Follow-Up Email After an Interview: 5 Examples & Tips

Should you send a follow-up email after an interview? Yes! It's a great way to distinguish yourself from other candidates, as most never send follow-up interview emails. Increase your chances of landing that dream job and find out everything you should know about how to follow up after an interview.

This guide will show you: 

• How to write a follow-up email after an interview better than 9 out of 10 others.
• What to write in your post-interview follow-up email depending on the scenario (first interview, second interview, phone interview, or after no response).
• Follow-up email after interview examples you can copy, adjust, and use today to make hiring you a no-brainer.

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• Following Up on a Job Application
• Most Popular Job Interview Questions
• Job Interview Tips
• Questions to Ask During a Job Interview
• Situational Interview Questions

Let’s get started then. Here’s how to write a follow-up email after an interview in 4 different scenarios:

Why Should You Send a Follow-Up Email After the Interview?

First of all, it’s a matter of good manners. More importantly, though, it’s what hiring managers want: 91% of employers like to receive follow-up thank-you notes. And yet, according to another study—57% of candidates don’t send them. Easy math, isn’t it? Following up on your interview with a thank you email gets you ahead of more than half of the competition.

Read more: Popular Phone Interview Questions & Answers

Follow-Up Email After an Interview Example

Here’s a sample follow-up email after an interview you can adjust and use for your thank you message:

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How to Write a Follow-Up Email After an Interview?

1. Open with a formal salutation and address the hiring manager by name.
2. Express your appreciation and reinforce your interest in the position.
3. Refer to specific company plans that you discussed during the interview.
4. Suggest how your experience and skills can help the company.
5. Say that you’re willing to provide them with any additional information and confirm when a final decision is to be made.

When to Follow Up After an Interview?

The sooner, the better—the same day as the interview or the next, but definitely no later than 24 hours after the interview.

What’s the Best Interview Follow-Up Email Subject Line?

One that’s short and makes it clear what the message is about. Take a look at these examples.

Sample Subject Lines for a Follow-Up Email After an Interview

• Thank you, [Interviewer’s Name]!

• Thanks for your time today!

• Thank you for the opportunity!

• Appreciate your time and advice.

• I enjoyed learning more about [Company Name]. Thank you!

Pro Tip: If you interviewed several people, send separate, personalized notes to each of them.

Phone Interview Follow-Up Email: Is It Any Different?

If you had a regular phone interview after submitting an application, the rules for a standard interview follow-up email apply.

But, if you’ve been screened during a sourcing process—when the employer found you, and not the other way around and you’re interested—clearly reiterate that. Sources often interview multiple people on the same day. Their job is to engage candidates and weed out those not genuinely keen on the offer. Show them your engagement.

How to Write a Follow-Up Email After a Phone Interview?

1. Thank them for their time and interest.
2. Emphasize your interest. Be specific: say what parts of the job excite you and why.
3. Enclose your well-written resume and a cover letter to outline and support your key selling points.
4. Keep it short.

Take a look at this interview follow-up email sample:

Follow-Up Email After Phone Interview Template

Pro Tip: Not interested in the job after the interview? Send a thank you follow-up email anyway. Thank them for their time and consideration, explain why the position isn’t a good match for your skills and experience, and let them know you’d like to stay in touch if they have suitable openings. Never burn bridges on the job market.

How to Follow Up After a Second Interview?

The biggest difference between the first and second interview follow-up emails is that the deeper you run into the recruitment process, the more detailed you should be in your messages.

You’ve probably discussed particular plans and challenges or the details of the position. After a second interview, in your follow-up letter, provide information on how you would tackle them.

Here’s another post-interview follow-up email template:

Second Interview: Follow-Up Email Example

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

So you’ve learned how to write a follow-up email after an interview, crafted your perfect follow-up letter, and sent it right after the talk. And then—weeks go by. And there’s no call-back.

Don’t lose hope. You might still be very much in the running. And, with another follow-up email, you might become the top seed.

A follow-up letter after an interview with no response might be difficult to write.

But all you need to do is ask about the interview result politely and professionally enough so you don’t come across as a pest.

When to Send a Second Follow-Up Email After Interview After No Response?

Only after the established deadline has passed. Unless you got another offer. In such case, if you’re planning to accept it, let all other companies know.

If, on the other hand, you would rather work with this, not that company, tell them about the competitive offer—if they’re interested in you, they’ll likely be eager to speed up the decision-making process.

And what to write in your second follow-up email?

Most importantly: not much.

1. Remind them of the passed deadline.
2. State that you’re still interested.
3. Ask if they’d like you to provide any additional information.

Have a look at this sample.

Second Follow-Up Email after Interview (No Response)

Here’s another example of a follow-up email after a job interview in case you were offered another position:

Second Follow-Up Email After the Interview—Competitive Job Offer

Simple as that.

Read more: How to Decline a Job Offer Politely [+ Examples]

How to Follow Up After an Interview—Email or Phone Call?

Let’s look at some data. 46% of recruiters and hiring managers prefer to be contacted by email. Only two out of five were open to phone calls. If you’re not positive that your hiring manager would be okay with your calling them—stick to the battle-tested follow-up email.

Pro Tip: And what if you don’t get that job? Get over it, accept your lost opportunity, and move on, right? Wrong. Even if things didn’t work out, use this as a networking opportunity. Connect with the hiring manager on LinkedIn and keep the conversation going: maybe send some articles that might be relevant to them, and congratulate them on their accomplishments. You never know what connections might prove useful in the future.

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Key Takeaway

Here's how to write a perfect follow-up email after an interview:

1. Write the first interview follow-up email within 24 hours after the interview.
2. Send a separate, personalized email to everyone you interviewed with.
3. Be specific (especially when following up on a second interview). Suggest how you can help the company.
4. Write a second follow-up email to ask for an update If you get no response after the established deadline.
5. Follow up even sooner if you’ve received another offer, whether you’re planning to accept it.
6. Stay in touch with the company—even if you don’t get the job. Nowadays, networking is more important than ever!

So there you have it. All you need to know about following up on a job interview.

Do you have any additional questions on what to say when following up on an interview? Want to learn more about writing a perfect interview follow-up email? Drop me a line in the comments, and I’ll get back to you right away. Let’s chat!

About Zety’s Editorial Process

This article has been reviewed by our editorial team to make sure it follows Zety's editorial guidelines. We’re committed to sharing our expertise and giving you trustworthy career advice tailored to your needs. High-quality content is what brings over 40 million readers to our site every year. But we don't stop there. Our team conducts original research to understand the job market better, and we pride ourselves on being quoted by top universities and prime media outlets from around the world.

Sources

• https://press.roberthalf.com/2012-06-14-Survey-Reveals-Email-Phone-Call-Are-Preferred-Methods-for-Post-Interview-Follow-Up
• https://walrathrecruiting.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Walrath-Recruiting_JobSearchGuide.pdf

Frequently Asked Questions about Follow-Up Emails

Should I send a follow-up email after an interview?

Yes, always send a follow-up email after an interview. Not only is it a polite gesture, but it could also increase your chances of getting hired. It shows your interest in the position and your professionalism. It also gives you a chance to think of questions you can ask the interviewer in case something isn’t clear about the recruitment process.

When to follow up after an interview?

You should send your follow-up email within 24 to 48 hours after the interview to show your interest and enthusiasm for the position. You might also send another post-interview follow-up email if you don’t get a response from the company after the deadline.

What should I say in a follow-up email after an interview? 

In your follow-up email, you should:

1. Thank the interviewer for their time
2. Explain that this is a follow-up email—mention the job title and the interview date.
3. Express your interest in the position and highlight what makes you unique.
4. Ask any remaining questions and mention any relevant experience or skills you didn't get a chance to discuss during the interview.
5. Assure the interviewer that you can answer any questions they might have about your qualifications.
6. Close with “I look forward to hearing from you” and sign off.

Is it appropriate to send a follow-up email after a job interview?

Yes, it’s appropriate to send a follow-up email to thank the interviewer for their time. However, don’t overwhelm them with messages—it’s fine to follow up no more than three times after a job interview, spaced out over a few weeks. If you receive news that you didn’t get the job, you can send a post-interview thank-you email and express your continued interest in the company for future opportunities.

Should I include attachments in my follow-up email after an interview?

It's best to avoid attachments in your follow-up email. Instead, you can provide links to any relevant work samples or online portfolios you would like to share, especially if you had mentioned them during the interview.

What if the interviewer didn't provide contact information for a follow-up?

If you don't have the interviewer’s contact details, try reaching out to HR or the company's general email address to ask for their contact information. If all else fails, send a follow-up message to the address you used to apply for the job and ask if there is a specific person to whom you should direct your questions.

What should I do if I haven't heard back from the employer after sending a follow-up email?

If you haven't heard back from the employer after sending a follow-up email, give it a few days before reaching out again. If you still haven't received a response, sending one more email asking for an update or expressing your continued interest is okay. Remember, the employer may still be reviewing candidates or making a decision, so try not to take it personally. However, if a few weeks have passed, you should probably go back to browsing job search sites for other opportunities.