between interviews if you have a moment or immediately at the end of your interviews, use the Notes function on your phone or send yourself an email from your phone.
- Other option for taking notes: If you bring extra copies of your resume, then write in the margins. Circle the experiences or skills on your resume that came up in discussion.
In most situations, it is acceptable to tell your interviewer that you are taking some notes during the interview. Oftentimes, both interviewers and job seekers will be transparent about this during a virtual interview.
Thank you email templates
These templates are tailored for different audiences for illustration purposes. However, components can be mixed and matched. Make sure to personalize and add the details that you noted from the interview.
Email Template #1: To the hiring manager
Dear ____,
Thank you for taking the time to interview me for your ___ opening.
It was great to speak with you about the [key responsibilities or qualities of the ideal candidate] of the position. I am pleased to understand the outlook/growth for the position, including [hiring manager’s goals for the position]. I am excited for the opportunity to apply my experience(s) in [insert experiences or skills] to bring value to your group/team/initiatives.
I am particularly attracted to your company’s [mission, culture, other quality]. Your story about [interviewer’s anecdote or example] really resonated with me.
I look forward to hearing about the next steps in the interview process.
Have a great rest of your week/end,
Your name
Email Template #2: To the panel interviewer
Dear ___,
Thank you for interviewing me for the ___ position. I enjoyed chatting with you and the other panel interviewers about [company name] and your work in [areas of expertise]. Our conversation gave me lots of great insight on important topics for the team, such as [topics of interest during the interview or questions the interviewers asked].
In particular, I was pleased to see how my experience(s) in the area(s) of [insert expertise] is/are well aligned with the goals of the position, including [responsibilities or goals for the position]. Therefore, I am very excited about the possibility of joining [company name] and contributing to [company’s or group’s mission].
Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any remaining questions about my candidacy.
Warm regards,
Your name
Email Template #3: To the general interviewer
Hi ___,
I’m reaching out to thank you for meeting with me. It was great to hear about your work in [area of work or experience shared by the interviewer]. During the interview, I was excited to hear how the [open position] will play a role in the company’s initiatives for [company’s goals, mission, vision]. I am confident that my interest in [area of expertise] and experience(s) in [skills or prior work] make me a really good fit for the position and that I will bring value to [company name].
I look forward to the opportunity to work with you. Please keep me updated on whether I can provide more information to move the process forward.
Sincerely,
Your name
Be original with your thank you email
It’s easy to be overwhelmed after a long day of interviews. We share these templates so that you don’t need to write each thank you email completely from scratch. Use them to personalize your note.
Just be sure that you don’t simply copy and paste the same generic thank you to each person. In the rare case that your interviewers compare notes, you don’t want the embarrassing discovery that you sent them all the same email.
Last notes about logistics
Now that you’ve used our thank you email templates to craft a memorable thank you email, what if you don’t have the interviewer’s email address? Reach out to the recruiter or your main point of contact for the position to share the email address. If they are not able to do that, then ask them to forward your thank you email to the interviewer.
If neither of those two options will work, then locate the interviewer on LinkedIn. In the case that you are already connected, then send your thank you email as a message. If you are not connected with the interviewer, then send an abbreviated thank you message (character limit is 300) with your invitation to connect. Bonus if you get a new connection with that message.
Lastly, send your thank you email or message as soon as you can. Most experts recommend sending the note within 24-48 hours after the interview.