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You just wrapped an interview, it couldn’t have gone better, and now you really feel like you’re one step closer to this job. Next, you know you need to sit down and write a thank you email for your interview to show just how excited you are about this opportunity. The words basically pour out of you—but then you get stuck. What should you put for the subject line?
Why is your interview thank you email subject line important?
The subject line is the only part of your message that your interviewer will see in their inbox. A strong subject line can mean the difference between this person reading your thank you note or skipping over it—so it needs to be clear and informative, but also brief so it doesn’t get cut off (especially if they’re reading from their phone).
3 best tips for writing strong thank you note subject lines
Keep these in mind as you craft your subject line:
- Be obvious: There’s no need to clickbait your interviewer. They should know what’s in your email before they open it.
- Be clear: Interviewers may be talking with a lot of candidates in a short period or hiring for multiple positions. So include enough information that between your name and the subject line, your interviewer will remember who you are and why they interviewed you.
- Be concise: Since there are a number of different email platforms and ways of viewing inboxes (between devices, personal settings, and applications), there’s no hard and fast rule on how long your subject line should be. However, on an iPhone 13 Pro with text size at Apple’s middle setting, the Mail app starts cutting subject lines off after about 40 characters. So, try to keep your subject line as short as you can while still being informative and professional.
What can you include in your interview thank you note subject line?
To get your interviewer to read your thank you email, you can include one or more of the following in your subject line:
- “Thank you” or “Thanks”
- A brief mention of your meeting. For example, “Thank you for meeting with me” or “Thanks for our call” makes for an easy post-interview subject line.
- The title of the open position. “Thank You - Sales Associate Interview” makes for a clear, concise email subject line.
- The day or time of your interview. When possible, you should send your thank you note within the same day as your interview. If you’re able to be so timely, you can say something like “Thanks for chatting this morning” or “this afternoon” in the subject line.
Note that there’s no reason to include your first and last name in the subject line, as this info will appear in the sender field of your interviewer’s inbox.
Interview thank you note email subject lines templates and examples
Here are a few templates and examples that combine the elements above. You can use these to write your own interview thank you subject line.
Thank you email subject line template #1:
If you want something simple and to the point, try this template:
[Thank you/Thanks] for [meeting/talking/chatting/etc.]
For example this could be filled in as:
- Thank you for meeting with me
- Thanks for your time
- Thank you for this morning’s interview
Thank you email subject line template #2:
Use this template to get a lil more specific:
[Thank you/Thanks] for [discussing X with me]
For example:
- Thank You: PopCorp Talent Acquisition Role Interview
- Being part of the digital marketing team at PopCorp!
- Thank you: accounting at PopCorp and fave local hiking trails!
Thank you email subject line template #3:
Use this template if you want to combine gratitude with a question that popped up for you after you conversation:
- [Thank you/thanks] [Concise, high-level question]
For example:
- Thanks for the great interview! Need additional work samples?
- Thanks! Anything else needed from me?
- Thanks + quick question about skills test
Bonus thank you email subject line examples:
These aren’t templates or examples. You can literally just copy and paste them into your email’s subject line field. We won’t tell anyone.
- Thank you!
- Thanks for the great interview
- Thanks for meeting with me today