How to Write a Thank You Email After an Interview

We recently interviewed a candidate who truly stood out following their final interview. After meeting with a panel of four interviewers, they took the time to send personalized thank you notes to each panel member. In every note, the candidate referenced a specific question or insight shared during the interview - it was a 5 star demonstration of attention to detail. Thank you note or not, she would have received an offer, so the level of thoughtfulness was the cherry on top for an incredibly qualified candidate. It wasn’t just about ticking boxes—it showed engagement, professionalism, and the kind of soft skills we look for in a great hire. When it comes to thank you notes, here's a rundown of best practices: Do: - Send your thank-you note within 24 hours. - If you had a panel interview, personalize each message—mention something unique from each conversation. - If you have the hiring manager’s (HM) email, feel free to send the note directly. If you don't, email the recruiter to ask AND include your note to forward in the case they can't provide it. - Use the thank you note as an opportunity to reinforce an area in which you felt wasn't your strongest, or to answer a question you may have not been able to nail in the moment. Don't: - Send a copy-paste thank you note [the two line, generic message that's sent about 90 seconds after an interview doesn't hold a whole lot of weight]. Recruiters and hiring managers, what qualities make a thank you note stand out to you? #recruitmentrevealed

Your follow-up communication after a job interview offers a valuable opportunity to reinforce your candidacy and demonstrate your professional communication skills.   Many candidates miss this opportunity with generic "checking in" messages or overly enthusiastic emails filled with exclamation points, which can come across as unprofessional.   Instead, consider these more effective approaches:   1. The Appreciation + Value Reminder:   Thank the interviewer for their time, reference specific conversation points, and concisely reinforce why you're the right fit:   "Thank you for discussing the Senior Project Manager role yesterday. Our conversation about the challenges with your international expansion reinforced my enthusiasm for contributing my experience leading cross-border teams at ABC Company."   2. The Thoughtful Solution Provider:   Address a challenge mentioned during the interview and offer brief, relevant insights:   "Following our discussion about the data integration issues your team is facing, I've outlined three approaches that worked in similar situations I managed at XYZ Corp. I'd be happy to elaborate on these in our next conversation."   3. The Relationship Builder: Share a relevant resource that adds value based on your conversation:   "I appreciated our discussion about your company's focus on sustainable supply chains. I recently came across this research on emerging practices in the industry that aligns with the direction you mentioned your team is heading."   These approaches demonstrate your attentiveness, problem-solving mindset, and genuine interest in the role beyond simply securing a job offer.   What follow-up approach have you found most effective after job interviews?   Check out my newsletter for more insights here: https://lnkd.in/ei_uQjju   #executiverecruiter #eliterecruiter #jobmarket2025 #profoliosai #resume #jobstrategy #professionalcommunication #interviewfollowup #hiringprocess

Post-Interview Spiral? Read This. You walked out of the interview… And now your brain is like: 🌀 “Did I talk too much?” 🌀 “Should I follow up?” 🌀 “They said they’d get back to me — is it too soon?” 🌀 “What if they ghost me?” Let me stop you right there. Post-interview anxiety is real. But spiraling won’t get you the job. Strategy might. Here’s what to do instead: ✅ Within 24 hours: Send a real thank-you note. - Not the robotic “Thanks for your time.” - Mention something specific from your convo. - Remind them why you're excited. Leave them with a lasting impression. ✅ Haven’t heard back in 5–7 business days? Follow up. - Not to beg. Not to chase. - Just to check in like the thoughtful, professional human you are. Try something like: “Hi [Name], hope you’re doing well. I’ve been reflecting on our conversation and wanted to check in. I’m still excited about the opportunity and happy to share anything else the team might need. Any updates on next steps?” Clean. Calm. Confident. That’s the energy. ✅ And if they ghost you? That’s not failure. That’s data. It says more about them than it does about you. You didn’t miss out on a job. They missed out on someone who actually gave a damn. You did your part. Now protect your peace, prep for what’s next, and keep moving forward! The next company will be LUCKY to have someone like you on their team. — Follow me, Erica Rivera, CPCC, CPRW, for real-world career strategy, job search sanity, and bold advice that gets you hired—without the burnout.

She crushed the interview. Exemplary answers. Great chemistry. Then sent this: "Thanks for your time! I'm excited about the opportunity!" Generic. Forgettable. Fatal. While she was writing pleasantries, another candidate sent this: "I've been thinking about your customer churn problem. You lose 3 clients per quarter at $200K each. That's $2.4M annually. I've attached a 90-day plan to cut that in half." Guess who got hired. Every day you send generic thank you notes, someone less polished is solving their problems. The winner didn't thank them for their time. She showed them what time without her would cost. Most candidates think thank you notes are about manners. Winners know they're about value. Stop: "Thank you for the opportunity to interview." Start: "Here's what I've been thinking about since we talked." Stop: "I'm very interested in the position." Start: "I ran some numbers on your market share challenge." Stop: "I look forward to next steps." Start: "Here's my first take on fixing your sales cycle." The brutal truth: They don't need your gratitude. They need their problems solved. And every hour between interview and offer, those problems get more expensive. Send solutions, not thank yous. What's the boldest thing you've sent after an interview?

Think interview "thank you" emails don’t matter? Let me tell you why they're so important... Last week, I interviewed seven candidates for an executive role. Only ONE followed up with an email. And guess what? That person was also our most qualified candidate. But their "thank you" email sealed my vote. Here’s why: 1️⃣ It showed professionalism. They thanked me for my time and highlighted how much they valued our conversation. That’s not just polite, it’s essentially required. 2️⃣ It was personal. They mentioned (and expanded upon) something specific that we discussed during the interview. Shows they're an active listener with attention to detail. 3️⃣ It reinforced their interest. They didn’t just say they wanted this job; they explained why they were excited about joining our team. Genuine enthusiasm stands out. 4️⃣ It demonstrated confidence. They closed with, “I am confident I can bring value and would love another opportunity.” Bold, yet classy. During our exec meeting, we discussed all candidates. When asked who impressed me most, I said, “Only one sent me an email.” That email wasn’t just words—it was strategy. Here’s my advice: → Send that "thank you" email within hours. → Keep your tone professional but warm. → Resurface a specific part of the interview. → Reiterate your excitement and unique value. It’s not about being overly formal or writing an essay. It’s about leaving one last impression. Small actions like this can make a BIG difference. What’s your take? Would you send that email? #interviewtips #jobsearch #opentowork

After reviewing hundreds of post-interview emails, I spotted a pattern: The most successful candidates never sent just a 'thank you' note. They sent strategic follow-ups that got them hired. Let's analyze why most follow-up emails fail: - 'Thank you for your time' → Generic opener that blends into the inbox - 'I enjoyed our conversation' → Vague sentiment that fails to demonstrate engagement - 'I look forward to hearing from you' → Passive closing that surrenders momentum But the candidates who consistently landed offers? They turned this touchpoint into a strategic advantage: - Referenced specific discussion points ('Regarding our conversation about scaling the marketing team...') - Added value naturally ('Found this relevant article about the automation challenge we discussed...') - Connected their experience to the company's needs ('Your point about needing SQL expertise reminded me of when I...')" The difference between a courtesy email and a strategic follow-up isn't length - it's intention. Every interaction is a chance to reinforce your value. What's one small change that made a big difference in your interview process? P.S. DM me 'Career Closer' to learn more about my group program, where I teach my complete system for turning interview touchpoints into offer letters.

Everyone knows you should send a thank you email after your interview. But many miss this opportunity to stand out. With the ultra-competitive job market we are in right now, you want to take every possible opportunity to stand out. Many treat the thank-you follow-up as a nonchalant standard practice. But if you use it as an opportunity to sell yourself even more, you can leave that lasting impression that is necessary to keep the decision-makers thinking of you throughout their selection process. Here are some ways you can stand out (while still keeping your email brief): 1) Call out the specific people you interviewed with. If you interview with a panel of professionals from the company, use their specific names in your email. Show that you remember who you spoke to and what their role is. If you have the contact info for the people you interviewed with, email each of them directly with a personalized email based on your conversation with them. 2) Call out specific things that stood out to you in the interview. Instead of just a generic "thank you for your time" message, show that you were actually paying attention. Ex: "John, I really appreciated the depth you took when explaining [company name]'s plans to expand its customer base and explore new channels for targeting the ideal audience." 3) Reiterate your value. In addition to calling out specific points from the interview, briefly recap your solutions for those pain points or re-address your experience in those areas and how it aligns. Whenever possible, use metrics to quantify your impact (e.g. "I expanded our customer base by 35% in my last company"). 4) If you want to go above and beyond, take what you learned from the interview and draw up a strategic plan to outline how you would drive success in the role if hired. Don't wait for them to pick you for the next round. Show them that you have ideas to solve their problems or help them hit their goals NOW. Attach it to the email. --- In a world where hundreds of others are applying for the roles you want, we must take every opportunity to stand out. Use each communication/touchpoint to drive home your value for the role/company. Recruiters: Please feel free to comment on this post and share any tips/examples you have from the best "thank you" emails you've ever received from a job candidate.

After 9 years in recruiting at Salesforce, here’s my PSA to every job seeker out there: Don’t underestimate the power of a thank-you note. Seriously. I’ve sat through thousands of interviews. When it came down to two equally strong candidates, the deciding factor was often: 👉 The follow-up. Not just any thank-you note but a thoughtful, personalized one. Let me give you a real-world example: 𝗖𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝟭: Betty crushed the interview. She sent a quick, polite thank-you email. Nice gesture, but it was generic. Nothing wrong with it, just didn’t move the needle. 𝗖𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝟮: Cindy also nailed the interview, but she followed up with tailored thank-you notes that included: ✅ A sincere thank-you for the time and insights. ✅ A brief recap of the conversation. ✅ One personalized takeaway from that specific person. ✅ A clear reminder of her enthusiasm for this team and this role. Cindy got the offer. It’s not magic. It’s intentional. A well-written thank-you note shows that you're: ✔️ Paying attention ✔️ Engaged ✔️ Professional ✔️ Excited to contribute So here’s your reminder: Don’t rush past the follow-up. Take 15 minutes to make it count. It’s a whole lot easier than restarting your job search from scratch. — Follow Mallory Byers for more behind-the-scenes hiring insight ♻️ If this helped you, share it or tag someone who needs the reminder. How do you follow up after interviews?

As a recruiter, I've received and written many thank-you notes The difference between the good and bad ones comes down to one word: Intent If you think the intent of a thank you note is to thank the team You're doing them wrong Many thank you notes I see follow the same format -Greeting -Thanks -Closing It's generic, boring, and doesn't come across as genuine And it tells me your intent isn't where it should be It tells me you're doing it to check a box And then complain that you didn't get selected And bash interview notes as a waste of time If you interviewed with someone or a team and you're finding it hard to write a thank you note Don't bother sending it That should be a sign that the role/company isn't the right fit for you A good thank you note is easy to write because it's genuine and authentic It shows that you are truly thankful for the opportunity It shows that you value the connection you just made and want to build on it And it shows you want the opportunity The anatomy of a good cover thank you email is simple: -Greeting -Expressing gratitude/thanks for the interview -Mentioning 1-2 specifics from the conversation that stood out to you -Reinforcing your interest in the role and company -A personal touch over established commonality in the interview -Closing statement Bonus: sending it within 24-hours of your interview Example: "Dear Dave, I wanted to thank you again for taking the time to interview me for the project manager role at Exelon. I appreciated having a candid conversation with you and learning more about what you are looking for in a candidate; particularly how the person in this role will have a major role in managing the new renewable assets and solar projects. I've looked forward to the possibility of working at Exelon for quite some time, and our conversation today only reinforced that further. By the way, I know you mentioned you are an avid Bulls fan. If you've got some time, I'd recommend "The Old Man and the Three" podcast by 343 Productions. They just had Joakim Noah on the show, and I have a feeling his discussion on his time with Derrick Rose and where the team is heading now would be right up your alley. Take care, Jordan" That thank you note is sincere and memorable, and adds some personal touches from the conversation Don't write a thank you note just as a formality Do it because you are legitimately thankful And if you struggle to write one Maybe that's your sign of saying this isn't the right fit for you And that's okay too

The “thank you email” is poorly named. It’s not about perfunctory gratitude for a job interview. But it can 100% help you stand out in the market today. And since I can’t come up with a better name (“follow up email” .. blah), here are some tips for candidates when writing thank you emails to stand out and improve opportunities: ➤ Send within 24 hours, but not 2 minutes after an interview.  This gives you time to reflect and write something tailored. Truthfully, there’s optics here, too. You want to convey to the interviewers that you’re able to take time to process - and that you have the organization skills to remember to send. ➤ Don’t neglect the recruiter / screener. A great thank you email can help move them from indecision on your candidacy to a submission. In fact, I'd recommend sending an email to every single person who interviews you. ➤ Share an authentic insight (briefly) from the call. Simple framwork 1. WHAT you learned, and 2. WHY it was impactful. ➤ If next steps were discussed, share a recap. This shows initiative and organization skills, and can also help you keep the hiring team on top of their process. ➤Don’t expect a response, but consider using a reply or follow up on this email if needed for clarity on your candidacy (some might disagree with me here). What are some other tips you’d offer for thank you emails? #interviewing