Interview Thank You Letters
How To Write Interview Thank You Letters
Interview thank you letters are letters that very few people use – even though it can be a very important "tool" if you are serious about getting a job. Often times a company will interview dozens of candidates for a particular position and unless you do something to stand out and to stay in the forefront of their hiring decision you will probably just fall by the wayside. Being interviewed means that you probably have all the skills they are looking for. The interview is there to see what you are like as a person which is so much more of a reason to use interview thank you letters.
Contrary to popular belief its really not a big deal. Its simply a short note to the person who interviewed you to remind them of who you are. Its generally considered polite to do this and most companies value this. It will also encourage them to give you an answer and keep you in their minds – even if you don;t get that particular job.
With that in mind, lets quickly look at the format of an interview thank you note and what you should and should not do.
- Make sure you get a business card from the person who interviews you as you need to address your note to this person and using his exact name, address and title is very important. Always start the letter by addressing the person who interviewed you and keep it formal – Dear Mr. Daniel Thompson or you can leave the Mr. out. If the person has a title like Dr. - please use that.
- Always know the exact title of the position that you applied for. You need to put this right at the beginning of the note and explain why you are writing the note. You should start the note with something like "Thank you for interviewing me for the position of JOB TITLE.
- Never write your note on some corny card that you buy from a store. Its inappropriate. Keep it simple and keep it on a blank piece of paper and using plain white paper is perfectly fine.
- Always end your letter formally with a "Sincerely" or "Gratefully" and print your name. Sign it and have your contact details underneath.
- Never write a thank you note via email. Most people do this but its generally considered useless as it does not have the same effect.
- Always keep your letter formal and above all keep it brief. You can write a brief note about how you think you can be an asset to their organization and you can close the letter with "I look forward to hearing from you".
