"As discussed, here's…": the email for sending what you promised in the interview

Somewhere in the interview, you said it: "I'll send that over." The portfolio you mentioned, two references, the case study that made your point, or the answer to a technical question that caught you off guard. This email carries as much weight as the thank-you note, and plenty of people rush it or forget it. It's your second appearance on the recruiter's desk — this time with something concrete.

Why this email matters

You keep your word. A candidate who sends what they promised, on time and well presented, proves reliability before day one. Recruiters notice, because it's rare.

The attachment works for you. A good work sample beats ten sentences about your skills: it shows instead of tells. And it lands right when the recruiter is comparing the week's profiles.

Often the request is a quiet test. "Send me your references by Friday" checks your diligence as much as the contents of the file.

Timing: 24 to 48 hours

Fast enough to show drive, without looking like you had a file ready to fire off. If a deadline came up during the interview, it wins: hitting it to the day is the first sign you'll do what you say.

What you send

A work sample or portfolio

Send the specific piece you talked about, not your whole book. The recruiter is short on time: one case study aimed at their problem beats twenty slides to sift through.

References

Three at most, warned in advance that they might get a call. For each: first name, last name, role, relationship to you, and a line of contact. Add one sentence on what each person can confirm — the management, the technical side, the crisis handling.

The answer to a question left hanging

A question sometimes catches you off guard in the room. The email is your second take: "You asked how I'd approach X. I've thought it over — here's my answer." Recruiters rarely remember the on-the-spot hesitation; they remember a considered reply that arrives the next day.

A statement of intent or a 30-60-90 plan

For a senior role, a one-pager on how you'd take over in the first three months shows you're already picturing yourself in the seat. Save it for advanced interviews, when the fit feels right.

The rules of the email

• A subject line that recalls the promise: "As discussed — onboarding case study, Product Manager role". The recruiter picks up the thread in a second.
• Short body, 3 to 5 lines. It frames the attachment, it doesn't summarise it. Say what it is, why you're sending it, and what the recruiter will find useful in it.
• Name your files properly: First-Last-Portfolio.pdf, never final doc v3 (2).pdf. The filename stays visible in the recruiter's inbox for months.
• Reasonable size. A PDF under 5 MB, or a link if it's heavier. A file that clogs the inbox is a bad first impression.
• No "feel free to". You attach, you frame, you stay available. The rest is filler.

Template 1 — sending a promised work sample

Subject: As discussed — onboarding redesign case study, Product Manager role

Hello Camille,

As mentioned this morning, I'm attaching the onboarding redesign case study I told you about. You'll find the A/B test protocol, the numbers (+18% conversion over the first 60 days) and what I took from it going forward.

The parallel with your reactivation project felt clear to me, especially on the time-to-value question.

Happy to talk it through.

Sincerely, Alex L.

What works: the subject line points back to the promise, the body announces what's in the file, and the last line ties the document to the recruiter's problem.

Template 2 — sending your references

Subject: References — Data Analyst role, following our interview

Hello Mr Roche,

As requested, here are three people who can speak to my work. I've told them to expect your call.

— Sophie Nadal, my manager at Kera (2023-2025): can detail the modelling side and how I handled deadlines. sophie.nadal@…, +33 … — Marc Toussaint, data lead at Kera: oversaw my two large pipeline projects. marc.t@…, +33 … — Inès Berger, project lead on the business side: witness to how I present to non-technical teams. ines.berger@…, +33 …

Happy to add another reference if useful.

Best, Yasmine K.

What works: each reference is framed by what they can confirm, the contacts are ready, and the candidate notes they've briefed their referees.

Template 3 — answering a question left hanging

Subject: Following up on your question — handling a production incident

Hello Lila,

You asked how I'd have handled the payment outage you described. I answered quickly in the room; here's a steadier version.

My priority would have been to restore a degraded payment path in under ten minutes, even if it meant briefly disabling a secondary option, then fix the root cause once the flow was back. I lived through a close case at X — happy to walk you through it in person.

Thanks again for the conversation.

Sarah M.

What works: the candidate turns a hesitation into a display of thinking, without over-justifying, and reopens the door to a conversation.

Pitfalls to avoid

• The twelve "just in case" attachments that drown the signal. Send the right one, not all of them.
• The heavy or badly named file that betrays carelessness before it's even opened.
• The context-free email ("Here you go.") that forces the recruiter to guess what they're holding and why.
• The promise kept in a rush. Better to say "I'll send it tomorrow morning" and polish it than to fire something off within the hour.

The Sirius method

Across several interviews, it's easy to lose track of who's waiting for what. Sirius keeps the thread: it reads the notes you took during the interview, reminds you what you promised to send, and drafts the covering email with the right subject line and framing. You keep your voice, the tool keeps the memory.

This is the second part of the series on the after-interview email. See also the thank-you email and following up when it goes quiet.