Tips for Sending a Follow-Up Email After an Interview

1. Salutation

First is your salutation. Use the hiring manager’s name, especially now that you’ve had a direct interview and were able to meet the hiring manager. You should also make the subject line something that expresses gratitude and is easily recognizable as a follow-up email, like “Thank you for your time today” or “Thank you for the opportunity to chat with you about the [name of the job].” You can also use the interviewer’s name in the email subject line.

2. Appreciation and recognition of the interview

Open your letter with gratitude for the interviewer’s time. Whether it was a phone interview or an in-person interview, make it clear that you appreciate that the potential employer took the time to read your job application and sit down with you for an interview.

3. Specific elements of the interview

Next, recognize the benefits of specific things that happened in the interview. Your sentence should say something like, “I appreciate that you let me in on the decision-making process, and learning more about the company culture helped me realize that this would be a great fit for me.” It refers back to things that happened during the interview, showing the interviewer that you were present and thinking about the job during the interview.

4. Another mention of how your skills can benefit the company

It’s a good idea to take a tip from your cover letter here and stress something that you think you can do to help the company. For example, if you know there will be a second interview, you might say, “I look forward to your phone call next week, where I’d love to talk more about how Company Name can benefit from social media marketing.” It’s a way to stress that this new job will benefit both individuals.

5. Any necessary added information

Lastly, if you have any additional questions, want to provide additional information, have some follow-up questions, or need to leave information for a second interview, you can put it here. Sign off with your name and a polite phrase like “Best regards” or “Sincerely.”