Thank You Letters, Job Interviews

 

 

Writing A Letter of Thanks

It’s a fact. The vast majority of job seekers do not write a thank you letter after a job interview. Many don’t know that it is good job interview etiquette to do so. And many feel too conscientious to write a thank you letter. A follow up letter after a job interview can mean the difference between landing a job and continuing to search the want ads. Think about it. If you and another interviewee were comparable in virtually everything, what could you do to tip the scales in your favor? The answer is write a job interview thank you letter. By doing so, you show the potential employer a couple of positive points.

First of all, writing a post interview thank you letter shows the hiring official appreciation for the opportunity that was given to you by allowing you to interview for the position. Keep in mind, a job interview did not have to be offered to you. You could have been the 6th qualified applicant where only 5 qualified applicants were offered interviews. But, you were fortunate enough to be included in the number of applicants that were offered a chance to state their case.

Also, by sending a thank you letter after job interviews, from the employer’s perspective, you show that you really want “this particular job.” And that of course is a plus because employers want someone who really wants the job and not just a paycheck.

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Now, the contents of the thank you letter can be as simple as thanking the interviewing official for the opportunity to interview for “(insert name of company here).” However, in addition to that, you may want to briefly reiterate why you would be a good fit for the position. What you are thus doing, is reminding the interviewer who you are and what you bring to the table. Although the time between the interview and the receipt of the thank you letter should be no longer than two or three days, a dozen or more applicants may have been interviewed in total. Give the interviewer an opportunity to recall what she liked about you.

Sample Thank You Letter

Dear Ms. Smith,

I’d like to thank you for allowing me to interview for the Program Analyst position at Acme Industrial Shipping Inc. I believe that my experience as a database manager and my skills as a Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) programmer will allow me to be a great asset to the company. It was a pleasure to interview with you and once again, I thank you for the opportunity.

Sincerely,

John Doe

Notice that the sample thank you letter is short and to the point. Within a sentence or two you want to re-emphasize skills or attributes that you possess that will benefit the company and or department. Remember, you’re writing a letter of appreciation knowing that more likely than not, the majority of interviewees will be oblivious to this opportunity or simply skip it. This is another chance for you to say “Pick me. I’m the best candidate.”

A thank you letter after job interviews does not make up for not preparing for job interviews. Utilize this website to benefit from other job interview tips.