When you finish your second interview, it's a great idea to send a thank you email to help secure your chances of a job offer.

You have to leave a great impression on hiring managers in everything you do to get a new job. This includes sending a second interview thank you email. Not only does this give you an opportunity to express gratitude for the interviewer taking time out of their day to speak with you, but it also puts your name in front of them again. 

Reminding them you exist can give you a great competitive advantage. In fact, there have been instances where a hiring manager had two like candidates to choose from, and the thank you email they got from a second-round interviewer cinched their decision. 

How do you write a second interview thank you email? What should you include? Let's answer those questions!

Yes, it's important to send a second interview thank you email

Everyone knows it's important to follow up after the first interview, but not all job candidates know they need to keep the lines of communication open after a second-round interview as well. Or, worse, some candidates get overly confident with a feeling of nailing the second interview that they feel it's not necessary to send a second interview thank you email. 

Don't be that person. You still need to thank everyone you spoke with, even if you feel like you're a shoo-in for the job. The reality is no one ever wins the race for a job offer until the job offer is in hand. 

Not following up can be a deal-breaker

Imagine your second interview went well – you asked all the right questions, and you feel like you've already gotten your foot in the door. That could all go away if you don't follow up after the interview. 

According to TopResume's interview dealbreaker survey, "failing to follow up after the interview" is considered an interview deal-breaker (15th among the 17 poor behaviors). A whopping 51 percent of hiring managers and recruiters surveyed confirmed that receiving a second interview thank you email impacts their decision-making process. That means it could make or break your candidacy – even at this stage in the interview process. 

Related reading: Your Guide to Following up After an Interview

How do you write a thank you email after a 2nd interview?

In today's highly digital age, it's considered normal and acceptable to send thank you emails to those who interview you for a position. You should send an email to each person you met with about the job within 24 hours. Avoid copying and pasting the same email to everyone you spoke with, though. Tailor it to each person. An easy way to do this is to grab a business card from the people who interview you. That way, you have their contact info and can spell their name correctly. 

But what should you include in your second interview thank you email?

The format

While you don't want to write a long, drawn-out message that no one is going to read, there are a couple of must-have elements to include in your email. 

A compelling subject line

The goal is to get the recipient to actually open your message. The only way to make sure that happens is to give them a reason to open it. That starts with the subject line. Think of your own email. Which messages do you open vs which ones do you delete? Most of that decision-making probably has to do with the subject line. 

Keep it concise and professional, and state your purpose. You can use something like, “[Your name] thanks you for the interview on [date].” 

Remind them why you're the best choice

You made it to the second interview because they feel you're a good match for the position they have open. Talk about how well your skills and qualifications mesh with their needs and reiterate your passion for the company and role. 

You should be far enough along in the interview process to drop some knowledge about the company in your follow-up email. Find something positive about the organization, such as a recent award, record growth, or getting a new, big account to include in your second interview thank you email. It will show that you're doing your homework and are putting effort into learning more about the company.

Ask about next steps

You can end your second interview thank you email by asking what the timeline is for them making a decision as to who they're going to hire and what onboarding looks like. This can help you know what to expect. Once you know the timeline, you have an opportunity to follow up again if you don't hear back by the time you were told a decision will be made. 

Don't be reluctant to call or email asking about the hiring status. It will make you look proactive, and if it's a “no,” you can move on with your job search. Just remember not to call more than once or twice, as you don't want to come off as desperate.

Second interview thank-you email example

Now that you know what you should include, how does it come together? If you need help crafting your second interview thank you letter, use this example as a guide:

SUBJECT: John Smith Thanks You For the Interview on Oct 12.

Dear [interviewer's name],

Thank you for taking the time to meet with me again about the Marketing Specialist position. I enjoyed meeting more members of the team and feel like it would be a good mutual fit. Every conversation I've had about the organization has made me more excited about the opportunity to join your team, and I'm confident I'll be a valuable contributor who helps move the company forward – especially now that you've [talk about a business venture the company recently had or other recent accomplishments made].

Please don't hesitate to reach out with any other questions you have. I look forward to hearing back after you've made your decision.

Thank you,

Name

Phone Number

Email

Your thank you email doesn't have to be elaborate or lengthy. However, it should demonstrate honesty, thoughtfulness, and enthusiasm.

Related reading: 10 Tips to Help You Prepare for an Interview

Follow up after every interview

Whether it's your first interview or your fifth, always follow up with at least an email to say thank you, recap the meeting, express your enthusiasm for the job, and demonstrate confidence that you're a good fit. Even if you end up not being the right match for the position, the interviewers and hiring managers will remember how professional you were and might reach out about a different position when the time is right. Set yourself up for success with good follow-up skills to land your dream job!

Not making it past the interview and onto the job of your dreams? Our expert interview coaches can help!

This article was originally written by Jess Pingrey. It's been updated by Marsha Hebert.

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