How to Write a Follow-Up Email After an Interview (With an Template)

What Are Interview Follow-Up Emails, Anyway?

Job interviews can be a stressful process. In many cases, you talk to a total stranger for 30 to 60 minutes. Then, you go home and wait to hear back from the interviewer or hiring manager to know whether or not you got the job. Although you don’t want to come across as pushy or obnoxious, many people use interview follow-up emails to keep the conversation going after the interview ends.

A follow-up interview email is just what it sounds like — it’s a message you send after an interview to reconnect with the interviewer and company. Most of the time, people send a follow-up email after an interview to express their gratitude for the interview and help their application stand out from the other candidates. This quick message just lets the interviewer know you are interested in the job and appreciate their time.

Although this gesture may seem outdated or unnecessary, studies show that over 90 percent of interviewers like receiving these follow-up messages. In fact, just 10 percent of people don’t find these messages helpful. So, even if it seems unhelpful to you, this small gesture can make a huge difference for the people considering whether or not they will hire you.

Etiquette On Sending A Follow-Up Email After Interview

If you are in the running for a job you’re highly interested in, it’s only natural to want an update that lets you know where you stand in the selection process. However, there are certain unwritten rules or forms of etiquette you will want to follow before you press send on an interview follow-up email. Sending an email to the wrong people, at the wrong time, or in the wrong way could be detrimental to you chances of landing the job.

When To Send A Follow-Up Email

When a job is on the line, time is of the essence. In most cases, this means you will want to fire off an interview follow-up email as soon as you possibly can. Most people recommend sending an initial follow-up interview email within 24 hours of your scheduled interview time. This helps keep your interview fresh in the interviewer’s mind, even if they are still conducting additional interviews.

Who To Send An Interview Follow-Up Email To

No matter what type of interview you participated in (in-person, phone, or group interview), it’s important to send a follow-up email after interview to the person conducting it. This is often the hiring manager or an HR person for the company, and may even be the person who

Sometimes more than one person conducts or sits in on the interview. In this case, you’d want to send a separate message to each person who was present in your meeting if possible. If you only have contact information for one of the interviewers, you can always address each participant in your greeting line.

What To Include In Your Follow-Up Interview Email

Even if you understand the importance of sending that interview follow-up email, you may have no idea how to write a follow-up email after an interview. Luckily, there are five things everyone should include in their interview follow-up email.

1. A Clear Subject Line

Subject lines help recipients know the message before they open it. In this case, you’ll want to select a subject line that helps your interviewer recognize that this message is an interview follow-up email. So, make sure to include the word “interview” or “follow-up” along with other key details such as the position you interviewed for or when you met with them.

2. An Appropriate Greeting

Because electronic communication has become so commonplace these days, we often forget the importance of a greeting. In this case, a simple, “Good afternoon,” or “Dear [Name],” will work just fine — just make sure you include something.

3. An Expression of Gratitude

In your first paragraph, be sure to thank the interviewer for their time and express your gratitude for the opportunity. You can also use this as an opportunity to refresh their memory about you while also thanking them. Just keep it brief.

4. Mention Something That Helps You Stand Out

Before you close out your email after the interview, make sure you drive home a point that helps you stand out from the other candidates. You could bring up a specific aspect of your job experience that fits into what the interviewer is looking for or point out how you can solve a problem they mentioned during the meeting. Standing out from the crowd will increase your odds of hearing back.

5. Include A Signature That Has Your Contact Info

Don’t forget to close your message with a professional signature that includes your contact information. If you really want to make your signature line stand out, you can even add a handwritten signature to your email.

An Interview Follow-Up Email Template

Subject Line: Follow Up After [Position] Interview: [Your Name]

Dear [Name],

Thank you so much for discussing the [position] role at [Company] on [date]. I really enjoyed learning more about your plans for [point brought up in the interview].

After talking to you, I feel like this role would be a perfect fit for me. [Add 2-3 sentences that speak to your experience and how this makes you a good fit for the role.]

Please let me know if you would like any additional information about my experience or credentials. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Thank you again,
[Your Signature]

Other Interview Follow-Up Email Tips

Here are some additional tips that can help you learn how to send a follow-up email after an interview:

• Make sure the length of the email is appropriate. In most cases, short and sweet emails are best forfollow-ups.
• Maintain a positive tone throughout the message.
• If you thought of any additional questions for the interviewer or remembered something you’d like to elaborate on, this email is a good time to cover these things.
• Proofread your message carefully before you press send. You don’t want a typo or other error to cost you the job.