Send a thank you letter after your interview to express enthusiasm for the position and stand out to the hiring manager.
Our career expert Eva explains why showing gratitude with a thank you email is important:
In this guide, we explain how to write a thank you letter after an interview, provide a thank you letter template, and offer a variety of free thank you letter examples for a variety of situations.
What’s the best follow-up thank you method after an interview?
Sending a follow-up email after an interview is the best thank you method.
A thank you email after an interview:
- is efficient and quick
- doesn’t require any money
- concisely explains your thoughts about the interview
- shows your professionalism
While a physical thank you letter is also an effective way to express thanks after an interview, you should use it in more formal industries (such as finance and law, not tech and service).
Mailing or bringing your thank you letter over to the company also costs more time and money than simply sending a typed email.
Think about the interviewers, the company’s culture, and how much time you have available before picking the best option for you.
Thank you email after interview example
Wondering what a post-interview thank you email looks like? Have a look at our thank you email example below for inspiration:
How to write a thank you note after an interview
Use a thank you letter to thank your interviewer for their time, recap your strengths, and express your interest in the job.
There are several ways to contact your interviewer, emailing is the simplest and most common follow-up method.
Use these five guidelines to ensure your thank you note is on the right track:
- send your thank you email within 24 hours after your interview to show an interviewer that you’ve prioritized their company
- be specific and reference the conversation you had with the hiring manager during the interview so they’re more likely to remember their interactions with you
- keep your thank you note on one page by only including the major highlights of your skills and achievements (in addition to expressing your thanks)
- format your note professionally by using a standard font such as Times New Roman or Verdana, and keep your font size between 10–12 points so the interviewer can easily read your thank you note
- edit out any spelling and grammar errors before sending your thank you note to prove you’re detail-oriented
Thank you note template
Use our interview thank you letter template (separated into individual paragraphs) to help you structure yours properly:
Dear [Hiring Manager’s Name],
First paragraph: Open your letter by thanking your interviewer(s) for taking time out of their busy schedules to discuss the available position at their company. Reference a personal connection you made with the interviewer and how it has increased your interest in the company or role.
Second paragraph: Expand on points discussed in the interview that make you a strong candidate for the position. Explain how your educational background, the experience you gained in your previous role, and your noteworthy accomplishments will help the company reach its goals.
Third paragraph: Use this optional section to offer additional details about your relevant certifications, skills, or accomplishments. You can also use this section to clear up any misconceptions or discuss any point in the interview that you feel you didn’t cover strongly enough.
Fourth paragraph: Close your thank you letter by restating your gratitude for the interviewer’s time, your anticipation of their response, and an invitation to contact you.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
Thank you note after interview examples
An effective thank you note ensures you’ll make yourself memorable to an interviewer.
Luckily, we provide six free thank you letter examples below so you can make a positive lasting impression after your interview.
All you have to do is:
- download the thank you letter that matches the tone and style of your interview
- customize it with your personal information
- send it via email or post to the hiring manager
1. Thank you letter after phone interview
A phone interview is often the first step in the interview process. Unfortunately, not having face-to-face communication can make it difficult to leave your interviewer with a strong first impression.
So we suggest sending a personalized thank you letter to help the hiring manager remember specific details from your phone interview and increase your chances of moving forward in the job process.
Here are some reasons why sending a phone interview thank you letter is important:
Why you should send a thank you letter after a phone interview
- you can politely request the hiring manager to invite you to an in-person interview
- a thank you note reminds the interviewer of your specific answers and familiarizes them with your name and application
- you show that you’re serious about the role and continuing with the application process even though you haven’t met the hiring manager in-person yet
- a thank you letter provides more details about your relevant skills, experience, or education if you weren’t able to mention them during the phone call
Below is a downloadable thank you letter example after a phone interview:
Phone interview thank you letter example
2. Thank you letter after second interview
If you’re invited to attend a second interview, congratulations on making it further in the hiring process!
Thanking the interviewer for their time with a personalized thank you note demonstrates that you’re a thoughtful applicant — and they made the right decision in moving you to the next round.
Here’s why sending a thank you letter after your second interview is critical to your success:
Why you should send a second interview thank you letter
- a thank you note gives you a second opportunity to leave a good impression in the minds of the decision-makers involved in the hiring process
- you can express your enthusiasm for the position and gratitude for being selected for a second interview
- you have a final opportunity to address any undiscussed details regarding your application or the interview process
Second interview thank you letter example
Show you’re a good fit for the company by providing an effective thank you letter after a second interview, like this one below:
3. Thank you letter after group interview
Forming personal connections in a short time during a group interview can be challenging.
That’s where sending a thank you letter can help. It’s a great way to make a good impression on your interviewer.
Writing a thank you letter after a group interview is beneficial in these scenarios:
When to send a group interview thank you note
- you want to show your appreciation to all of the interviewers for their time
- you’d like to reference a conversation or point made by one or both of the interviewers
- you plan to add specific details about your hard and soft skills, qualifications, and other relevant accomplishments that weren’t discussed in the interview
Check out our thank you letter example for a group of interviewers:
Group interview thank you note example
4. Professional thank you letter after interview
If you attended a professional interview, your thank you letter should also follow a formal structure and tone.
Here are times when sending a professional thank you letter after an interview is appropriate:
When to send a professional interview thank you letter
- the hiring manager has been formal in their communications with you and during in-person interactions with you
- the work environment of the company you interviewed with places an emphasis on professionalism
- you didn’t form a personal connection with the hiring manager during the interview
Professional interview thank you letter example
This professional thank you letter example is ideal for formal situations:
5. Sincere thank you letter after interview
If you connected your interviewer, send them a sincere letter expressing your appreciation for the interview opportunity.
Here are the best situations to send sincere follow-up email after your interview:
When to write a sincere thank you letter after an interview
- you’re honored to be considered for the position and admire the company you interviewed with
- the hiring manager made an exception for your application such as allowing you to submit your resume and cover letter after the deadline
- the contact person made a special effort to accommodate your interview schedule
- you want to reference the personal connection you made with the interviewer to strengthen your application
Show an employer you’re genuinely thankful by using this sincere appreciation letter example:
Sincere thank you note after interview example
6. Formal thank you letter after interview
A thank you note conveys your professionalism and knowledge of business-related formalities in a traditional industry or company.
If you’re interviewing for a role as a business professional, you must send a thank you letter to the hiring manager.
Send a formal thank you letter after your interview in the following situations:
When you should submit a formal thank you note after an interview
- your desired company or industry is known for emphasizing formality (e.g., a bank or accounting firm)
- the daily interactions of your role would require formal communication with customers, clients, coworkers, and management
- your interviewer strictly discussed your application with you during the interview and avoided personal topics
Here’s an example of a professionally formatted thank you letter to send after your formal interview:
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