Thank-you email after an interview (with examples)
The short answer
Send a thank-you email within 24 hours of the interview, to each person you met. Keep it to four or five sentences: thank them, mention one specific thing from the conversation, restate in a line why you fit the role, and say you look forward to the next step. Use a short, clear subject line and check the names before you send.
A thank-you email will not rescue a poor interview, and a missing one will not sink a good one. It does two small, useful things: it keeps your name in front of the interviewers while they compare candidates, and it gives you one more chance to say why you suit the job. It takes ten minutes, and fewer candidates send it than you would expect.
When to send it
Within 24 hours, and ideally the same afternoon, while the conversation is fresh. If you interviewed in the morning, send it before the day is out. If it is Friday evening, Monday morning is fine.
Send one to each person you met. If you spoke to several people, write a separate, slightly different message to each. Do not copy and paste the same text, because interviewers do compare notes.
What to include
Four short parts, in this order:
- A thank-you. For their time, and for something specific such as the tour, the team introductions or the candid answers.
- One detail from the conversation. A topic you discussed, a problem they described or a goal they mentioned. It shows you listened.
- One line on why you fit. Tie your experience to what they said they need.
- A forward-looking close. That you are interested and look forward to the next step.
Add anything you promised in the interview, such as a link, a portfolio piece or an answer you wanted to think about.
Subject lines
Plain is best. Choose one of these:
- Thank you, [role] interview
- Thank you for your time today
- Following up on our conversation about the [role]
Example emails
After a first interview:
Subject: Thank you, Product Analyst interview Hi [name], Thank you for taking the time to talk with me today. I particularly enjoyed hearing how your team decides which experiments to run, and it made me more excited about the role. My work on pricing analysis at [company] is close to what you described, and I’d be glad to bring that experience to your team. Please let me know if I can send anything else. I look forward to hearing about the next steps. Best wishes, [your name]
After a panel interview, to one panel member:
Subject: Thank you for today Hi [name], Thank you for joining the panel today. Your question about handling competing priorities has stayed with me, and I wanted to add one thing: in my last role I kept a shared weekly list that the whole team could see, which cut the last-minute requests. I’d be happy to talk more about how I would approach it here. Thank you again for your time. Best wishes, [your name]
After a final round:
Subject: Thank you, [role] final interview Hi [name], Thank you for the conversation today and for being so open about the challenges the team is facing. After meeting everyone, I’m even more interested in the role, and I think my experience with [relevant thing] would help with [the challenge they described]. If it’s useful, I can send references or anything else you need. I look forward to the next step. Best wishes, [your name]
If you forgot to say something important:
One point I wish I had made in the interview: [one sentence]. I wanted to make sure that was clear, and I’m happy to expand if helpful.
What not to do
- Do not wait more than a day or two. The message loses its point.
- Do not send a generic template. One specific detail makes it yours.
- Do not repeat your resume. One line on fit is enough.
- Do not bring up pay, benefits or start dates. Wait for them.
- Do not send a long message. Interviewers read it in a few seconds.
- Do not forget to proofread. Check the spelling of names and the company.
- Do not follow up again the next day. If you hear nothing, wait until the date they gave you.
If you hear nothing
A thank-you email is the start of the follow-up, not the whole of it. If their date passes without a reply, send a short follow-up, as set out in How to follow up on a job application. If the silence goes on, Ghosted after an interview covers how long to wait and what to send.
Keeping track
When you are interviewing at several companies, it is easy to lose track of who you met, what you promised and when to follow up. Glide keeps every application, reply and follow-up in one record, notices when a thread has gone quiet and drafts the follow-up for you to send. You stay the one who decides what goes out.
Common questions
Is a thank-you email after an interview necessary?
It is not required, but it is worth the ten minutes. It reminds interviewers who you are and is a courteous way to restate your interest.
Should I send a thank-you email or a handwritten note?
Email, because decisions are often made within days. A handwritten note can follow, but it will usually arrive too late to matter.
How soon after the interview should I send it?
Within 24 hours, the same day if you can.
Should I send a thank-you email after a phone or video interview?
Yes, in the same way. The format of the interview does not change the courtesy.
Keep reading
Glide is the agent on your side of hiring. See what it does, how it compares and the research behind it.