How to Write a Thank-You Note After a Job Interview

By Billie •  Updated: 04/06/13 •  16 min read

Interview Thank-You Notes: Smart Strategy

job interview thank you note

Always, ALWAYS (if you’re serious about your career) send a thank-you note after interviewing. Write and send the note while the details of the meeting are fresh in your eager little mind. Promptly (within 2 business days) write and send an after-interview thank-you note. I know that was redundant, but I’m emphasizing the importance of this follow-up letter and its many happy returns you’ll enjoy.

Sample of Hard Copy Thank-You Letter After an Interview:

Dear Mr./Ms. [Name]:

I wanted to take the time to express my appreciation for the opportunity to interview with you regarding the [Position Title]. It was a pleasure meeting you and learning more about your organization. I am very interested in joining your team, and I believe that my skills and experience make me an ideal candidate for this position. If there is any additional information that you require, please do not hesitate to contact me at [Your Telephone Number] or [Your E-Mail Address]. Thank you again for your consideration.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]

Sample Handwritten Thank-You Letter After a Job Interview:

Dear [Name]:

Thank you so much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to meet with me today. I truly enjoyed learning more about your company and the opportunity that is available. I am confident that my skills and experience make me an ideal candidate for this position, and I would be thrilled to join your team! If there is any additional information that you require, please do not hesitate to contact me at [Your Telephone Number] or [Your E-Mail Address]. Thank you again for your consideration.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]

Sample E-mail Thank You Letter to Send After an Interview:

Subject: Thank you for the opportunity

Dear [Name]:

I wanted to take a moment to thank you for the opportunity to interview with you regarding the [Position Title]. It was a pleasure meeting you and learning more about your organization. I am very interested in joining your team, and I believe that my skills and experience make me an ideal candidate for this position. If there is any additional information that you require, please do not hesitate to contact me at [Your Telephone Number] or [Your E-Mail Address]. Thank you again for your consideration.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]

The purpose of this letter is to:

• Establish yourself as a high-performer and an asset to anyone you represent.

• Show appreciation for the employer’s interest in you.

• Reiterate your interest in the position and in the organization.

• Review or remind the employer about your qualifications for the position. If you thought of something you forgot to mention in the interview, mention it in your follow-up / thank-you letter.

• Demonstrate that you have good manners and know when and how to write a thank-you letter. This also shows that you will reflect a positive image to clients once hired by the company.

• Follow up with any information the employer may have asked you to provide after the interview.

Should You Follow-up With an Email?

If you send a handwritten thank-you note (to each interviewer, separately), there is no need to follow-up in an e-mail as well. If you don’t handwrite a thank-you note, then yes, by all means follow up with an email within a day or two of your interview.

What to Do If You Don’t Hear From the Employer Post-Interview

•  Before your interview ended, your interviewer should have informed you of the organization’s follow-up procedures — from whom, by what means, and when you would hear again from the organization. If the interviewer did not tell you, and you did not ask, use your follow-up / thank-you letter to ask.

•  If more than a week has passed beyond the date when you were told you would hear something from the employer, call or email to politely inquire about the status of the organization’s decision-making process. Someone (or something) or an unexpected circumstance may be holding up the process.

•  A polite inquiry shows that you are still interested in the organization and this may prompt the employer to get on schedule with a response. Or, if you were not the first choice and someone else has declined the position, this puts you back in the running.

In your phone inquiry, mention the following:

Name of the person who interviewed you,

Time and place of the interview,

Position for which you are applying
(if known), and

Ask the status of your application.

In your email, write something like:

Dear Frank,
I hope you’re doing well this week. I wanted to follow up regarding the Project Management role we spoke about; do let me know if there’s any further information I can provide to assist you.
I enjoyed meeting you and the team last week, and I’m very interested
in the opportunity.
Thanks,
Jack

Samples and Examples to Help you Construct a Post-Interview Thank-You Note

interview thank you letter sample

Thank-you for initial interview:

45 Ridge Road
Phoenix, AZ 25553
(555) 555-5555
me@myaddress.com

May 5, 2004

Ms. Anya Bolinger
Human Resources Manager
Chloe’s Fashion
55 Pension Ave.
Tucson, AZ 33664

Dear Ms. Bolinger:

I enjoyed interviewing with you during your recruiting
visit to the Phoenix Career Fair on October 25. The management trainee program you outlined sounds both challenging and rewarding
and I look forward to your decision concerning an on-site
visit.

As mentioned during the interview, I will be graduating in
December with a Bachelor’s degree in Fashion Merchandising.
Through my education and experience, I’ve honed many
skills, as well as gained an understanding of retailing concepts
and dealing with the general public. I have worked seven years
in the retail industry in various positions and levels of responsibility ranging from Sales Clerk to Assistant Department Manager. I think my education and work experience would complement Fashion’s management trainee program.

I have enclosed a copy of my college transcript and a list
of references as per your request.

Thank you again for the opportunity to interview with Chloe’s Fashion. The interview solidified my interest in becoming a part of your management team. I can be reached at (555) 555-5555 or by email at me@myaddress.com, should you need additional information.

Sincerely,

Harry Potter

Enclosures

Thank You For the On-Site Interview:

101 Classic Corner
Brookside, IN
(555) 555-5555
me@myaddress.com

 

March 31, 2009

Ms. Gardenia Krokus
Personnel Manager
Bytes R Us
44 Electronics Ave
Cincinnati, OH 36267

Dear Ms. Krokus:

Thank you for the opportunity to visit with you and observe
your company’s impressive facilities last Wednesday.
Both the interview and the tour made for an exciting and complete day.

I was particularly impressed with your warehousing procedures.
Mr. Avery was so thorough in explaining your process to
me, and I will be corresponding directly with him to express
my appreciation. Incidentally, the process you use is quite
similar to one I have been researching through an independent
study this term. Perhaps I can share my final report with
you and Mr. Allen.

The expense report you requested is enclosed.

Again, thank you for your hospitality during my visit and
for all your efforts to arrange a smooth experience. Having seen your
operation, I am all the more enthused about the career opportunity
that Bytes R Us offers. I look forward to your decision.

Sincerely,

Mel Hillside

Enclosure

Follow-up After Not Getting the Job (a rare but useful letter to add to your repertoire):

follow-up after not getting the job

There is no secret sauce to writing the perfect thank you – as there are many ways to write an effective note of appreciation. But there are a few key guidelines to keep in mind:

A few more thank-you note examples [source:  lawyer-specific thank you notes]:

  1. “Dear Bob, Thank you for taking time out of your busy day to meet with me about the General Counsel opportunity with Company V. It was great to learn about your company’s plans for growth and how a legal partner would help advance the company’s goals. I believe my industry experience as well as my broad background as a General Counsel would add great value to this new role. I would welcome the opportunity to meet your colleagues and look forward to hearing from you soon. Best Regards, Joan”
  2. “Elena, It was such a pleasure meeting you today. I appreciated getting to know you and learning more about your background as a corporate lawyer. I’m just starting my search for summer internships and your advice will be invaluable as I interview with law firms. Many thanks again. I look forward to staying in touch. Best, Chris”
  3. “Hi Mary, thanks for your time to speak with me about the real estate associate position with your firm. The firm’s developer practice is the best I’ve seen and I feel is well aligned with my background working with similar clients. I appreciate that you would like an associate who can hit the ground running and my six years of real estate experience would enable me to easily do so. I am very interested in the opportunity to work with you and your group.”
  4. “Tim, it was great catching up today over lunch. Thank you for taking the time to listen to my new business idea. I value your opinion and I found your suggestions to be very helpful. I’ll keep you posted on my progress! Thanks again, Tony”
  5. “Julie, thank you for meeting with me today about my job search. I appreciated your insights about the market and the best strategy for maximizing my options. I look forward to implementing your suggestions and will keep you posted on my progress. In the interim, please keep me in mind as interesting opportunities arise. All the best, Ava”

Related articles:

Job Interview Follow-Up Letter Examples

Job Interview Follow Up Letter Examples To Get You The Job Of Your Dreams

Thank-you letters are critical to your job search success, but (the hopefully few and far between) job interviews are not the only occasions to send thank you notes for interviews.

If you want the work/life opportunity, then show that you value it.

If you’ve ever experienced helping or doing something for someone, and not receiving a thank-you, you understand how neglecting this courtesy would affect a job seeker’s reputation in the eyes of a potential employer.

How you act, is and reflects, your character and who you are.

When to Write Thank You Notes for Interviews:

Set yourself apart from the others by being the one candidate to make a refreshingly respectful impression. A thank-you letter should be written after:

• An interview

• A contact is helpful to you in a telephone conversation or e-mail;

• Someone provides / sends information to you at your request;

• A contact was particularly helpful to you at a career fair;

• You visit a contact at their work site; and

• Any other contact for which you want to express thanks and develop a good relationship.

Hard copy, handwritten or e-mail:

Thank-you letters may be hard-copy typed, handwritten or e-mailed.

• Hard copy are most formal and are always appropriate after an interview.

• Handwritten are more personal, and can be appropriate for brief notes to a variety of individuals you may have met during on on-site interview or who may have helped
you in other ways.

• E-mail is appropriate when that has been your means of contact with the person you want to thank, or if your contact has expressed a preference for e-mail, or if you want to send a quick thank-you to be followed up by hard copy.

Thank You Notes for Interviews Samples

Follow-up to a telephone call, example:

24 Sussex Drive
Vancouver, BC V6A 3C9
(778) 555-1212
me@myaddress.com  

February 8, 2009
Ms. Frida Coelho
Green Eco Sustainable Builders
145 Bike Street
Redwood City, CA 34249

Dear Ms. Coelho:

Thank you for talking with me on Wednesday in response to
my inquiry about possible summer internship opportunities in green
building industry in the Northern California coastal area.

After speaking with you and another established architect whose name I obtained through a contact at an online forum you recommended, I think I am much better prepared to pursue internship opportunities. On your advice, I have updated my resume, emphasizing my
recent straw bale home volunteer activities. A copy is enclosed for
you. I also plan to contact Mike Holmes as you suggested, and appreciate your giving me his name. Thank you for inviting me to visit your office.

I will be in Redwood during spring break, so I will call your office
two weeks prior to see if it would be convenient to schedule
a visit. Again, thank you so much for your help and advice. I look
forward to meeting with you in March.

Sincerely,
(your handwritten signature)
Harry Vary Enclosure

Follow-up letter to information-seeking meeting

23 Redriver Ave.
Ontario, CA 90210
(889) 555-9821
me@myaddress.com

May 5, 2020
Mr. Jack J. Johnson
Briggs Hagarth & Associates
800 W Street, Suite 1500
Hillsbrook, MT 40300-6500

Dear Mr. Johnson:

Thank you so much for taking time from your busy schedule
to meet with me last Tuesday. It was very helpful to me to
learn so much about the current projects of Briggs Hagarth
& Associates and the career paths of several of your staff. I appreciate
your reviewing my portfolio and encouraging my
career plans.

I also enjoyed meeting Betty Buffett, and am glad
to have her suggestions on how I can make the most productive
use of my last semester in college. Based on what I learned from my visit to your firm and other research I have done, I am very interested in
being considered for employment with your firm in the future. I will be
available to begin work after I graduate in June 2003. As you saw from
my portfolio, I have developed strong skills in the area of
historical documentation–I understand that this is a good match for the
types of projects in which your firm specializes. I have enclosed
a copy of my resume to serve as a reminder of my background,
some of which I discussed with you when we met. During the next few
weeks I will stay in contact with you in hopes that there may be an opportunity to join your firm.

Thank you again for your generous help.
Sincerely,
(handwritten signature)
Fred Little Enclosure

Follow-up to personal contact

41 Steveston Road
Bluevale, OH 27490
(670) 555-3333
me@myaddress.com  

December 10, 2008
Mr. Billy Talent
36 Rock Lane
Richmond, VA 23219

Dear Mr. Talent:

Thank you so much for your time and advice during my impromptu visit to your office last week. I very much appreciate your
inviting me to tour the company grounds, since this was my first
experience experiencing the hands-on work which takes place in an
industrial design department. I learned a great deal, and hope to share
what I learned with members of our student chapter of the American
Society of Creative Industrial Designers.

After February, I will be in contact with you again to explore the
possibility of arranging a summer internship with your firm. As I
mentioned to you when we met, I had an opportunity to work on an
intense, four-day interdisciplinary project
judged by faculty in which my team received top honors. I gained
valuable teamwork, problem-solving and presentation
skills and learned to work effectively with students studying
to enter different professions. I believe my skills would
make me an asset to an organization such as yours, which often
must produce excellent work under tight time constraints.

Thank you again for all your help, and I look forward to
talking with you in the coming months.

Sincerely,
(handwritten signature)
Corey K. Freissen

Business Thank-You Letter / Follow-up Letter (for Advice)

This is an effective follow-up email to send to a mentor or business colleague for their investment of time and energy in you. They will be pleased to know how much you value their time and suggestions, and they will know you DO value their time, because you have taken action on their suggestions.

SUBJECT: Thank You for January Coffee Meeting

Ms. Robbins, thank you for giving me so much of your limited time last Monday afternoon and for your actionable suggestions for my career advancement.

I did follow up on both of your suggestions. Grant Billows has asked me to come to work on his new start-up project; I’ll be assuming those new responsibilities after the first of the month. Also, I notified Training of my interest in the upcoming programming course — and, due to a last-minute cancellation, I am enrolled to attend next week. The ball is rolling!

Please know how much I appreciate your interest in my studies and career advancement.

How to Write a Thank-You Letter After a Job Offer

If you’re lucky enough to receive a job offer, don’t forget to send a thank-you letter for the opportunity! Not only is it a courteous gesture, but it can also help solidify your position as a professional and enthusiastic new hire.

When writing your thank-you letter, be sure to:

  • Express your gratitude for the job offer and excitement to join the team
  • Reiterate your understanding of the position and any next steps
  • End with a statement of appreciation and enthusiasm for the opportunity

Why Should You Say “Thank You for Giving Me This Opportunity?”

In an interview, it’s important to express your appreciation for the opportunity to speak with the hiring manager and learn more about the company. Saying “thank you” can help create a positive impression and demonstrate your professionalism and gratitude.

But don’t stop there! Once you’ve secured the job, continue to show your appreciation and gratitude for the opportunity. Whether you’re working as an intern, starting a new job, or attending a meeting, expressing your gratitude can help you build positive relationships and pave the way for future success.

Write a Follow-up Thank-You Note After a Job Interview? Heck Yes!

Handwritten Notes Increasingly Valued in the Workplace

Thanks for Your Order (Thanks Notes for Customers)

Thank-You Email Examples for After a Meeting

Billie

I like to climb mountains, read Nietzsche, and explore the West Coast. I have a BA from York University (2003) in Toronto, Canada, and yet on this site I sometimes spell like an American (know your audience). Thank you. Thank you very much.

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