The Thank You Letter Guide
What is a thank you letter? A thank you letter is a follow-up step to an informal or formal interview that offers you the chance to establish good will and set you apart from other candidates. It is one of the most important steps in the job search as it keeps the candidates name in the forefront of the employer’s mind. This is especially true when several candidates are interviewed over a few days time span. Why use a thank you letter? Resumes look pretty much the same, so a thank you note can set you apart and do wonders for your profile. I appreciate thank you notes, don’t you? And, a well-written well-timed thank you letter could land you a second interview and give you a second chance in case you didn’t interview well. What should a thank you letter include? Name the job you interviewed for and the date of the interview. Help the interviewer to remember who you are. Bring up something positive that happened or was said in the interview. Make it personal. Show your strong interest in the job. Be enthusiastic. Did you forget to add something at the interview and only remembered it after you left the building? Do you have qualifications you didn’t tell the interviewer about? Do it now. Sell yourself. Work on what you know to be the employer’s needs. Tell the interviewer of your ability to answer these needs. Offer to give more information and to come in for another interview. Thank the interviewer for the interview, for their time, and/or for considering you for the position. Use plain white paper or paper that matches your resume and cover letter. Use the same letterhead you created for your resume. Type it or write it in black ink. It should have a neat and clean appearance. There should be no mistakes in spelling, grammar or punctuation. As with all of your documents, have someone read it to check for errors before you mail it. The basic rule of thumb is that each interviewer gets a thank you letter which should be sent within 24 hours. If that is not possible, send the thank you to the highest ranking interviewer and ask that your appreciation be passed along to others. A good idea is to collect business cards from each interviewer so that you have their correct position, title and spelling of their name, etc. How do I put a thank you letter together? Follow this step-by-step guide to complete your professional thank you letter. If you need further assistance, contact Career Services, located in E-Link, or call (815) 2240502.
Creating Your Thank You Letter
Ask yourself the following questions before you begin your thank you letter… What does the prospective employer need? What information did you pick up from the interview that increased your knowledge of what type of employee with what types of skills the employer is looking for? What are your objectives? Do you really want the position you interviewed for? Are you looking to make a good impression for future openings? Did the interview go less smoothly than you had hoped and this is your attempt at a second chance? What are three to five qualities that you would bring to this employer or this job? Think of which skills, knowledge or abilities the employer mentioned in the interview or which of your qualities the interviewer keyed in on. Think of a way you can work them into the body of your thank you letter. How can you match your experience to the job? What did you remember to say only after you left the interview? What are two specific accomplishments relative to the job that you can mention to draw a correlation between your abilities and the job’s requirements? Why do you want to work for this particular organization or person? What did you learn about them? What is it about their products or services, philosophy, mission, organizational culture, goals and needs that relates to your own background values and objectives? Once these five questions have been answered, you are ready to begin creating your thank you letter!
Thank You Letter Format
Mia Thejobseeker 1454 Myown Street Mytown, OH, 84736
Today’s Date Name of Person & Title Company/Organization Street Address City, State, Zip Dear Mr. /Mrs. /Ms. Last Name: Introductory Paragraph - Express your sincere appreciation. Thank them for the time and attention given to you during the interview for the position (name the position). Be courteous. Give a compliment. Body Paragraph - Emphasize specific knowledge, skills and experience. Reemphasize your strongest qualifications. Draw attention to the good match between your qualifications and the job requirements. Closing Paragraph - Express interest in the job. If you want the job, find a way to say so. Use the opportunity to provide or offer supplemental information not stressed before. Invite them to contact you and restate your phone number. Close on a positive note. Closing Statement - Restate your appreciation. Sincerely, Sign here in ink Your First and Last Name
Sample Thank You Letter
1454 Myown Street Mytown, OH 84736 March 23, 2006 Mr. Alan West Administrator Pleasant Valley Community College 500001 South High Street Mytown, OH 84736 Dear Mr. West: I very much enjoyed meeting with you yesterday and having the opportunity to tour Pleasant Valley Community College. Thank you for taking the time to show me around your campus. I enjoyed learning about the many programs of study offered by your college and feel that I would make an excellent addition to your Admissions staff. In addition to the qualifications highlighted on my resume, which matched so closely with the requirements for the position of Admissions Clerk, I was pleased to learn that I would also be able to apply my talents in the area of teaching ESL for your Adult Education department. I am very interested in this position and would be more than happy to supply you with additional information or return for a second interview. I can be reached during daytime hours at (984) 555-3947. I look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely,
Kate Morrow
Thank You Letter Tips
Send a thank you to each person who interviewed you. For this purpose, ask for a business card from each so that you have the correct titles and spelling of their names. Tailor the letter as much as possible to the interview. Refer back to something that may help them remember which candidate you are. Be brief. No more than one page. Mail the note by the next day after the interview. Use paper that matches your resume. Consider using the letterhead that matches the one on your resume. Use a word processor and the same font you used for the resume. A hand written note is acceptable if it is written neatly and legibly. Make it error free and ask someone to proofread it. As with all job search documents, documents that are not folded, result in a better impression. Use large envelopes or envelopes that match the resume paper. Enclose a page of references if they were requested of you by the interviewer.