Job Seeker Resource: How to Write an Interview Follow-up Email

Posted February 21, 2014

After a job interview, you know you should always follow up with an email to your interviewer(s), but sometimes it’s hard to think of the right things to say. Here are some tips:

• Always send the note within two days—although preferably 24 hours–of the interview. If for some reason you miss the two-day mark, a late message is better than no message.
• Mention the date of your interview and the position it was for right away, so the interviewer doesn’t have to check her notes.
• You want to thank the interviewer for his or her time, of course, but you also want to reinforce your suitability for the job.
• If you feel the interview went well, and you still want the job, say something along the lines of “I’m excited to be considered for the (name the position) job as I feel your company presents me with the opportunity to excel.” You can also reinforce something that was discussed in the interview: “I enjoyed discussing  (topic) and appreciated learning more about (what the company is doing on this topic).”
• If you feel the interview went poorly, you may be able to improve the interviewer’s perception of you. For example, if you feel you stumbled on your answer to a question, start by saying something like, “I feel I may not have answered your question about ___ to the best of my ability, so let me just briefly say___” and fill in the last blank with a concise, relevant answer.
• This email also gives you an opportunity to tout any key skills or capabilities that might have been overlooked during your conversation. Say something like “one area we didn’t cover that I thought might interest you is my experience with____” and highlight a particular skill or story that might help sell you.
• And if you met with more than one person, send your thank-you to each one individually, not as a group message. Try to find something that will personalize the note for each recipient.
• Don’t send the email as an attachment. Always paste it into the body of your email.

Remember to double- and triple-check your note for grammatical and spelling errors. You don’t want to ruin a great interview with a typo-filled follow-up.

Following up to thank a hiring manager for his or her time is not only polite, it can determine whether you go on to the next step.

If you are looking for new job opportunities, contact our team today.