How to Write a Thank You Email After a Virtual Interview

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Craft the perfect follow-up email using our expert tips and templates
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You just rocked a Zoom interview and now it’s time to craft the perfect “thank you” email to show your interviewers you appreciate their time—and to remind them how right you are for the job! We talked to career coaches Elaine Lou Cartas and Kolby Goodman about what to consider when writing a thank you email after an interview, and as a bonus, we’ve included a template to help you get started.

Things You Should Know

  • Include a brief but explanatory subject line like “Thank you –Darcy Bryant, Editor” or “Following Up on Tuesday’s Interview.”
  • Greet your interviewer warmly by name and thank them for the opportunity to discuss the position.
  • Refer back to key points from the interview to show you’re invested and excited to move forward. Sign off respectfully: “Regards, Kate Chan”
Section 1 of 2:

Writing a Thank You Email after a Zoom Interview

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  1. Award-winning Business & Executive Career Coach and CEO Elaine Lou Cartas says, “I would suggest [sending your email] the next day, about 15 minutes before they start their work…so it's right at the top of their inbox.”
    • If you send a thank you note immediately, you risk coming off as over-eager (or of your email being lumped in with your interview and more easily forgotten).
    • If you wait longer than a day, you run the risk of coming across uninterested or of your interviewer forgetting the details of your interview.
  2. Elaine Lou Cartas advises keeping your heading short and sweet: “‘Thank you for the interview’…should be the subject heading.”
    • Or, consider reminding them who you are and what you interviewed for in your subject, too. For example, Thank You –Darcy Bryant, Editor.
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  3. Start off your letter by addressing the interviewer by name. Offering a friendly but professional greeting sets a positive tone for your message. [1]
    • Dear Joann Menendez,
    • Good afternoon, Dr. Walters,
  4. The primary purpose of your email is to thank your interviewer for the opportunity to discuss the position and your qualifications for the role. [2] State this upfront in your email, and be genuine, but not gushy.
    • I hope you’re doing well! I was grateful for the opportunity to meet with you on Tuesday, and I wanted to reach out to express my thanks for your time.
  5. “Reiterate why you would be a good fit for the position, and how it would support them,” Elaine Lou Cartas says. This will help show you’re passionate about the job and that you were paying attention during the meeting.
    • “And I would advise the candidate to go a step further,” Kolby Goodman, Career and Job Search Coach and Founder of The Job Huntr, says. “Don't just showcase your skills, don't just highlight your features. Talk about your benefits: how can that employer benefit from the skills and the expertise that you bring?”
    • For instance, I’m excited to work with customers face-to-face in this role. I improved customer retention in my last position and am confident I’d be an asset in this role as well.
  6. Elaine Lou Cartas advises referring not only to the professional details covered in the meeting, but to “something personal that maybe [the interviewer] shared” to help you forge a deeper connection. “Something like, ‘Greg, it was so great to know that we both came from the same college.’”
    • A few friendly asides can make your email (and you) stand out, but don’t drag your email out. A brief email shows you respect your interviewer’s time.
    • “Wasting someone's time, that's what we don't want to do,” says Kolby Goodman. “[That’s] a very easy way to burn bridges fast and to make these informational interviews just one-off conversations versus an opportunity to develop a genuine human-to-human relationship.”
  7. Invite them to reach out with any additional questions they might have. [3] Let them know you’re eager to move forward with the role, but avoid being pushy.
    • Please let me know if you’ve got any questions for me or if there’s anything I can do to move forward with the hiring process.
    • I’m eager to move forward in the process and look forward to hearing back from you soon. Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any further questions for me.
  8. Close your email by thanking the interviewer one last time. [4] Then, add a friendly but professional sign-off, similar to how you opened your email. [5]
    • Thank you so much for your time. Regards, Kate Chan
    • Once again, I’m so appreciative of your time and attention. Warmly, Mariam Khalil
  9. Be sure to proofread your email before sending it. It’s unlikely a misplaced comma will cost you the job, but misspelling the interviewer’s name or forgetting to sign off could make you come across like a less-than-perfect candidate. [6]
    • It’s best to wait a day to send your email, but you can draft your email immediately. The details will be fresh on your mind and it’ll give you plenty of time to proofread your writing.
    • Try enlisting a buddy to check over your email before you send it.
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Section 2 of 2:

Thank You Email Template

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  1. Subject line
    Thank you -[your name], [role you applied for]

    Opening
    Dear [interviewer’s name], or Good afternoon, [interviewer’s name],

    Body
    I hope you’re well! I wanted to reach out and express my thanks for taking time out of your day to interview me. It was wonderful to meet you and discuss the position further.

    I’m especially interested in what you said about [specific key point from interview]. In my previous role, I excelled at [specific benefit you bring to the table], so I’m confident I’d be a great fit for this role.

    I also had such a fun time talking about [personal detail the interviewer mentioned]!

    Closing
    Please let me know if there’s anything I can do to move forward in the hiring process, and don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any further questions for me.

    Thanks once again for meeting with me and discussing this role. It was a pleasure to hear about the demands of the job and the culture of the company, as well as to meet you, even if not face-to-face.

    Regards,

    [your name]

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      Tips

      • If you interviewed with multiple people, send a separate email to each of them, if possible. Follow the same basic format for each, but make each email different enough that they wouldn’t think you just copy and pasted them.
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      Expert Interview

      Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about working enviroments, check out our in-depth interview with Elaine Lou Cartas .

      References

      1. ↑ https://www.bu.edu/sph/students/student-services/student-resources/academic-support/communication-resources/formal-emails/
      2. ↑ https://successworks.wisc.edu/the-basics/preparing-for-your-interview-2/the-thank-you-letter/
      3. ↑ https://hls.harvard.edu/bernard-koteen-office-of-public-interest-advising/opia-job-search-toolkit/interview-follow-up-thank-you-notes/
      4. ↑ https://successworks.wisc.edu/the-basics/preparing-for-your-interview-2/the-thank-you-letter/
      5. ↑ https://careercenter.bauer.uh.edu/blog/2021/02/23/how-to-end-any-professional-email-plus-a-list-of-sign-offs-for-when-youre-tired-of-saying-best/
      6. ↑ https://www.delmar.edu/offices/swc/elements-of-literature/email-etiquette.html

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