Does it still matter?
Customs differ. In the United States and Canada, a thank-you email is close to expected. In the UK, Germany, France, the Netherlands and much of Europe, it’s less common, so a brief, professional note stands out, while a long or effusive one can feel out of place.
The practical reasons to send one are the same everywhere: it costs you very little, it keeps you in mind while they decide, and it gives you another chance to say something useful.
When to send it, and to whom
| Stage | When to send | Who to |
|---|---|---|
| Phone screen with a recruiter | The same day or the next | The recruiter |
| Interview with a manager | Within 24 hours | The manager, and the recruiter if they arranged it |
| Panel interview | Within 24 hours | Each person, with something different in each, or one note to the group |
| Final round | Within 24 hours | Everyone you met that day |
If you do not have someone’s email address, ask the recruiter to pass your thanks on. Remember to send it during working hours if you can.
What to say
- A clear subject line: “Thank you: Marketing Manager interview”.
- Thanks for their time, in one line.
- One specific thing from the conversation. This is what shows that it isn’t a template.
- Why you’re a fit, in one line, ideally tied to what you learned in the interview.
- A next step: that you’re looking forward to hearing back, or that you’ll send what they asked for.
Keep it to around 100 words. Check the spelling of their name, and proofread it carefully: a mistake here is a mistake in the last thing they’ve read from you.
Four templates you can adapt
Subject: Thank you: Marketing Manager interview Hello Ms. Rivera, Thank you for your time today. I enjoyed hearing how your team is moving toward self-service, especially your point about onboarding being the real bottleneck. It’s very close to the work I did at Brightline, where we raised trial conversions from 11% to 18%, and I would be glad to bring that experience to your team. I look forward to hearing about the next steps. Best regards, Jordan Lee
Subject: Thank you for today’s conversation Hello Sam, Thank you for meeting me this morning. Your question about how I’d handle a late-stage scope change stuck with me, and I’m glad we had the chance to go through it properly. The way your engineering and product teams plan together is exactly how I like to work. I’d be excited to join you. Thanks again, Jordan Lee
Subject: Thank you, and one thing I wanted to add Hello Mr. Haddad, Thank you for speaking with me yesterday. After our conversation, I realized I hadn’t mentioned the warehouse rollout I led last year, which is close to the project you described: twelve sites, on time and on budget. Here is a short summary of it, in case it’s useful. I’d be glad to tell you more about it. Kind regards, Jordan Lee
Subject: Thank you for the opportunity Hello Ms. Conti, Thank you for letting me know, and for your time during the process. I enjoyed learning about your team, and I’d be glad to be considered for similar roles in the future. If you have any feedback you can share, I’d welcome it. Best wishes, Jordan Lee
Mistakes to avoid
Before
I really enjoyed our conversation and learning more about your great company.
After
I especially enjoyed your point about onboarding being the real bottleneck. It’s the problem I spent last year solving.
- Sending the same words to everyone. People on a panel compare notes.
- Repeating your cover letter. Say something that came out of the conversation.
- Going on too long. More than a short screen on a phone is too long.
- Asking about the decision. Thank them now, and check in later.
- Trying to reopen the interview. One extra point is fine, while a page of second thoughts isn’t.
Take notes immediately after each interview: who you met, what they cared about and what you wish you had said. It makes this email easy to write, and it helps you prepare for the next round, along with our guide to preparing for an interview.
