It’s finally finished. You’ve spent countless hours preparing for interview questions, practiced your answers in front of the mirror, and you got through your interview — but the fun’s not over yet.
We’ll walk you through how to send an interview follow-up email for every round of the hiring process, as well as those awkward scenarios where the interviewer fails to follow up with you. We’ll also provide some sample emails that you can easily tweak for the specifics of your situation.
Key Takeaways:
Without a follow up email, hiring managers are more likely to forget about you or think that you’re not all that interested in the job.
A follow up email should be sent within 24 hours of your interview, you should mention the specific job and your gratitude.
The follow up email should be short and to the point, the interviewer doesn’t want a play-by-play of the interview.
Why Are Follow-Up Emails Important?
Follow-up emails are important because they show that you’re appreciative of the chance to speak, enthusiastic about the opportunity, and have a solid grasp of professional etiquette.
Sending a follow-up email after an interview is almost as important as doing well in the interview itself. It’s one of those unwritten rules of job-hunting, and you’ll stand out for all the wrong reasons if you fail to send a follow-up email.
Within 24 hours of the interview, you should send an email thanking your interviewer(s) for their time and consideration.
Hiring managers and recruiters have a lot of candidates to keep straight in their head, and you’re more likely to be forgotten (harsh, we know) if you fail to follow up.
Aside from common courtesy, a follow-up email gives you another shot to express your enthusiasm for the job and showcase why you’re the perfect fit, culturally and experience-wise.
While thank-you emails after an interview are a must, it can be tricky to decide when and how to send follow-up emails after your first one gets no response — we’ve got you covered.
How to Write a Follow-Up Email After An Interview
This email should be sent within the first 24 hours of your interview. In this email, highlight how your strengths and qualifications align with the duties of the position. Refer to your notes from the interview and the job description to choose words that will stand out the employer.
Communicate your excitement for the opportunity by showing your interest and your belief that you are the best person for the job. If there’s anything you forgot to mention during the interview, this could be a good chance to bring it up.
In the first paragraph mention the specific job title and thank the interviewer.
In the second paragraph note the company name and a conversation point or goal that seemed important to the interviewer, and connect it to your experiences.
In the final paragraph invite them to ask additional questions and close by saying you’re looking forward to hearing back from them.
Other things to keep in mind:
If you interviewed with multiple people, be sure to send a separate, unique email to each of them. Mention something specific to your conversation with each person to show that you were paying attention.
Keep this follow-up email short and get to the point — the interviewer doesn’t need a play-by-play rehash of the interview
Use a simple subject line that emphasizes gratitude. Something like:
Appreciate your time today, [Interviewer’s Name]
Thank you for the opportunity
Thanks for the great conversation
Great chatting with you today
If your interviewer seemed like they’d appreciate something more bubbly, feel free to throw an exclamation mark at the end of any of these.
Examples Of Follow-Up Emails After An Interview
Follow Up After A Phone Interview. While phone interviews are usually more of a pre-screening and therefore more casual, you should still follow up with the recruiter or hiring manager you spoke with.
This email can be shorter than an in-person interview follow-up. Its main purpose is to remind the interviewer you exist and that you’re still interested in the position after learning a bit more about it.
Here’s how to write a follow-up email after a phone interview:
Thank the interviewer
Highlight how interested you are in the role — use specific conversation points to reinforce your enthusiasm
Ask about the next steps
Dear [Recruiter or Hiring Manager’s Name],
I’d like to thank you for chatting with me about the [Name of Position] job with [Name of Company or Institution]. I enjoyed learning more about how you’re doing things differently with [Conversation-Specific Point].
It sounds like something that would be perfect for someone with my background in [Skills and Qualifications], and I’d love to talk more about the opportunity.
I look forward to hearing about the next steps in the process. Please let me know if there’s anything else you need from me to help with your decision.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
Follow-Up Email After Second Interview. Following up after the second or third rounds of interviews is a little different because you’ve developed a bit more rapport by now, met more people, and learned something about how the hiring process works and what to expect.
At this stage, they expect you to be following up not just out of a polite reiteration of interest, but as a bit of a final sales pitch; a lawyer’s closing arguments, if you will.
Don’t go too nuts with length — short and sweet is still the ideal. But you’ll want to get into some specifics about what you’d be doing in your first 30/60/90 days on the job. Make it easy for them to say, “I could see this person doing the job right now.”
Dear [Interviewer’s Name],
It was great getting the chance to dive into more detail about the [Name of Position] job today. I really appreciate you taking the time to go over how your department approaches [Very Specific Conversation Point That’s Central to the Job]. I’m more convinced than ever that this team is where I belong.
After thinking more about the [Upcoming Project] that we talked about, I was thinking about how we could apply some tactics I’ve used successfully before. I’ve attached an outline of my plan, which includes links to my research as well as data from similar projects in the past.
If you’d like to chat more about anything in the outline, please feel free to reach out.
I look forward to talking more and thank you again for all your guidance throughout this process.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
Portfolio Included/Forgot to Mention During the Interview Example. This is a good email to use to give more information to hiring managers to aid in their decision making, or in case you forgot to mention something during your interview.
This type of follow-up email gives you the chance to remind employers of your skills, qualifications, and, again, how awesome you are.
Ms. Frizzle,
I would like to thank you again for meeting with me to discuss the [Name of Position] opening you currently have at your company. It was a pleasure to meet with you and your staff, and I would welcome the opportunity to work with such a team.
In addition to the [Professional Strengths and Qualifications] that I could bring to the role, I am an experienced team player with enthusiasm for group assignments. I am confident that as a member of your team, I could exceed your expectations.
If more time had been available during the interview, I would have liked to go into detail about my responsibilities and accomplishments at [Name of Company or Institution]. As a helpful resource, I have enclosed a portfolio that highlights my experience in [Name of Field or Industry]. If you feel that my skills align with the needs of the company, feel free to contact me for further discussion.
Best regards,
Johnny Bravo
555-555-5555
“Is The Position Still Available?” Follow Up Email. This is a good follow-up email to use if you want to get an idea of where you stand in the hiring process. If you’re not sure which follow-up to use, this is a safe bet. This technique basically asks for any new information about the hiring process regarding the job you interviewed for.
Ms. Frizzle,
It’s been [Number of Weeks] weeks since we spoke about the opening for your company’s opening for a [Name of Position]. At the end of our meeting, you mentioned that your company would respond with a decision soon.
Because I have not heard back from your company yet, I wanted to check in with regards to my status in the hiring process. If the position is still available, I would like to reiterate my interest in working with your company.
If your company is seeking a performance-oriented individual to fill this role, I feel that my experience and skills will be a valuable contribution to the department.
If you would be interested in scheduling another meeting to discuss how I could contribute to your company, please feel free to reach out to me at your convenience.
Best regards,
Johnny Bravo
555-555-5555
Checking In Example Follow Up Email. If you haven’t heard back from an employer after an interview within a time frame they’ve given you, or after two weeks since the interview, you can send a “checking in” email to your interviewer.
Making decisions on who to hire takes a different amount of time for every company. Sending an email to check in shows employers that you’re waiting for an update while also reminding them of your excitement for the opportunity.
Mention the title of the position that you interviewed for in the subject line or opening sentence.
Keep this email concise. Let the employer know that you’re still interested in the position and are looking forward to getting an update.
Offer to provide information in case it’s needed.
Ms. Frizzle,
I hope that you’ve been doing well since our interview [Number of Weeks] weeks ago. I’m emailing you today because I would like to check in on where I stand in the hiring process for the [Name of Position] opening at your company.
It was a great opportunity to meet with you and I am looking forward to hearing about any updates. Please let me know if there is anything I can provide to assist in the decision-making process.
Best regards,
Johnny Bravo
555-555-5555
Staying in Touch Follow Up Email. If you haven’t heard back after checking in, or you’ve learned that you didn’t get the job, you can still attempt to stay in touch with the hiring manager or recruiter. The goal of doing this is to create a professional relationship with someone who can help you grow professionally and stay on their radar in case any other jobs open up.
Even though this email probably won’t change any final hiring decisions, it can reinforce your interest in the company and show the hiring manager that there may be a future role that you could successfully fill.
Send this email to the hiring manager. This person could be a potential mentor if you’re looking to grow in this particular field or industry.
Keep this email concise. Mention what about them you found interesting or inspiring, and include a proposed time frame for a phone call or meeting.
Keep it professional. This is a chance for you to grow professional relationships, not building your online dating portfolio.
Ms. Frizzle,
I hope you’re doing well. I’m reaching out to you to thank you again for your time and consideration. I genuinely enjoyed the conversations I had with you and your team members at [Name of Company]. Specifically, I found the details of your own career path very inspiring. As someone who’s interested in building a career in your industry, I’d like to learn more about how you developed and applied your skills.
I’m sure that you’re busy, but if you have any spare time, I would greatly appreciate a chance to speak with you by phone or in a face-to-face meeting sometime in the next few weeks.
Best regards,
Johnny Bravo
555-555-5555
Follow-Up Email After an Interview Tips
Sending a follow-up email can be a very powerful tool — if done the right way. Follow-up emails are a great way to remind employers that you’re interested and enthusiastic about the position and the company.
It also gives you one last chance to let employers know just how awesome you are and how lucky they’d be to have you.
There are a few different kinds of follow-up emails you can send out to employers, and lucky for you, we compiled them all right here. Now, it’s up to you and your common sense to decide which follow-up email format is appropriate for you and your specific situation.
Regardless of your email’s intention, a few tips hold true across the board:
Express enthusiasm. This should be easy in your thank-you email, but it can be tough as you send more follow-up emails. You might be more frustrated than enthusiastic about how long it’s taking the recruiter or hiring manager to get back to you.
Still, it’s important that you always maintain positivity and highlight your continued interest in the role and the company.
Express gratitude. Thank the interviewer for their time and consideration. This is the central focus of “thank-you” emails, but maintain your gratitude throughout further follow-up emails. It’s polite and can help soften the harshness of a request for a status update.
Include extra details. While not always necessary, a follow-up email is the best place to include further information that’s relevant to your candidacy. This could be something tangible like a portfolio of your work, or an attribute, experience, or skill that you forgot to mention.
Also, if a moment from the interview isn’t sitting right with you, this is a good time to address it. For example, if the hiring manager seemed put off by your lack of experience with a certain skill or process, you could mention how you’re taking a class to remedy your knowledge gap.
Proofread and get a second opinion. Follow-up emails like this can be awkward to write. You may feel pushy or impatient, but it’s crucial that you don’t allow your language to come off that way.
Beyond looking for typos and grammatical mistakes, have a trusted confidant look over a draft of your email to make sure that you’re striking the right tone — enthusiastic, curious, and willing to help if need be.
Ask about next steps at the interview. The best way to avoid the uncertainty about when to follow up (with further emails — not your first “thank-you email”) is to ask the hiring manager or recruiter when you can expect to hear back from them. You can use this information to decide an appropriate time to send an email.
For example, if your interviewer tells you that you should hear back by next week, wait one full week plus one business day before sending your follow-up email.
Follow Up Email After An Interview FAQ
Should I write a thank you email after an interview?
Yes, you should write a thank you email after an interview. Following up after an interview to thank hiring managers for their time is always a good idea, and sending an email is one of the most effective ways to accomplish this.
An email is more professional and less invasive than a text. It’s faster than a handwritten letter, allowing you to communicate more carefully than a phone call. While some of these other methods may be appropriate in certain situations, an email is almost always the best bet.
How soon should you send a thank-you email after an interview?
You should send a thank-you email within 24 hours after an interview. Waiting any longer than that can cause it to look like an afterthought or at least that it was low on your priority list.
Sending a thank you email quickly after an interview is a great way to solidify yourself in the interviewer’s mind. If they’re meeting with multiple candidates each day, it will be more difficult for them to match your note with your face the longer you wait.
Are three days too late to send a thank-you email after an interview?
Yes, three days is too late to send a thank-you email after an interview. The point of sending a thank-you email instead of a letter is that it gets to the recipient promptly. If you were mailing a thank-you note, it would be appropriate to reach the recipient three days after the interview, but not so with an email.
Sending a thank you email three days after an interview can make it look like it wasn’t a high priority for you, causing hiring managers to doubt how serious you are about the position. It may also cause them to question if you’ll be responsive and timely as an employee or coworker, casting further doubt on your candidacy.
Should you send a thank you email on a Saturday?
No, you shouldn’t send a thank you email on a Saturday. While you can’t control when someone is checking their email, it’s generally assumed that most people have access to it over the weekend, so show that you respect the hiring manager’s time by only contacting them during working hours.
In general, you should try not to send any professional emails over the weekend unless they’re time-sensitive, personal, or you know for a fact that the person doesn’t check their email or won’t mind getting it over the weekend.
Final Thoughts
The hiring manager will probably give you a time frame for when they’ll get back to you with a decision. If you haven’t heard back by the end of this timeframe, it’s a good idea to go ahead and send out a follow-up email.
Most of these people aren’t ignoring you on purpose — they’re probably genuinely busy and your email has merely slipped their mind, so try not to get down on yourself. Unless you really bombed your interview, you’ll probably get a positive response.
Sometimes following up after an interview can give you that extra leg up you need to land a job. As long as your follow-up emails are polite and show sincere interest, hiring managers will understand your concerns and respond.
Expert Opinions
How To Write A Follow-Up Email After An Interview
Debbi Musch
Career Coach Technical Recruiter, Owner, Rising Careers, LLC
As a Career Coach, and perhaps more importantly as a former hiring manager, I NEVER hired a person that didn’t send me a note following their interview. This step demonstrates courtesy and respect, and leaves a positive impression of your genuine interest in the job and becoming part of the organization. The advice I give to my clients regarding follow-up emails after an interview is that it’s just simply important that they do it!
Job search advice
Jheneal M. McDuffie
Owner and Chief of The Resume Chic Co., Certified Professional Resume Writer
(CPRW), Board Certified Master Diversity Resume Writer (MDRW), Certified Career Coach
When searching for a job, remember to focus on the following–time, tech, and traction.
Time: Job searching is a job, and you should treat it as such. If you were working, you would have a schedule of activities; create a job search schedule outlining what positions you’ll look for, how much time you’ll spend looking, researching companies, networking on LinkedIn, etc. Make sure to factor in breaks and self-care.
Tech: Artificial Intelligence has changed the way we job search. Recruiters can now use platforms to send you a text message directly. Applicant tracking software scans your resume before a recruiter even sees it. Most interviews are virtual. Consider doing some research on applicant tracking software, job interview platforms, and virtual interview techniques.
Traction: If you’re not getting traction during the search, consider doing some networking on LinkedIn. LinkedIn allows you to network and apply for jobs on one platform. When networking, ask for informational interviews; they’re a great way to get company/job insights. LinkedIn is a great way to connect virtually with professionals in your current or potential future industry, which could ramp up your search.
How To Write A Follow-Up Email After An Interview
Patricia Matthews
Owner, Executive Administrator, Writer
Touch on a point or narrative that was initiated during the interview; reiterate the point again as to your position on the point (to spark a memory), or offer a new anecdote about an event or outcome that you didn’t offer before, as the intended goal of the letter is to create an image in the interviewer’s head; not only your presence demeanor but how you stand out from your peers professionally; in other words, what gives you an edge over qualified candidates. Mine for these subtle references within yourself and highlight them in the narrative of the letter. Specificity always edges out boiler plate blather.
How To Write A Follow-Up Email After An Interview
Having been a human resources professional and Resume Writer for 20+ years, regarding follow-up emails after the interview, is that doing so is extremely important if there is still interest in the job after the interview. If not, I don’t think that a follow-up thank-you is required.
Job seekers should understand that they are not powerless in the interview process. Just as the employer is deciding if the job seeker is the right fit for the role, the job seeker should use the interview to learn more about the company and the role to see if the company is the right fit for them. When job seekers go into the interview feeling powerless, the process becomes unnecessarily stressful. Sending a follow-up thank-you email could potentially mislead the employer into thinking that there is a continued interest in the job.
Should the job seeker determine that they have a continued interest in the job, they should reiterate what competencies they believe make them stand out from other candidates, keeping the thank-you note brief as most employers have made a decision on further consideration of a candidate before receipt of any thank-you note.
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