How to Write a Follow-up Email After an Interview for a Job

Writing a follow-up email after an interview is an important part of the job application process because it helps you stand out from other applicants who do not write an interview follow-up email and:

• Reinforces your enthusiasm for the position.
• Demonstrates thoughtfulness and a willingness to go the extra mile.
• Provides the opportunity to ask more questions.
• Gives you the chance to address possible concerns the interviewer might have.
• Allows you to underscore your qualifications for the job.
• Keeps you fresh in the hiring manager’s mind.

So, how do you write a compelling follow-up email after an interview? We’re here to show you!

How to write a follow-up email after an interview

Writing an interview follow-up email isn’t difficult, but there are a few things you should keep in mind. Follow these tips for a compelling professional letter that interviewers will respond to.

Timing is vital

You might feel compelled to write your email immediately after the interview to show the employer you are eager for the job and to keep the conversation fresh.

Not so fast!

Alison Green, the author of Ask a Manager, says that writing an interview follow-up email too fast can backfire.

“Not only are you bypassing the chance to personalize the content based on what happens in the interview itself, but sending it so quickly comes across like you’re just checking off an item on your to-do list. You want your interviewer to know that you’ve spent time digesting the conversation and that your note reflects real thought and interest.”

Instead, take the time to write down anything that stood out from your interview and lingering questions that came to mind during the conversation. Then reflect on what you want your interviewer to remember and anything you didn’t get the chance to address. Then over a few days, write a few drafts of your follow-up email and send the final version directly to the person who interviewed you.

Write for your audience

As with any other form of writing, you must keep your audience in mind when writing a job interview follow-up email.

Chances are, over the course of the interview process, you will have spoken to more than one person, and you have to follow up with each one of them. So, when you prepare your interview follow-up email, make notes from each interview, so you don’t forget anything from your conversations. When writing your letter, bring up key points from the conversation, such as a project they talked about or their goals for the position.

Pay attention to your tone

Always keep a professional tone when writing a follow-up email after an interview for a job. Be courteous upfront, thanking the interviewer for talking with you about the position and making it clear why you are following up. Be gracious and get straight to the point.

How to send a follow-up email after an interview

Although every follow-up email for an interview is unique, standard rules apply. Here’s what every post-interview email must contain:

1. Email subject line

If this is your first time writing the interviewer, then a good subject line should look like one of the following examples:

• Thank you for the Interview on 6/15.
• Follow-up Regarding Interview for [Position Name]
• Interview Follow-up

If you have already had contact with the interviewer, then continue the email thread and do not start a new subject line.

2. Professional salutation

Address your interviewer by name, like “Dear First and Last Name,” Never greet informally like “Hello,” “Hi [Name],” or  “Greetings,” and avoid using titles like “Miss” or “Mr” unless you are certain of their gender identification. 

3. Introduction 

A follow-up email after an interview should always begin with gratitude. Thank the interviewer for their time and consideration. Always mention the specific job title and company name.

For example: “Thank you for taking the time to interview me yesterday about the editorial assistant job at The Times News. It was nice to meet you.”

4. Body text

The body of your letter should reiterate your interest in the position and reference something from your conversation with that person and connect it to your qualifications. Ask a question if you have one about something that came up in your interview, and address any concerns the interviewer may have had. One or two paragraphs are acceptable for the body of your letter.

For example: “I was interested to learn about the new social media project you have spearheaded and I’d love to help you see it through. I’m sure my background in social media marketing and my editorial judgment will be great assets to you and the company.”

5. Conclusion

Your interview follow-up email should summarize why you’re the best candidate. Provide a detail or two to show what sets you apart from other job applicants, and invite them to ask you more questions. Let them know you look forward to hearing back from them. Invite them to call you (remind them of your phone number!) or email them to reply.

6. Sign off

Close your letter with a professional signoff, like “Best regards,” “Sincerely,” and under it, leave a space and then write your name.

Example of an email follow-up letter after an interview

How to write an interview follow-up email after a phone interview

A phone interview is typically a brief screening to ensure you meet the minimum requirements for the job.

Here’s how to write a follow-up email after a phone interview:

1. For a phone interview, it’s best to write your follow-up interview email the same day so the potential employer knows you’re interested in the job.
2. Thank the interviewer for contacting you for the position and for taking the time to talk to you.
3. Express your interest (if you are still interested in the job, that is), and be specific. Think of something about the job that excites you and explain how you can help the company with a goal or a need.
4. Close with an invitation to contact you for more information and let them know you look forward to taking the next step in the interview process.
5. Sign off politely and professionally.

Use this example of a job interview follow-up email for reference:

How to write a follow-up email after an interview — 1st round

If all goes well during your phone screen, you’ll be asked to meet with one or more people for a first-round video or in-person interview. Here’s how to follow up after.

1. Take a few days to process the interview. Write out important facts you gleaned from the conversations you had and take note of anything interesting you learned about the company or the job. Write down questions as they arise.
2. Write an interview follow-up email to each person you talked to if you interviewed with more than one person.
3. Your follow-up letter for the first round after a phone screen should be a bit more detailed and focused on specific topics from the conversations you had.
4. Write your email subject line: “Thank you for the interview on [date of interview]!”
5. Greet the interviewer by name, like “Dear Joan,”
6. In your introduction, show your excitement for the position and thank the interviewers for their time.
7. The body of your email follow-up after an interview following a phone screen should describe how you would tackle specific challenges that you discussed during the interview and detail how you would handle them should you be hired.
8. Have a presentation or notes prepared to explain what you can do to help meet a goal or spearhead a project and attach it to your email.
9. Close by reiterating your interest in the position and a follow-up offer.
10. Sign off professionally.

Here’s an example of what an interview follow-up email for a first-round interview following a phone screen might look like:

How to send a follow-up email after an interview — 2nd round

Wow! You’ve made it through the job application process, a phone screen and the first round of interviews. The hiring manager liked you so much that they called you in for a second (and final) round of interviews. Nice work!

Here’s how to write a follow-up email after an interview in the second round.

1. You’re a shoo-in at this point in the process, but you’re probably competing with another person in a tie. To break the tie as the winning job candidate, you will want to use your interview follow-up email to explain exactly why you are the only candidate worth hiring.
2. Just like you did after your first round of interviews, wait a few days to follow up and, in the meantime, process the conversations you had.
3. Frame your interview follow-up email as you did for your phone screen and first-round interview emails.
4. When writing your second round follow-up letter, express your eagerness to join the company, being careful not to come across as desperate. Tell them exactly why you feel excited about the opportunity, using points from your conversation.
5. In the body of your letter, emphasize your selling points and mention a skill or past accomplishment you didn’t mention in any of your earlier interviews. Provide a compelling statement that tells the interviewer why you’re the best for the job,
6. Wrap up your last follow-up email by once again showing your eagerness for the position and inviting the interviewer to follow up.

Use this example of an interview follow-up email for inspiration:

How to write a follow-up email after an interview to check your status

If it’s been two weeks since your last interview and you haven’t heard back, then it’s reasonable to want to check on the status of your job candidacy. If nothing else, it’s a good way to remind the employer that you’re interested in the job.

This type of email follow-up letter can be a bit tricky because you don’t want to appear desperate or annoying, but you’ll do well if you follow our tips for writing an interview follow-up email to check in.

1. For this type of follow up, write the job title in the subject line, like “Following up about [Job title].”
2. Since this email follow-up is for a status check, you only have to write to the hiring manager since they are the final decision maker.
3. Keep this email follow-up letter very brief. You simply want to let the employer know that you’re still interested in the position and would like an update about your status.
4. Ask how you can help them with their decision and offer to provide more information or references if they need them.

Have a look at this example:

What to do if you don’t hear back after sending a job interview email follow up

It’s been several Weeks since you’ve written a second-round interview follow-up email to every person you spoke with and check your email every day for news, but all you hear back is crickets.

What to do?

1. Reach out to your network. If you know someone who works at the company, or if a colleague or friend knows someone who works at the company, check to see if they know anything about the status of the job.
2. Be strategic. Don’t contact the company every day. If you do, you’ll annoy them and ruin any chance you might have to win the job. But you should still follow up (politely and professionally!) if you want to convey that you’re serious about the job. Reach out to human resources if you do not hear back after two weeks, and then once more after the third week. If you don’t hear back after three weeks, you might want to cut your losses and look elsewhere.
3. Let it go. Once you decide to move on, do so with grace. It’s hard not to take rejection personally, especially after going through a long interview process, but don’t. Realize there are many reasons you didn’t hear back about the job — it might have been eliminated. Now it’s time to focus on your next job search.
   
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Interview follow-up email takeaways

Follow-up email after an interview FAQ

What are some good questions to ask in an interview follow-up email?

It’s a good idea to ask a question or two in your follow-up letter because it shows you paid attention and conveys interest.

Here are some of the top questions you might ask in your job interview follow-up email:

• Can you explain [something about the job, the process, the culture]?
• If I am hired, what tools would I use in this role?
• Is there anything I can do to help you make a decision?
• What are the next steps in this process?
• How can I prepare now to help you with your goal?

What does it mean if you don’t hear back after sending an interview follow-up letter?

If you don’t hear back after an interview, don’t panic. There are several reasons hiring managers don’t get back to job applicants after interviews, including:

1. They are busy and haven’t had a chance to reply right away.
2. They are still interviewing other candidates and want to create a list of their top candidates before replying to anyone.
3. The job has changed or been eliminated for various reasons.
4. Someone else jumped out at them as the best candidate, and they hired that person immediately. Better luck next time!