Interview Invitation Email and Reply Examples

You passed the phone screen with flying colors, and now you're waiting to get that all-important email invitation to set up your first interview. What should you expect to receive when you get invited to interview with a prospective employer, and what's the best way to respond?

Knowing what to expect from that invitation—and what information to ask for, if it is not included in the email—could help you sail into the interview with confidence and land the job.

What an Email Invitation to an Interview Should Include

The email invitation to interview should include the following:

• The position: Ideally, both the applicant and the hiring manager know that, but it is helpful if the email is clear about for what position the candidate will be interviewing.
• The date, time, and location of the interview: Applicants need to know when to show up and where. Companies often have multiple branches or work out of a few floors in the same building. Or the interview may be remote, so it's important to specify the details.
• The person who will be conducting the interview: Will it be a representative from human resources, the hiring manager, a potential team member—or some combination of those employees?
• What to bring to the interview: Applicants may be asked to bring a resume, samples of work, references, etc.
• A contact number or email: This is important in case anyone has questions or needs to reschedule.

Email Invitation to Interview Example

This example of an email invitation sent to a job applicant who has been selected for a one-on-one interview is brief and gets to the point.

How Applicants Should Reply

Express your thanks. Applicants should begin their message by thanking the person who contacted them for the opportunity. It’s polite and will make sure that your future interactions start off on the right foot. Further, it shows the hiring manager that you understand professional etiquette.

Make sure have the right information. Confirm the details outlined in their invitation. It might feel strange to re-type the date and time of the interview in a reply, but the hiring manager sending the invitation might be arranging several other interviews at the same time. Writing it out gives the hiring manager a chance to catch a mistake if any incorrect details were included.

Clarify any points of confusion. Is crucial information missing from the email invitation? Don’t be afraid to ask for more information. No hiring manager should think less of an applicant for wanting to know exactly who they will be speaking with. In fact, asking is more likely to make an applicant look like a conscientious person who is prepared and doesn't like wasting people's time.

Sample Reply Email Message

Here’s an example of a response from the applicant confirming the interview. Also review more examples and tips for accepting an interview.