How to write a “thank you” note FAQs

Do I have to send a thank you note?

You don’t have to send a follow up email - but we highly recommend sending a thank you note! Although it seems small, a follow up thank you note shows the interviewer that you’re serious about the role and the company. The emails are also a great way for you to showcase your professional communication skills and offer a preview into what it would be like to work with you.

What if I don’t have their email?

It can happen where you don’t always get the interviewer’s contact information - sometimes an intermediary like a recruiter or an assistant sets up interviews for you and sends everyone separate invites. If you don’t have an interviewer's email, you have two options in this scenario. First, find them on LinkedIn, and request to connect with a nice thank you message. This will limit your message length but that is plenty to say “thank you for taking the time to meet with me today, (NAME). I really enjoyed hearing more about (COMPANY) and am excited about the opportunity” which is the most important part of the thank you email. Your second option is sending an email to whoever organized the meeting and asking them to forward it along to the interviewer/panel of interviewers. They are likely happy to do so.

When should I send it?

Ideally, you should try and send the thank you email as soon as possible after your interviewer, since it shows the team that you’re proactive and interested in the position. However, better late than never! Even a simple thank you a few days later can go a long way.  

I interviewed with multiple people, should I send them all one note or email them separately?

Yes definitely! If you interview with multiple people separately, send them each a separate note. If you were interviewed by a panel, you can send them all one note.

I forgot to say something in my interview, can I add it to my email?

Yes, but within reason. Keep your follow up email’s focus on just saying thank you. You can absolutely mention something you forgot to say but you don’t want the email to come off as an overload of information or too salesy with a lot of new information for the interviewer.

Should I tell them if I have other offers or interviews?

This is a tricky question, and depends on the situation. If you already have a written offer in your hands, it can be good to be transparent with the interviewer, but it is ultimately up to you what you share and what you don’t. Sometimes being transparent about your job search process can also speed things up internally with the company you’re interviewing with, and you should definitely reiterate your interest in the position you’re interviewing for. 

Whether or not sharing that you have an interview/ offer with someone else will depend on what stage of the process you’re in. Early on, if an interviewer asks you if you’re interviewing with other companies and you don’t have any offers, we recommend a vague, “I am actively looking, there are some other conversations, nothing concrete right now.” However, if you’re sitting on an offer from one company but more interested in this opportunity, we encourage you to share that. A simple “I have another offer, but I’m really interested in your opportunity because (...). What is the timeline for the rest of your hiring process?” Tell them that you’re really interested in their opportunity and why. 

How long should it be?

Try not to overload the email. Although you want to reiterate your interest in the position, don’t include too many additional details.A long thank you note might lose their interest and run the risk of coming off as too salesy.

I forgot to send one- is it too late?

Never! A late thank you email is better than none at all, especially if you haven’t heard from the interviewer or company in a few days.

Can I send everyone the same email?

We encourage you to write unique thank you notes for each interviewer. Referring back to a specific anecdote or moment during the interview briefly in the email shows the interviewer that you have remembered your conversation with them. This could be something like “here is a link to the book I was talking about”, or “this article reminded me of our conversation” This will cement your conversation in their mind (remember, they’ve probably met with a lot of candidates) and show that you were engaged.

I never heard back from this company, can I follow up?

If you haven’t heard back within a few weeks, you can absolutely send a follow up and reiterate your interest in the position. If it makes you cringe to send another email, you can always connect with them on a different channel like LinkedIn.