Don’t forget to drop the hiring manager a line after you’ve said your goodbyes!
The interview is over and the waiting game has officially started. While you’re sitting around twiddling your thumbs, there’s something you could do. Sending a professional follow-up email after an interview is common practice. Not only is this a professional move but it also lets the hiring manager know that you’re serious about the position. You might say it’s a win-win.
Before you rush to your laptop and start bashing the keyboard, you need some expert advice. A poorly written, all-too-casual email may do more harm to your application than good. Here at Resume.io, we have all the resources you need to supercharge your job search and help you get hired faster. In the following guide, we will be covering:
- The key elements you need to include in your follow-up interview email
- How to write a follow-up email after your interview (with tips)
- Follow-up interview email examples to give you some inspiration.
What to include in a follow-up interview email
You don’t have to be an every day Shakespeare to write a follow-up interview email. If you’re feeling frazzled and don’t know where to start, we’ve got you covered. As you might imagine, this email has simple elements you need to include. Here’s a quick rundown:
1. Subject line
First up, you need to conquer the subject line of the email. You know where this is — it’s the small box at the top of the email page that says “subject”.
You may want to include the job title for which you’re applying and the reason for your email. For example, you might write “Following up re: marketing coordinator role” or “Checking in about the marketing coordinator position.” This approach works well if you are applying to work at a large company where the hiring manager will be filling multiple vacancies. If you have a job application number, you can slide it into the mix here too.
Want to go down a more casual route? You don’t always have to include the job position name when writing a follow-up email after an interview. If the company is relatively small and you have the hiring manager’s direct email, you can get straight to the point. It’s polite to go with a quick and easy “Thank you for your time” or even merely a “Thank you.”
2. Greeting
Let’s say you and the hiring manager really hit it off during the interview. You were laughing, joking, and generally being all buddy-buddy. That friendly vibe may trick you into thinking you can drop them a “Hi Steve” greeting. Don’t make that rookie mistake.
The safest bet is to keep things formal in this email. That means using “Dear” and the hiring manager’s title and surname. So, you can write “Dear Mr. Jenkins,” for example.
3. Introduction
Gratitude is everything when writing this email. Kick things off by first saying thank you to the hiring manager. On average, only 20% of applicants make it to the interview stage of the hiring process. Acknowledge that at this point by saying something like “Thank you for taking the time to interview me for the position of marketing coordinator.”
4. Body text
The body text depends on your main reason for following up with the hiring manager. That may be because you haven’t heard back about the role or because you want to share your enthusiasm for it. Either way, there are some things you may want to include here:
- State your interest in the position (after having heard about it in the interview)
- Expand or remark on any points that you covered during the interview
- Ask for an update on your application and when you may hear back
- Say that you would like to keep in touch with the hiring manager
You don’t have to tick all of the above boxes. Ultimately, what you write will depend on what you need to know from the hiring manager. Don’t panic if you don’t know what to say. Later in this guide, we will share a few email examples to get your creative juices flowing.
5. Signing off
Once you’ve written the bulk of your email, it’s time to sign off your email. This line doesn’t need to be too long. Remember, time is of the essence here. You want to end things on a positive note but keep it simple. You might go with “Looking forward to hearing from you.”
How long should a follow-up email be?
When you’re following up after an interview, you might have a lot to say. However, waxing lyrical about how much you enjoyed learning about the job, how you can see yourself fitting right in, and how you can’t wait to get started might be overkill.
As a general rule, keep this email short, sweet, and to the point. Aim for no more than a paragraph — with an intro line and signing-off line on either side of it. The words you choose matter as the hiring manager won’t have loads of time to read your email.
How to write a follow-up email after an interview: 4 tips
Now that you know what to include in a follow-up interview email, you’ve got the basics down. However, if you want your email to stand out from the crowd (for the right reasons), you need some extra advice. Here are four writing tips that will help you along the way.
1. Keep the tone formal
You might feel like you and the hiring manager are on good terms. That’s great! However, when writing your follow-up email, you still need to adopt a formal approach. There’s no room for jesting or casual remarks here. It doesn’t matter how well you and the interviewer got along, keep in mind that the email is still a professional piece of correspondence
2. Don’t write too much
Repeat after us: Your follow-up email is not a place to cover everything you think you missed in the interview. Sure, if there is a crucial nugget of information you need to share, you can include it. However, don’t make the mistake of cramming the email with anything that pops to mind. As we’ve mentioned, you should stick to around one paragraph.
3. Be specific about your reason
Why are you emailing the hiring manager? You should be specific about this. The last thing you want is to leave them scratching their head. If you’re emailing to hear back about the job, say so. If you’re reaching out because you want to keep in touch professionally, say so. Don’t leave any doubt in the reader’s mind about the purpose of your message.
4. Check the spelling and grammar
Before you click that “send” button, you need to make sure that you haven’t made any silly mistakes. Poor spelling and grammar are unlikely to impress anybody. Make sure that you proofread your email in the first instance. You can also use Grammarly to check it too.
Follow-up interview email examples
Ready to shoot a quick message to the interviewer? If you’re looking for some creative inspiration, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve got three interview email examples here.
Example 1
Dear Mr. Jenkins,
Thank you for taking the time to interview me for the marketing coordinator role last week. I was interested to learn more about the position and enjoyed meeting the wider team. I’m emailing to inquire as to when I can expect an update on my application and the next steps. Please let me know if you need any more information from me to help make this decision. I look forward to hearing from you.
Kind regards,
Sally Pearson
Example 2
Dear Mr. Jenkins,
I am emailing to thank you for interviewing me yesterday. I relished learning more about the marketing coordinator role and hearing about your goals for next quarter. I wanted to note that I am currently undertaking a Hootsuite refresher course, which may be beneficial for your upcoming social media campaigns. I believe I would be an excellent fit for this position. Let me know if you require any further information.
Kind regards,
Sally Pearson
Example 3
Dear Mr. Jenkins,
Thank you for taking the time to interview me for the role of marketing coordinator. I was elated to make it to this stage in the hiring process. Upon learning more about the position, I believe that I am well-suited to it and can fulfil the requirements. I would love to know when I can expect an update and look forward to hearing back.
Kind regards,
Sally Pearson
The takeaway
- Writing a well-thought-out follow-up email after an interview is always good practice.
- Don’t waste the recruiter’s time! Make sure you keep this email short and sweet.
- Always proofread your email and check the grammar before you press “send.”
- Add a call to action and ask the reader when you can expect to hear back!
