Other Ways to Say "I Look Forward to Working With You"
Natural alternatives to "I look forward to working with you" include "I'm excited to get started," "I'm glad to be working together," "I can't wait to dig into the project," and more specific lines such as "I'm looking forward to building the new booking system with your team." The original is polite and correct, but it's used so often that a specific line usually makes a better impression.
This phrase tends to appear at important moments: accepting a job, starting with a new client, joining a project, or welcoming a new hire. Those are exactly the moments when a little personality helps. Below are 35 options sorted by situation, sample emails for real scenarios, and a quick grammar check that catches a common error.
Quick answer: For a new job: "I'm excited to join the team and get started on 3 March." For a new client: "We're delighted to be working with you on the rebrand." For colleagues: "Really glad to have you on board." Formal: "I look forward to a productive partnership." Avoid "look forward to work with you" (it must be working).
On this page
Breaking down the phrase
"I look forward to working with you" combines the phrasal verb look forward to (to anticipate with pleasure) and the gerund working. Because to here is a preposition, the verb after it must take the -ing form, just as in "I look forward to hearing from you."
Formality ladder
| Version | Register | Example use |
|---|---|---|
| "I look forward to working with you." | Formal / neutral | Offer acceptance, client letters |
| "I'm looking forward to working with you." | Neutral, warmer | Most business email |
| "Looking forward to working with you!" | Relaxed | Colleagues, friendly clients |
| "Excited to work together!" | Casual, upbeat | Teams, startups |
| "Can't wait to get started!" | Very casual | Close colleagues, creative work |
The simple present ("I look forward") sounds slightly more formal than the continuous ("I'm looking forward"), which sounds a bit more personal. Both are correct.
35 alternatives, grouped by situation
Accepting a job offer
| Alternative | Tone | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| "I'm excited to join the team." | Enthusiastic | Any job offer |
| "Thank you for the opportunity; I'm eager to get started." | Grateful | Formal acceptance |
| "I can't wait to start on Monday the 6th." | Warm, specific | Confirming a start date |
| "I'm thrilled to be joining [Company]." | Very positive | Roles you really wanted |
| "I'm looking forward to contributing to the Melbourne office." | Specific | Location-based roles |
| "I'm keen to hit the ground running." | Motivated | Fast-paced roles |
| "It's a privilege to be joining such a talented group." | Respectful | Prestigious teams |
Starting with a new client
| Alternative | Tone | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| "We're delighted to be working with you." | Professional, warm | Agencies, consultants |
| "Thank you for choosing us; we're excited to get started." | Grateful | Signed contracts |
| "We're looking forward to a successful partnership." | Formal | Long-term contracts |
| "We can't wait to bring your vision to life." | Creative | Design, events, marketing |
| "I'm confident this will be a great collaboration." | Assured | Kick-off emails |
| "Our team is ready to get started whenever you are." | Proactive | Onboarding |
Welcoming a new colleague
| Alternative | Tone | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| "Welcome aboard! Really glad to have you." | Friendly | New team members |
| "We're so happy you're joining us." | Warm | Team announcements |
| "Can't wait to have you on the team." | Casual | Before their start date |
| "Looking forward to having your expertise on the project." | Respectful | Experienced hires |
| "Great to have you with us." | Simple, warm | Any new starter |
Joining a project or partnership
| Alternative | Tone | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| "I'm glad we'll be working together on this." | Neutral, positive | Cross-team projects |
| "I'm excited to see what we can build together." | Collaborative | Partnerships |
| "I'm looking forward to collaborating on the launch." | Specific | Defined projects |
| "I think we'll make a great team." | Warm, confident | Peer partnerships |
| "It'll be great to combine our teams' strengths." | Strategic | Joint ventures |
| "I'm keen to learn from your experience." | Humble | Working with senior people |
After a meeting or interview (no commitment yet)
| Alternative | Tone | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| "I hope we'll have the chance to work together." | Hopeful, polite | Post-interview thank-yous |
| "I'd welcome the opportunity to work with you." | Formal | Proposals, pitches |
| "I'd love to explore how we might work together." | Open | Networking |
| "It would be a pleasure to support your team." | Courteous | Sales, consultancy |
Formal and traditional
| Alternative | Tone | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| "I look forward to a productive working relationship." | Formal | Contracts, official letters |
| "I anticipate a successful collaboration." | Very formal | Legal, academic |
| "I am pleased to be working with you on this matter." | Formal | Professional services |
| "I look forward to our continued cooperation." | Formal | Renewals, ongoing deals |
Casual and friendly
| Alternative | Tone | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| "Excited to team up!" | Casual | Peers, startups |
| "This is going to be fun." | Light, upbeat | Creative projects |
| "Let's do this!" | Energetic | Team chat |
| "Stoked to be working with you." | Very casual, Australian/American | Relaxed workplaces |
Example emails
Accepting a job offer
Subject: Job offer acceptance — Marketing Coordinator
Dear Ms. Russell,
Thank you for offering me the role of Marketing Coordinator. I'm delighted to accept and can confirm my start date of Monday, 3 March.
I really enjoyed meeting the team in Bristol, and I'm excited to contribute to the spring campaign we discussed.
Please let me know if there's anything you need from me before then.
Kind regards, Ellie Shaw
This is warmer and more specific than "I look forward to working with you," and it confirms the practical details.
Kick-off email to a new client
Subject: Welcome to Northfield Design
Hi David,
Thank you for choosing Northfield Design for your restaurant's rebrand. We're delighted to be working with you.
I've attached a short questionnaire to help us understand your audience in Austin. Once we have it back, we'll book a kick-off call to walk through mood boards.
We can't wait to bring the new look to life.
Best regards, Sarah Kim
Welcoming a new team member
Hi Ahmed,
Welcome aboard! We're so glad you're joining the Perth engineering team. Your experience with mining software is exactly what the project needs.
I've set up a coffee for your first morning so you can meet everyone. See you Monday!
Cheers, Josh
A post-interview thank-you
Dear Mr. Alvarez,
Thank you for taking the time to meet with me yesterday. I enjoyed learning about the expansion into the Pacific Northwest, and I'd welcome the opportunity to support it.
Best regards, Rachel Moore
Rachel avoids "I look forward to working with you" because she hasn't been offered the job yet. It's a small choice, but it reads as respectful rather than presumptuous.
Replying when someone says it to you
Client: I look forward to working with you! You: Likewise! I'll send the project timeline by Friday.
A brief, positive reply plus a next step is all you need. See how to respond to "Thank you" for similar short replies.
More example sentences
- "I'm excited to work alongside such an experienced team in Leeds."
- "We're looking forward to supporting your move into the Queensland market."
- "It's great to finally be working together after all those calls."
- "I can't wait to see the app go live."
- "I'm pleased we'll be partnering on next year's conference."
- "I'm eager to learn how your team approaches research."
- "We're thrilled to be part of the Ohio library project."
- "I'm glad we found a way to collaborate."
- "It'll be a pleasure to work with you again."
- "I'm confident we'll deliver something brilliant together."
Mistakes to avoid
- ❌ "I look forward to work with you." ✅ "I look forward to working with you."
- ❌ "I'm looking forward for working with you." ✅ "I'm looking forward to working with you."
- ❌ "I look forward to working with you" in an interview follow-up before any offer. ✅ "I hope to have the opportunity to work with you."
- ❌ Repeating it in both the opening and the close. ✅ Use it once, or replace one with a specific line.
- ❌ "Super excited!!! Can't wait!!!" to a formal law firm. ✅ "I'm delighted to be joining the firm."
- ❌ "I look forward working with you." (missing to) ✅ "I look forward to working with you."
Related variations for other stages
The same structure adapts to different points in a working relationship. Keep the -ing form after look forward to in every one.
| Stage | Phrase | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Ongoing work | "I look forward to continuing to work with you." | Contract renewals, annual reviews |
| Returning client | "It'll be great to work with you again." | Repeat projects |
| Hosting someone | "We look forward to welcoming you to the Sydney office." | Visits, first days |
| End of a project | "I've really enjoyed working with you." | Wrap-up emails, farewells |
| Leaving a job | "I hope our paths cross again." | Goodbye messages to colleagues |
"Look forward to continuing to work" strikes some writers as clumsy because of the repeated to, but it's grammatical. If it bothers you, try "I look forward to our continued work together."
US vs UK vs Australia
The phrase is used identically in all three countries. Differences show up in the surrounding vocabulary and the level of enthusiasm considered normal.
- United States: American business culture often welcomes visible enthusiasm: "I'm so excited to get started!" and "Can't wait to work together!" are common even in professional email. "Stoked" appears in relaxed industries, especially on the West Coast.
- United Kingdom: British professionals often prefer measured warmth: "I'm really pleased to be joining," "Delighted to be working with you." Strong exclamations can sound overdone. "Keen" is a common, natural word ("I'm keen to get started").
- Australia: Australians use "keen" and "stoked" freely, and "Looking forward to it!" is a typical casual close. Emails tend to be friendly and informal, but formal contracts follow British conventions. "Cheers" often replaces a formal sign-off.
Date formats also vary: "March 3" in the US, "3 March" in the UK and Australia. Matching your reader's format looks thoughtful, especially when confirming a start date. For other spelling differences you might notice (organize vs organise), see organise vs organize.
Memory trick: "Name the thing"
The best upgrade to this phrase is to name the thing you'll be doing together: "working with you" becomes "building the new website with you" or "running the Brisbane event with you." If you can't name a specific thing, the standard phrase is perfectly fine.
For the grammar: "Forward to the -ing" — after look forward to, the verb always ends in -ing.
Practice quiz
- "I look forward to ___ with you." a) work b) working c) worked
- You've just accepted a job offer. Best line? a) "I'm excited to join the team and start on 10 June." b) "I look forward to work with you." c) "K, see you then."
- You're sending a thank-you after an interview (no offer yet). Best line? a) "I look forward to working with you." b) "I'd welcome the opportunity to work with you." c) "See you on my first day."
- You're welcoming a new colleague. Best line? a) "I anticipate a successful collaboration." b) "Welcome aboard! Really glad to have you." c) "Please advise."
- You're writing to a formal legal client. Best line? a) "Stoked to team up!" b) "I look forward to a productive working relationship." c) "Let's do this!"
- A client writes "Looking forward to working with you!" Best reply? a) "Likewise! I'll send the timeline by Friday." b) No reply. c) "Why?"
Answers
- b — To is a preposition here, so use the -ing form.
- a — Enthusiastic, specific, and confirms the date.
- b — Avoids sounding presumptuous before an offer.
- b — Warm and welcoming; the others are stiff or odd.
- b — Formal and appropriate for legal correspondence.
- a — Mirrors the warmth and adds a concrete next step.
Related phrasing
This line often sits just above your sign-off, so it helps to pair it well; see other ways to say "Best regards". For the closely related request-for-reply line, try other ways to say "Looking forward to hearing from you".
Start the relationship on a specific note
"I look forward to working with you" is a safe, friendly line, and it will never cause offense. But first emails set the tone for a working relationship, so it's worth spending one more sentence on detail: the project, the start date, something you enjoyed in the interview. That specificity tells the reader you're already thinking about the work, which is the most convincing kind of enthusiasm there is.
Frequently asked questions
Is "I look forward to working with you" formal?
It is neutral to formal and suitable for almost any professional context, from job offers to new client relationships. The shortened "Looking forward to working with you" is slightly more relaxed. Both are polite and correct.
What can I say instead of "I look forward to working with you" after a job offer?
Try "I'm excited to join the team," "I can't wait to get started on [date]," or "Thank you for this opportunity; I'm eager to contribute." Mentioning something specific about the role makes your reply more memorable.
Is it "look forward to work" or "look forward to working"?
Always "look forward to working." The "to" in this phrase is a preposition, so it is followed by an -ing form or a noun. "I look forward to work with you" is incorrect.
Can I say "I look forward to working with you" in an interview thank-you email?
It can sound presumptuous before you have an offer. Safer options include "I hope to have the opportunity to work with you" or "I'd be thrilled to contribute to the team."
How should I reply when someone says "I look forward to working with you"?
Mirror the warmth: "Likewise, I'm looking forward to it" or "Me too. It's going to be a great project." A short, positive reply is all that is needed.
Is "Excited to work with you" too casual for email?
For most modern workplaces it is fine, especially in the US and Australia. In very formal contexts, such as legal or governmental correspondence, "I look forward to working with you" remains the safer choice.