Writing Effective Interview Thank You Letters

Writing an effective interview thank you letter can increase your chances of landing that job you're after. Here, we're going to go over some tips for writing highly effective interview thank you notes to give you the best chance at employment.

Additional Resources

Check out our full collection of Interview Thank You Letter Samples.

Also, you can submit your finished letters below, or have one of our writers edit your rough draft for free.

Alright, lets learn how to write the perfect thank you letter to land you that job.

The Psychology of The Hiring Manager

In order to write the perfect post-interview note, you need to get inside the head of your potential employer, and be able to hit every nerve.

No matter the job market, hiring managers just want to hire the best candidate for the job. But, the right candidate is not always the guy (or gal) with the most polished resume, or the candidate with the most experience and qualifications.

What They Want From an Employee

As a hiring manager for some time, I can tell you that there are certain qualities that most always lead to a good hire. They are:

  1. Enthusiasm
  2. Competence
  3. Adaptability
  4. Creativity, and
  5. Good Communication Skills

It doesn't matter if you're interviewing at Starbucks, or Goldman Sachs, your potential employer will be looking for these qualities.

I would choose an under qualified candidate with these core characteristics over a candidate with perfect experience that showed a lack of enthusiasm, or an inability to communicate well.

Hitting Every Nerve With Your Thank You Letter

So, we've established what hiring managers are looking for. Now lets go over how your post-interview thank you letter will demonstrate all of these characteristics, basically forcing the hiring manager to call you up and offer you the job the moment he finishes your letter.

Enthusiasm: Your thank you note should ooze with enthusiasm. The job interview has just solidified how excited you are at the prospect of working for this company. Not because you want any job and need money, but because this is the perfect job for you.

Competence: Use this thank you note to reinforce your competence in the field for which you're applying. Show the manager that you understand the problems he is trying to solve. Talk in his vernacular. Utilize a few industry specific terms to show you're on the same page as him, and can help solve his problems.

Adaptability: The ability to adapt quickly is the ultimate evolutionary advantage. Employers need to know you'll be able to adapt to new information and situations in your new position. Did you gain any new information about the company, or the position for which you're applying, during the interview?

Comment on this new information in your thank you letter. Show that you're open and willing to adapt and be creative when confronted with new challenges.

Good Communication: Your thank you note needs to be a shining example of your ability to communicate clearly and effectively. This means organizing your thoughts into an effective order and utilizing proper punctuation, spelling, and grammar.

Most of all, don't waste your employer's time with useless fluff. Every sentence needs to have a purpose. Also, avoid obfuscating things with uselessly big words like obfuscating. Nobody should have to reference a dictionary.

A Good Interview Thank You Letter Example

Here is a sample thank you note for after a job interview. It utilizes all the tactics mentioned above.


Your Name
Street Address
City, State Zip
Cell #____ ___ ____

Supervisor/Managerial Name
Company Name
Street Address
City, State

Dear Mr. Richardson;

I really enjoyed meeting you today, and I really appreciated the time you and your staff took to make me feel like a part of the team.

It was a pleasure speaking with you about the direction in which you're hoping to steer the company. I agree that no task should be too big or too small for a project manager to weigh in on.

It was apparent that management and employees alike share an extraordinary and distinct relationship that I am looking forward to being a part of. It is little wonder why the productivity at the office is record breaking! It is exciting to imagine my role within this ecosystem. I've never applied to a position so well primed for me to hit the ground running on day one.

To recap our conversation today, besides basic management skills, I believe I possess a unique perspective from my time overseeing and planning product launches at PRX Inc. I know these insights will be helpful in addressing product feedback quickly and effectively for you and the rest of the team.

In close, Mr. Richardson, I knew YBU Incorporated was the type of company at which I could excel, but it wasn't until this morning that I truly understood how wonderful it would be to utilize my skills in such a thriving environment. I am certain I have found my career home-base!

Sir; should you have any further questions you may reach me by phone or e-mail at your convenience.

I hope to hear from you soon.


Your Signature


--- More Sample Interview Thank You letters ---

A Note About Tone and Style

When you send a thank you letter after a job interview, youâ€™re essentially extending the interview process in the hopes that your additional correspondence will help sway the final decision in your favor.

Since the note is an extension of the interview, match the tone of your thank you letter to the conversational tone that occurred in the actual interview. By doing this, the note you send will be perceived as genuine correspondence.

If you simply copy the tone and style of one of our example notes, disregarding the rapport you had with the hiring manage during the interview, your note will come off as obligatory, something you sent just because itâ€™s what people do and it might improve your chances slightly.

This is the last thing you want a potential employer thinking.

So, keep it real. If you and the manager were friendly and jovial during the interview, make sure your note continues the relationship youâ€™ve already developed. If your interview was very formal and professional, take care that your note walks the same line.

Should You Use E-Mail or Deliver a Hard Copy?

Many people wonder whether they should e-mail their post interview thank you note or deliver a hard copy.

In general, it's going to be fine to send your thank you note by e-mail. Most business is done via e-mail these days, so your thank you note doesn't need to be an exception.

But, there are a few scenarios when delivering a hard copy is the way to go.

Deliver a Hard Copy If:

You are applying for a very competitive position. If you think other applicant will be hand delivering post interview thank you notes, you should as well.

You're unsure the e-mail will reach the right people. If you've yet to communicate via e-mail, you can't be sure your e-mail won't get blocked in a spam filter, or overlooked by an assistant. Unless youâ€™re reasonably certain your e-mailed note will reach the intended recipient, deliver a hard copy.

The extra effort required to deliver a letter by hand is an ideal character trait for the position for which you're applying. If you're applying for a position within the hospitality industry, or if your job is to woo potential clients, the extra effort to deliver a hard-copy note may be exactly what the employer is looking for.

Submit your thank you letter...

In an effort to create the the most helpful resource for job seekers, we encourage you to submit your finished thank you note below (minus any personal information).

Alternatively, if you'd like one of our writers to help review and edit your rough draft, Click Here.

Enter A Title

Write Your Note [ ? ]

Author Information (optional)

To receive credit as the author, enter your information below.

Your Name

(first or full name)

Your Location

(ex. City, State, Country)

Submit Your Contribution

Check box to agree to these submission guidelines.

(You can preview and edit on the next page)

Submitted thank you letters...

Click below to see interview thank you letters that have been submitted by readers...

Should You Write a Thank You Letter Even If You don't Get The Job?  Not rated yet
Question: Is it ok to write a thank you letter even if you do not get the job?

That is a great question.

Put simply, writing a thank you note ...

Do You Write Thank You Notes to Everyone Who Interviewed You?  Not rated yet
Question: Do you write a Thank You note to everyone who interviewed you?

Answer: This can depend on the type of interview that took place, but in ...

Return to Thank You Letters

privacy policy