How to write a thank you email after an interview | UK

If you’ve just attended an interview, you probably want to send the interviewer a thank you email.

And that’s a great idea – it’s the perfect way to strengthen your relationship with them and boost your chances of getting the job offer.

To help you achieve this, I’ve created a complete guide to writing a thank you email after an interview, and added 7 examples and a template.

 

 

 

CV templates 

 

How to write a thank you email after an interview

If you want to write a thank you email which captures your interviewer’s attention and nudges them towards making the decision of hiring you, then there’s a number of simple steps you have to follow.

 

Write an eye-catching subject line

The first step in your email-writing process is to craft an email subject line that will stand out amongst all the other emails in the hiring manager’s inbox.

 

 

Recruiters and hiring managers usually receive scores of job application email daily, so you need to write something that will get their attention and encourage them to open the email.

Go with something short and sincere like these examples.

• “Thanks so much for your time today”
• “Great meeting with earlier”
• “I enjoyed meeting with you earlier”
• “Following up from interview + thank you”
• “Thanks for taking the time to interview me yesterday”

Avoid using boring and impersonal subject lines like “Interview follow up note” or “Post interview email” – they can seem a little robotic.

 

 

Address the interviewer by name

Now that you’ve met the interviewer, you should have started to build a basic level of rapport with them, so keep that alive by addressing the recruiter by name.

 

 

Avoid using old-fashioned phrase like “Dear sir” unless the employer specifically requests you to address their staff in that way (this can sometimes be applicable in traditional organisations like the military or academic settings.

In most cases, it’s best to keep a balance of friendly and professional in your greeting.

 

Thank them for their time

 

Time is our most valuable asset, and the interviewer has probably invested an hour or so into your interview, so it’s important to thank them for that.

This will not only make the recipient feel appreciated, but it will show them that you treat people with respect in the workplace, and you could potentially be a good team fit who will get on will with others in the company.

 

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Express your interest in the job

 

It’s important to reiterate that you are still highly interested in the job.

Employers want to hire people who are passionate about working with them, so you need to ensure that the hiring manager knows you are still keen to work with them.

Enthusiasm goes a long way in the workplace, so if they have interviewed other candidates with similar skill sets to yours – your eagerness to get started could be just enough to tip the hiring decision your way.

Use a phrase like one of these:

• “I’m still very keen to start this role”
• “Speaking with you today has further increased my interest in this position”
• “The role sounds even more exciting now that we have discussed it in full”

 

You could even use this part of the email to remind the interviewer of your suitability for the job by dropping in some mentions of how your experience will help you perform in the role.

For example:

“The role sounds great, and I really think that my knowledge of Excel and data management could really add some value to the team”

“I am very keen on the position and would love to put my marketing knowledge to good use in the upcoming campaigns we spoke about”

 

 

Answer any unanswered questions from the interview

If you were unable to answer any questions in the interview, then your follow up email is a great way to turn that negative around and provide a strong answer.

Even if you answered all of the questions well, there could still be some points you wish you had expanded on – or maybe something clever that only popped into your head on the train home.

Essentially if there’s anything you forgot to say in the interview that could help swing the job offer your way – add it to your email.

 

Offer to answer any further questions

 

At this stage in the recruitment process, you’re on the brink of being offered a job and welcomed into a new team – so it’s important to appear as honest and open as possible.

So, make it clear to the interviewer that you are happy to answer any more questions they may have.

This will give them the opportunity to clear any final reservations they may have about hiring you, and show them that you are highly cooperative and flexible (great traits for any employee).

A simple sentence like one of the below will do the trick here.

• “Feel free to ask any more questions you may have”
• “I’m happy to answer any further questions you have, and will respond ASAP”

 

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Keep it brief

It’s important to remember that hiring manager and recruiters are always working to tight deadlines and pressed for time.

So, it’s best not to write a lengthy essay if you want them to read your thank you email in full.

Using the structure in this guide, you should easily be able to keep your email down to just a short paragraph that can be read in a couple of minutes.

 

Sign off in a friendly and professional way

Now that you’ve reached the end of your interview thank you email, all that’s left to do is sign off professionally.

This is important because you need to show the interviewer that you can always retain a polished professional look when communicating via email.

Sign off with a simple;

Regards
[Your name]

 

And add a professional signature which includes a professional title and your best contact number.

Check out these examples for inspiration.

 

 

Thank you email after interview examples

Here are some good examples of thank you emails from a range of different situations, industries and experience levels.

 

Thank you email to recruiter or organiser

 

Direct thank you email to interviewer

 

CV templates 

 

Thank you after video interview

 

Admin

 

Finance

 

IT

 

Entry level

 

Project manager

 

Sales

 

Marketing

 

 

Thank you email template

If you are struggling to create a unique thank you email for a recent job interview, try using this template and editing for your situation.

 

 

How long should you wait to send a thank you email?

Ideally you should send your thank you email within one working day of having the interview, so that the meeting is still fresh in the interviewer’s mind.

So, if you had the interview in the morning, you could send the email when you get back to work (discretely if you are in the office).

If you had an afternoon or evening interview, you can send the email the following morning.

Try to send the email during work hours so that it arrives in the recipient’s inbox while they are likely to be at their desk. If you send outside of work hours, your email will end up in a pile of emails they have to churn through in the morning and you risk it being missed.

 

CV templates 

 

Who should you send a thank you email to?

The person you send your email to will differ depending on the company and situation, but usually one of these two people will be best.

 

The interviewer or hiring manager

It’s best to send your thank you email directly to the person who interviewed you, because they are likely to be making the final decision on hiring you, so it’s them you need to impress and build a relationship with.

If you have the interviewer’s email address, then go ahead and email them directly (especially if you have already been in communication with them previously to arrange the interview). If you don’t have their email address you could potentially look them up on LinkedIn and message them directly there – however, only do this if you think the interview went well and you already have a good rapport with them.

Be mindful of the companies processes and procedures though, and if anybody has specifically told you not to contact the hiring manager directly, then email a different person.

 

The recruiter or interview organiser

Often you will not have had any direct contact with the interviewer before the interview and the interview will have been arranged by a recruiter or somebody else in the team.

In this case you can email this person and simply ask them to pass your message on to the interviewer. You should always remember to be as polite and professional when dealing with them as you would when speaking to the interviewer, as everybody involved in the recruitment process will have some influence on whether you are hired or not.

 

 

Why should you send a thank you email after an interview?

Sending a thank you email after a job interview has several benefits that can help you to clinch the job offer.

• Demonstrates your enthusiasm – Taking the time to send an email soon after the interview shows the hiring manager you care about the role and you’re willing to go the extra mile – giving you one last chance to sell yourself.
• Showcases your professionalism – Follow up emails are common in the workplace and often needed when dealing with customers and colleagues, so the fact you have sent one, proves your level of professionalism.
• Keeps you on the interviewer’s radar – When interviewing multiple candidates throughout the week, it can be easy for hiring managers to forget people – a timely thank you email can help them to keep you in mind.
• Builds rapport – Every communication you have with the hiring manager is a chance to build on your relationship and improve the chances of them warming to you on a personal level.
• Gives you a chance to remove reservations – Interviewers will naturally have some reservations about hiring most people they meet, so if you sensed that the interviewer was worried about any aspect of your interview, the follow up email gives you a chance to address them.