How to Write a Follow-Up Email After an Interview: 6 Templates

Post-interview follow-up emails are the cherry on top of your job application.

They keep you on top of interviewers’ minds, make you look resourceful and proactive, and might even help you make it to the next round.

But how do you write one that’s memorable? When should you send it? And what if they don’t respond?

In this article, you’ll learn:

• How to write a thank-you follow-up email at various interviewing stages
• How to nudge an unresponsive recruiter with a follow-up email
• How to write a follow-up email if you get another offer
• When to send a follow-up email, how to structure it, and how to create your subject line

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Why Are Follow-Up Emails Important?

In a survey of US interviewers, 34.3% reported that thank-you follow-up notes are very or moderately important. It’s not that a follow-up email will make or break your chances but it’s a great addition to your interviewing process.

And this doesn’t only apply to the US. I interviewed Ivana Andrejic, an IT recruiter specialist working mainly with Eastern and Central European candidates. Although she said she hardly ever receives follow-up emails, she still remembers the candidates who take the time to send them. In her opinion, follow-up emails can definitely help candidates stand out.

Pamela Skillings, an interview coach and career counselor with extensive experience as a hiring manager, agrees.

“For me, getting a thank-you email just confirms that the candidate is seriously interested and has good follow-up/communication skills. I do think it’s possible that a well-written follow-up could boost my opinion of someone who seemed well-qualified but didn’t wow me in the interview. Plus, I have noticed that fewer candidates are sending thank-you emails lately. For me, that just means it stands out more when somebody sends a nice email.”

A well-written follow-up email will let you:

• Express your appreciation for the interviewer’s time
• Reinforce your interest in the role and your qualifications
• Clarify certain information or address any concerns that arose in an interview
• Sell yourself and build a better reputation
• Stand out from other candidates, build rapport with the interviewer, and simply prove you’ve got good manners.

Not sending a follow-up email won’t ruin your chances of getting a job (especially if you’re a suitable, experienced candidate), but it might make raise doubts about your level of interest in the position, Pamela says. Sending a generic one, in turn, will make you look lazy.

TL;DR: Take some time after the interview to write and send that follow-up email. It will keep you on top of the interviewer’s mind and demonstrate your knowledge of interviewing etiquette. Studies found that great answers to interview questions matter as much as following interviewing etiquette (that includes sending a follow-up email after an interview, among other things).

Some interviewers won’t notice or care, but for others, it might be an important factor. “Recently, I was speaking with a CEO who was hiring for a senior sales role and she told me she now sees the lack of a thank-you note as a red flag after some bad experiences. I think it’s more important in a field like sales where follow-up and outreach are so important.” — says Pamela Skillings.

Post-Interview Follow-Up Emails for Different Scenarios

Not all post-interview follow-up emails are the same.

Below, you’ll see samples and templates for 6 common situations:

• A follow-up email after a screening interview or phone interview
• A follow-up email after the first interview
• A follow-up email after the second interview
• A follow-up email when the company is unresponsive
• A follow-up email when you get an offer from another company
• A follow-up email to stay in touch when you haven’t been hired

Follow-up email after a screening interview or phone interview

A phone interview or a screening interview is usually the very first step in the hiring process. In it, the interviewer is trying to assess if you’re qualified to enter the interviewing process. It’s just an initial screening, it’s usually very short, and it focuses on the “big picture:” your key qualifications, first impressions, and basic cultural fit.

Still, this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t send a follow-up email after such an interview — even if the recruiter found you.

Interested in continuing with the interviewing process or not, we recommend that you send a short follow-up email to express your gratitude and a) state your interest or b) politely decline going forward with the process.

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

You should keep this email short and simple:

1. Thank the interviewer for their time.
2. Reiterate how your qualifications align with the job description and why it makes you a great fit.
3. Sign off, and make sure to include your phone number and email address.

Follow-up email after a screening interview: Sample email

Template you can use

Follow-up email after the first interview

The first “official” interview will usually focus on your experience, achievements, and skills in more detail.

If you came prepared and did good, this follow-up email is going to leave yet another positive impression and increase your chances of making it to the next round.

But if you feel like you could have done better — this email might help you salvage your reputation and improve your chances of making it to the second round.

How to write a follow-up email after the first interview

1. Start with a warm greeting and gratitude for the opportunity to interview.
2. Recount some positive aspects of the interview and reiterate interest in the role by explaining why you would be a good fit.
3. Provide a sign-off with your full name and contact information.

Follow-up email after the first interview: Sample email

Template you can use

If you’re preparing for a second interview, learn about 30+ Common Job Interview Mistakes to Avoid (Easily!).

And if you need help with answering common interview questions, selling yourself, or negotiating the offer, check out our free course.

Follow-up email after a second interview

Your second interview with a company may be the final one, after which the company will decide on whether or not to hire you (of course, this might differ depending on the company — some will require only one interview, some will require 2–3 or more).

No matter the number of interviews, you should follow up after each. And the deeper you go, the more detailed your email needs to be.

Speaking about the second interview specifically, you need to pinpoint specific information you discussed in the interview. Outline concrete ideas on how you would achieve the goals discussed.

How to write a follow-up email after a second interview

1. Begin by saying thank you for taking the time to have the second interview.
2. Discuss specific points from the second interview that prove your qualifications.
3. Reconfirm your keen interest in the role and express your eagerness to move forward.

Follow-up email after a second interview: Sample email

Template you can use

Follow-up when there’s no response within the agreed time

If the interviewer didn’t get back to you within the agreed time and you want to know where you stand, you can send a follow-up email to inquire about the status of your application.

Don’t get discouraged or worry that you might look pushy. You’re being proactive and using transparent communication.

A good thing to do, though, is to wait for the deadline to pass and email the interviewer only then — not before the deadline.

How to write a follow-up email if there hasn’t been a response within the agreed time

1. Politely remind the recipient of your previous meeting.
2. State your continued interest in the position.
3. Request an update on the status of your application.

Follow-up email when there’s no response within the agreed time: Sample email

Template you can use

Follow-up when you get an offer from another company

What if you’re interviewing for several positions and you get an offer from one company while still in the application process with others?

Well, you send them an email.

If you’re 100% happy with the offer you got from company 1, you can let company 2 know you’re no longer eligible for their position. You’ll want to kindly thank them for their time and effort and explain the situation.

If, on the other hand, you’re not sure whether to accept the offer from company 1 — you can let company 2 know that you got an offer, but would prefer to work with company 2 and would be willing to refuse company 1’s offer.

🥁 Story time: Our editor Michael got his first major job mostly because he followed up on the interview with the right message.

A few days after the interview, he received an offer from another organization. The offer was decent, but it did not come from his top-pick company. So he decided to be proactive, emailed his top pick, and told them about the offer he got and how he would be happy to turn it down if he was still in contention for a job with them. His top-pick company thanked him for the transparency and went out of their way to speed up the decision-making process.

Michael got the job.

Mind you, he had a pretty good feeling after that interview and suspected that he had a real shot. That’s why writing that email didn’t feel awkward.

If you’re in a similar situation, don’t hesitate to follow up. It might make all the difference between accepting an OK-ish offer and landing your dream gig.

Follow-up when you get an offer from another company: Sample email 1

Follow-up when you get an offer from another company: Sample email 2

Template 1 you can use (Offer accepted)

Template 2 you can use (Offer on hold)

Follow-up email to stay in touch even when not hired

If you haven’t been hired, but you had a good time during the interview process, you liked the people you met and the company culture — you can choose to stay in touch to explore future opportunities, suggest another mode of collaboration besides working full-time for them, or to nurture that relationship and perhaps ask for mentorship in the future.

How to write a follow-up email to stay in touch even if you were not hired

1. As always, thank them for their time and the opportunity.
2. Express your admiration for the company and your interest in staying connected.
3. Say that you’d be interested to hear about potential openings that might be more relevant to your skill set.
4. Suggest future possibilities of working together or offering your help if needed.

Follow-up to stay in touch even when not hired: Sample email

Template you can use

How to Follow Up on an Interview?

Below are general tips on how to best follow up after an interview.

Follow up within 24 hours of the interview

Generally, it’s suggested to send your follow-up email within 24 hours of the interview, while the interview is still fresh in your interviewer’s memory. This will help you further establish the good rapport you built during the interview.

However, if you had your interview late on a Friday, then waiting until Monday to send a follow-up email is better — don’t email people over the weekend.

In case you forgot to follow up with a thank-you email within 24 hours, do it as soon as you remember. (PS: To avoid this, set a reminder after each interview to send a follow-up email.)

In case you’re still waiting for a company’s decision, don’t email them within the set deadline. Instead, wait for the deadline to pass and then send a follow-up email the next day.

Finally, if you get another offer while waiting for a certain company to get back to you, inform that company you’re waiting for immediately, regardless of whether or not you’ll accept the offer.

Create a proper subject line

You’ll want the subject lines of your follow-up emails to be short, clear, and professional.

The rule of thumb is to be simple and straightforward and find a way to thank the interviewer for their time. Something like this:

• “Thank you for taking the time to speak, [Name]”
• “Thank you for your time and consideration, [Name]”
• “Grateful for the opportunity”

Optionally, you can use the name of the position you applied for, as it might make it easier for the interviewer to recognize you instantly:

• Thank you for the time and consideration for the [position name] position
• Grateful for the opportunity: [position name] interview follow-up
• A big thank you for the [position name] interview opportunity

Send a follow-up email to every person you interviewed with

If you interviewed with only one person in each round, it’s going to make the work easier for you, as you’ll be sending a follow-up email only to that person.

However, in case you interviewed with multiple people, you’ll have to send a separate follow-up email to every person.

You might be tempted to copy-paste the same email and send it to everyone, but it’s going to make you look lazy.

Instead, personalize each email and bring up unique talking points you covered with different people. It might be a bit more work, but it’s the only right way to show interest and determination.

For example, if you interviewed with an HR representative and someone from the leadership team, you will send separate follow-up emails. In the email to the HR person, focus on the day-to-day tasks you discussed, your key skills and achievements, or the logistical and administrative side of things.

People from the leadership team will usually be more focused on your strategic vision, culture fit, problem-solving skills, or leadership potential. They’ll look for skills and competencies that transcend everyday duties in a position.

So you might say something like “It was a pleasure speaking to you about [company’s strategic vision for the next years and how you can contribute/how you can fit in/your suggestions for specific long-term goals/your leadership skills or experience].”

Use a clear structure

In follow-up emails, you want to be as clear and concise as possible.

This is important because the hiring decision-makers are busy and you want to spare their time and make them immediately get what the email is about.

Here’s what your email structure should look like:

• Professional greeting
• Thanking them for their time
• Touching upon what was discussed in the interview
• Displaying your relevance and interest in the position
• Asking them if there is any additional information they would like to hear from you
• Closing professionally

“Currently, the overly formal, wordy “business letter” style of the past feels very old-fashioned for thank-you notes. Nobody is going to read long paragraphs of fluff and resume recap. Keep it concise and conversational. Say thank you, reiterate your interest, and maybe share or reinforce any additional information that you want them to know about you (a skill you forgot to mention, or your fit for a requirement that came up in the interview but wasn’t in the job description). Reference a detail or two from the discussion to show you were listening and you’re not just copy-pasting a form email. When following up later in the process to check on the application status, there are fewer universal rules. A lot depends on the situation. However, I would say it’s always fine to send a short, respectful note reiterating your interest and asking for an update.” — Pamela Skillings

Match the company’s communication style

Matching your communication style to the person you’re speaking or writing to is called mirroring.

Using the same lingo as the interviewer can help you build positive rapport and facilitate better understanding, but it can also make you sound more knowledgeable and persuasive.

If you’re interviewing with an enterprise that values formal communication, then you should be formal in your follow-up emails. On the other hand, startups or creative businesses might value a more casual approach. Pick up on common terms or abbreviations in the company or industry and use them (but don’t overdo it). You can also mirror things like exclamation points or emojis (if the interviewer used emojis in your correspondence, find a way to include at least one in your messages).

Here’s a few more tips you can use to stand out during the interview and when writing a follow-up email:

Personalize your email

Copy-pasting a generic follow-up email from the internet and sending it to the interviewer might ruin the good impression you left during the interview itself. Same goes for sending the same email to all interviewers.

Always personalize follow-up emails by referring to specific details discussed during the interview.

If you interviewed with several different people, write a separate, personalized email to each of them. Needless to say, double-check that you address the email to the right person.

Be persistent but polite

It’s okay to send more than one follow-up email if the company doesn’t respond, but remember that they’re likely just swamped and not ignoring you on purpose. Remain patient and polite.

For example — you sent a follow-up email hours after the interview and you never received a response. Now the deadline has passed and you still haven’t heard back from them. Should you email them? Yes, it’s totally ok to send another polite follow-up email inquiring about the status of your application and reminding them about the agreed deadline.

But you should stop there, as it should be enough to nudge them and get back to you quickly.

And in case you don’t hear back from them, don’t feel bad. Would you even want to work for a company that doesn’t value your time and efforts and ghosts you?

Summary of the Main Points

• Follow-up emails are a great way to stand out from the competition and reinforce your interest in the position.
• In your follow-up email be concise and direct, thank the interviewer for their time, restate your interest in the company, and ask if they need anything else from you.
• Send a follow-up email within 24 hours after the interview (but if you interviewed late on Friday, send it on Monday).
• In the subject line, thank the interviewer and optionally include the name of the role you applied for.
• Personalize each email and send separate emails if you interviewed with more than one person.

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Need a hand? There’s 3 ways we can help you:

1. Getting invited to interview but not landing the job? Discover actionable lessons and interview practice here (Rated with 4.9/5 by 1,000,000 users).
2. Learn how to cancel an interview politely
3. Learn how to answer “Why should we hire you”

FAQs

How long should an interview follow-up email be?

It should be short and to the point. We’d recommend just 2–3 paragraphs with no more than 2–4 sentences. Thank the interviewer for their time, restate your interest, bring up a specific topic you talked about to make it relevant and personalized, and offer to send them whatever they might need to reach the final decision. Just remember, the deeper you are into the process, the more detailed your follow-up email should be.

How to follow up on an interview I think went badly?

You can address the area of concern. If you messed up answering a certain interview question or you couldn’t think of a specific example, you can correct yourself or provide a bit more detail in the follow-up interview. You can also send your portfolio to provide insight into your work and decrease any suspicions an interviewer might have. This will show your willingness to learn, eagerness about the position, and resourceful and positive attitude — so even if the interview didn’t go as planned, you can still get the most out of the situation.

What if I forgot to mention something important during the interview. Can I write about it in my follow-up?

Absolutely. After thanking the interviewer for their time and bringing up some specific topics you talked about, you can mention an important thing that you forgot to elaborate on during the interview. Make sure to be concise, though, as the follow-up email needs to be short: 2–3 paragraphs with 2–4 sentences max.

What’s an example of a short and sweet follow-up email after an interview?

Should I use the interviewer’s first or last name when addressing them in the follow-up email?

Depends on the level of formality and how you spoke during the interview. If you were on a first-name basis during the interview, then you can definitely call them by their first name in the follow-up email. The same goes if the interview was not formal, and for a startup or a youthful, creative business that values closeness. If the interview was formal, or for a huge enterprise, or if the interviewer called you by your last name, then you should definitely use their last name when addressing them. But you can use your own intuition here: if you had an informal interview with a person who is considerably older than you, then it might make sense to use their last name.