How to Write the Best Follow Up Email After Interview: 10+ Sample Templates

You’ve just concluded a job interview for your dream position.

Now, what next?

You begin to anticipate an update on the hiring process, especially if you feel it went well.

Unfortunately, because you never followed up, your potential recruiter moved on to the next candidate that followed up and assumed you didn’t seem too interested.

Fortunately, this is just an assumptive scenario because you will follow up after the interview, which will significantly improve your chances of getting hired by your potential recruiter.

In this specially curated article, you’ll learn:

• How to write the best follow up email after interview.
• What to write in your interview follow up email based on the scenario (first interview, second interview, phone interview, or after no response).
• 10+ sample follow-up emails you can copy, adjust, and use today to make hiring you sure-fire!

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While sending a follow-up email on your resume and cover letter is an excellent way to boost your chances of landing that job, there are several potential pitfalls to avoid when sending a follow-up email after the interview.

You could damage your chances of landing the job if you come across as pushy, sloppy, or too informal.

So, without much ado, let’s get started on how to write a follow-up email after an interview in four different scenarios:

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1. Follow Up Email Immediately After an Interview

While sending a follow-up email immediately after an interview is considered good manners, it is also crucial for hiring managers as they expect this from you.

This report reveals that 91% of employers love to receive follow-up thank you notes. And yet, according to another study—57% of candidates don’t make any effort in sending them.

So, from the stat above, it is safe to say following up on your interview with a thank you email gives you a competitive advantage over more than half of your competitors. 

Furthermore, it is vital to note that the sooner the follow-up email is sent after your interview, the better. We recommend sending it the same day or the next, but no later than 24 hours after the interview.

What’s the best interview follow-up email subject line?

Use a follow-up email subject line that is short and clearly explains your message.

Consider the examples below:

Sample subject lines for a follow-up email after an interview

• Thanks for your time today!
• Thank you for the opportunity!
• Appreciate your time and advice.
• I enjoyed learning more about [Company Name]. Thank you!

How to follow up after an interview?

• Open with a formal salutation and address the hiring manager by name.
• If several people interviewed you, send a separate follow-up email to every one of them.
• Express your appreciation and emphasis your interest in the position.
• In the follow-up, refer to the company plans you discussed during the interview.
• Suggest how your experience and skills can help with their challenges.
• Offer to provide the hiring manager with any additional information, if necessary, and ask when a final decision is to be made.

Sample follow-up email after an interview

Subject line: I enjoyed learning more about [Company Name]. Thank you!

Dear [Recruiter’s Name],
I greatly appreciate you taking the time to talk to me about [the position you’re applying for] with [Company Name] this morning. It was a pleasure to learn more about your [company strategy / upcoming challenges/core values/industry insights].

The details you provided me about the position convinced me that this is a job I would enjoy and one where I could make a valuable contribution with my skills and experience [refer to your specific area of expertise and how it can benefit your employer].

I was also thinking about what you said regarding [specific issue discussed during the interview]. In my last role as [your current or most recent position], I found that [data-backed explanation of how you would tackle the issue in question].

Finally, you will find attached the details of some of the projects we discussed. Please feel free to contact me if there is any more information you may need. I look forward to hearing from you next week, as discussed.

Thank you once again, [Recruiter’s Name].

Sincerely,

[Your Name]

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2. Follow Up Email After Phone Interview

Follow the actionable steps below to tailor a perfect follow up email after phone interview:

• Thank them for their time and interest.
• Emphasize your interest in the position and say what parts of the job excite you and why.
• Enclose your resume and a cover letter outlining your key selling points to explain your motivation for the role.
• Keep it concise.

Let’s peruse the example below:

Subject line: Thanks for your time today!

Dear [Recruiter’s Name],

Many thanks for taking the time to converse with me today. I appreciated learning more about [Company Name]. It was great that you shared my approach to your [industry/business]. I particularly liked how you [specific details about the company you learned during the interview].

I look forward to meeting with you in person and discussing our cooperation further. I have attached my resume and cover letter with detailed work experience.

Sincerely,

[Your Name] 

Note that while you may not be interested in the job after the interview, we advise that you send a thank you follow-up email anyways. Never burn bridges in the job market.

Express your sincere thanks for their time and consideration, explain why the position isn’t a good fit for your skills and experience, and let them know you’d like to stay in touch if they have suitable openings.

3. Follow Up Email After Second Interview

Despite the tone of your second interview, keep your follow-up professional and courteous. This isn’t the time for humorous self-deprecation.

Be clear about the purpose of your message. Presumably, you’re simply looking for an update on the recruitment process, so get to the point and don’t waste time and words on unnecessary small talk.

Be disciplined when sending your follow-up email after the second interview.

Follow this guide for a simple, professional message that gives you the best chance of receiving a response.

Follow-up email after a second interview example

Subject line: It was a pleasure to learn more about [the name of the position] with [Company Name]

Dear [Recruiter’s Name],

Thank you for the opportunity to come and chat for the second time. Now I am even more confident that working with [the team name] would be a dream come true for me.

I started to think about the [project] that we discussed—I have some ideas on how we could make it successful. 

I describe them briefly in the attached presentation. Please, let me know what you think. I’d be happy to explain the details and hope to get the chance to discuss them with you later.

Thanks again for your time and advice. I am looking forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

[Your Name] 

Great! I believe you’ve learned how to write a follow-up email after an interview.

So, what if weeks go by without a call-back after crafting your perfect follow-up letter and sending it right after the interview?

There is no need to give up. You could be close to attaining success simply with one more follow-up email.

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4. How to Send a Follow-Up Email After No Response?

Writing a follow-up letter after an interview with no response might be challenging.

It’s just like checking in to ask a seemingly annoying question, “When are you finally going to make up your mind?”

You need to ask about the interview result politely and professionally enough, so you don’t come across as a pest.

It is a good idea to send one, however, only when done the right way.

When to send a job interview follow-up email after no response?

It is recommended to send a job interview follow-up after no response, only after the established deadline has passed. 

What to write in your second follow-up email?

Consider the following most importantly.

1. Remind them of the passed deadline.
2. Emphasize your interest in the position.
3. Ask if they’d like you to provide any additional information.

Check out this example below: 

Sample second follow up email after interview with no response

Subject line: Following up on an interview for [the name of the position]

Dear [Recruiter’s Name],

I thought I’d check in as, during our last interview, you mentioned that you’d be making the final recruitment decision for the [the name of your position] by [the established deadline].

Please, let me know if you have an update and if there are any additional details, I could provide you with to facilitate the hiring process.

Best regards,

[Your Name]

Have you been offered another position after your job interview? Peruse below another sample of a follow-up email you can reference.

Sample second follow up email after interview—Competitive job offer

Subject line: Following up on an interview for [the name of the position]

Dear [Recruiter’s Name],

I would like to inform you that I have been offered a position with [Company Name]. My deadline for accepting or rejecting it passes on [the established deadline].

However, I’d be happy to turn down that offer if you decided to choose me as your new [the name of the position]. Please, let me know if you’re likely to reach a hiring decision before the deadline I established with [Company Name].

If you need any additional information from me, please let me know.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]

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Sample Follow Up Email After Interview

1. Short interview follow up email sample

2. Long interview follow up email sample

3. Checking-in follow up email sample

4. Staying-in-touch follow up email after interview sample

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10 Follow-up Email Templates

Below is a list of templates to encourage your next follow-up email.

1. First follow-up email after interview

2. Follow-up email checking interview status

3. Follow-up email after a phone interview

4. Follow-up email after a second interview

5. Follow-up email after receiving another offer

6. Follow-up email to keep in touch

7. Sample Job Interview Follow-Up Email #1

8. Sample Job Interview Follow-Up Email #2

9. Sample Job Interview Follow-Up Thank You Letter (Text Version)

10. Sample Follow-Up Email After an Interview

Frequently Asked Questions

How soon after the interview should you send a thank you follow-up email?

You can send your thank you follow up email to your interviewer immediately after the interview.

Should you send thank you emails to each of your interviewers?

Absolutely yes!

Emailing each interviewer is great but make it personal with a unique message.

This reflects your expertise and personal ties with that interviewer.

What happens if the interviewer doesn’t respond to your thank you email?

As a job seeker, you can send another follow-up email a week after the initial interview.

If there’s still no response, try to send yet another to keep in touch with the hiring manager ahead of future roles.

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Conclusion

Remember that your job search isn’t over until you’ve signed an offer letter, even if you feel excited about one specific opportunity.

Don’t stop applying and scheduling interviews. At the very least, the other interviews will be good practice for those interviews you do get excited about—and you may end up surprised by how much you like a job after going through the company’s interview process.

Following up after a job interview can be intimidating. You might not know how to best check in with the interviewers. You might feel like you’re imposing on your interviewer’s time.

But with this guide, you can feel confident in following up post-interview with your potential employer.

In the meantime, continue building upon your skill set and ensure your resume is interview ready to keep you on a competitive edge.

So many opportunities out there, but bad resumes can make you lose out.

Worry not because our CEOMichaelHR certified writers can help you tailor a metric-driven resume that immediately captures the attention of recruiters and make you stand out from the competition.

We’re available 24/7. Utilize our affordable resume services today!