Thank You Email After an Interview: Templates and Follow-Up Timing

Key Takeaways

Send a thank-you email within 24 hours to each person who interviewed you.
Keep it to four or five sentences and mention one specific thing you discussed.
If you have not heard back by the date they gave, follow up once after two to three working days.
Reply to rejections politely; it keeps the door open for future roles.

Thank-you email template

Personalise the middle sentence for each interviewer.

Follow-up email if you have not heard back

Wait until the date the interviewer gave you has passed, plus two or three working days. If no timeline was given, wait about a week.

Replying to a rejection

A gracious reply costs nothing and is remembered. Recruiters often return to strong runners-up when a new role opens or the chosen candidate declines.

Timing at a glance

When to send each post-interview email
Email	When to send
Thank you	Within 24 hours of the interview
First follow-up	2–3 working days after the promised decision date, or ~1 week if none
Second follow-up	About a week after the first, then stop
Rejection reply	Within a day or two of the rejection

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I send a thank-you email after a phone screen?

Yes, a brief note to the recruiter is a good habit, though it can be even shorter than after a full interview.

Email or handwritten note?

Email is standard and arrives in time to influence the decision. A handwritten note can be a nice extra in some industries but should not replace the email.

Can a thank-you email hurt my chances?

Only if it contains errors, is overly long, or is sent repeatedly. A short, accurate, polite note never hurts.

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