How to Write a Great Thank You Letter After an Interview

Everyone pretty much knows that you should write a thank you note after an interview – yet most applicants still neglect this key aspect of the interview.

This is an important tradition in the job search that’s still relevant today. It’s an opportunity to demonstrate your professionalism and keep yourself top of mind for the person or people who interviewed you.

If you’re interviewing for jobs, plan to send a note of thanks after each one. You can send it right away, usually with 20 to 30 minutes, since it’ll remind the interviewer what a great candidate you are.

You’ll find a few samples below, but first, here are some pointers.

Email is fine

Some people will tell you that a thank you letter must be sent by mail. While sending a note on paper doesn’t do any harm, this really isn’t necessary anymore. Email is the default method of communication for business, and a note saying thank you for an interview is business communication, so sending a note this way is perfectly acceptable. Just make sure the subject line is clear and simple: ‘Thank you for the interview’, or ‘Thank you for your time’ is perfect.

Keep it short

A thank you letter should be brief and to-the-point. The more text there is, the less likely that the recipient will read all of it. All you need is an introductory sentence expressing your gratitude, a few specific references to the interview, and a conclusion expressing your interest. That’s all there is to it!

Proofread, proofread, proofread!

No matter how you send the note, it’s a demonstration of your communication skills. Just like your resume and cover letter, it’s important to make sure this document is letter perfect – especially when you’re applying for a job involving writing! Proofread it several times before you send it, to make sure there are no spelling or grammatical errors.

Include everyone

If your interview included several people, make sure to thank them all. If everyone played an active role in the interview, it’s appropriate to send a note to all of them – especially if each one gave you a business card. If one person was leading the conversation, it’s fine to send a note to that person and ask them to pass along your thanks to the others.

Be specific

The most important part of the thank you letter is where you refer to something specific from the interview. This shows how engaged you were in the conversation, and also serves to remind the interviewer about your interview specifically. Some good choices are something uniquely interesting about the job, something new that you learned about the company, or something the interviewer said in the ‘small talk’ part of the conversation. As you interview, it’s good practice to make a few notes right afterwards that you can refer to when writing this part of the letter.

Show your interest

The conclusion of your thank you note is a great opportunity to confirm for the interviewer that you’re interested, and also to show your confidence that you’d be a great fit for the job. A strong closing paragraph is your opportunity to ‘seal the deal’, so take it!

With those pointers in mind, let’s put it all together and see what a good thank you letter should look like.

Sample Thank You Letters

Dear Ms. Smith,

Thank you for taking the time to meet with me on Tuesday. I enjoyed our conversation very much.

I particularly appreciated learning that the job will involve working closely with the quality assurance group, as this is something I’ve been looking for in my career. I believe that my exposure to chemical engineering will be helpful to me in that respect.

I’m confident that I would very quickly make a contribution in this position, and I’m very much looking forward to the next steps.

—

Dear Mr. Jones,

Thank you so much for your time and consideration; I really enjoyed the interview on Monday. It’s always great to meet a fellow alum from our alma mater!

I was interested to learn that you’re looking for someone to work directly with you and assume some of your responsibilities as you take on a more strategic role. I’m confident we would work well together, given our common pharmacy background.

Thank you again for your time, I’m eager to move forward and I look forward to hearing from you.

It’s as easy as that! Those are short, simple thank you notes that will get read, and be appreciated. They’ll show off your professionalism and courtesy, and they’ll remind the interviewer what a great candidate you are, giving you a head start on landing that job.