Thank You Note
A message sent within 24 hours of an interview thanking the interviewer for their time, referencing a specific conversation point, and reaffirming your interest in the role. A genuine, specific thank you note can differentiate you from candidates who don't send one.
A thank you note (also called a thank you email) is sent to each interviewer after a job interview. It's a professional courtesy that also serves a strategic purpose: maintaining visibility and reinforcing your candidacy during the evaluation period. **Format:** - Email is standard (physical notes are too slow for most modern hiring timelines) - Send within 24 hours, ideally within a few hours of the interview - 3-5 sentences is appropriate for most cases - Personalize for each interviewer — don't send the same message to everyone on a panel **What to include:** 1. Thank the interviewer for their time 2. Reference one specific thing you discussed — a challenge they mentioned, a question that sparked a good conversation, or a project detail they shared 3. Briefly reinforce why you're a strong fit or express genuine enthusiasm about one aspect of the role 4. Close warmly and indicate you're looking forward to the next steps **What makes a thank you note stand out:** Specificity. A note that says 'It was great learning about the onboarding redesign project — I've faced a similar challenge at Acme and would love to bring that experience to this problem' shows engagement that a generic 'Thanks so much for the interview!' doesn't. **Is it required?** No — but for competitive roles, candidates who don't send them may be viewed as less interested. In close decisions, 'they even sent individual notes to the whole panel' has been cited as a tiebreaker.
Why it matters
Most candidates don't send personalized thank you notes. In a competitive process, the candidate who does — and does it well — stands out on a dimension that has nothing to do with qualifications, which can matter in close decisions.
Candidate tip
Take notes during interviews (on paper or your phone) with specific things each interviewer said — you'll use these to write personalized thank you notes that reference actual conversation moments, not generic pleasantries.
Related terms
Follow-Up Email
ApplicationsA message sent to a recruiter or hiring team after submitting an application or completing an interview to express continued interest, provide additional information, or check on application status. Timing and tone matter: too aggressive is off-putting; too passive means missed opportunities.
Interview Follow-Up
InterviewsCommunication sent to interviewers after an interview — thank you notes, status inquiries, and continued-interest signals. Prompt, personalized follow-up is a low-effort, high-impact differentiator in competitive hiring processes.
Interview Feedback
InterviewsSpecific observations or assessments provided to a candidate about their interview performance. Employers rarely give detailed feedback proactively; candidates can request it after a rejection. Valuable when received — most candidates get generic responses or nothing.
Interview Preparation
InterviewsThe research, practice, and planning done before a job interview to improve performance. Effective preparation includes company research, STAR story preparation, question rehearsal, and logistical readiness — each of which reduces anxiety and improves your answers.