You feel like you prepared yourself a lot for a job interview and that you gave 110% of yourself in it and really, really want it? The background, the ravishing look, the attitude, the smart answers, the optimism! All of these are the recipe of a successful meeting. But does that mean that you are the one? Sending a thank you letter will definitely make you rise above the competitors.
I know, this does not sound like discovering a new parallel dimension or something. You must be thinking: “I mean, yeah, everybody knows that one should send a thank you letter or e-mail after an interview, d’oh!” Many people know, indeed, but how many write it correctly? Here’s some information you’ll thank me for after you apply it yourself. It shall help you get where you want to.
Why Should I Send a Thank You Letter?
Let’s get this straight: a thank you letter is extremely professional and truly appreciated by every employer. It’s definitely not a waste of time sending one after absolutely every interview, even if it’s for the same position. You must thank every person that you interacted with within the recruitment process. I mean, put yourself in the others’ shoes, wouldn’t you like receiving such a letter from a candidate? Just as I thought!
There are many good candidates that participate in interviews for the same position, so you should make yourself standout. Sending a thank you letter for follow-up is a great way. It helps to refresh the employer’s memory and attract his attention to you. It may also make him remember the good things he mentioned about you during the interview.
Etiquette of Sending a Thank You Letter
When to send the thank you letter?
So, if you just finished a face to face interview, let me tell you that it isn’t completely finished until you write a thank you letter to the employer. Not at the moment. Consider doing it in 24 hours maximum. However, if you applied for a sales position and you felt that they urgently needed a colleague, you might send the thank you letter an hour or two after.
Wait, what?
Picture this: you send a “Happy birthday” message to a friend whose birthday is today. How would you like it if your friend would thank you for your message a few weeks later? Yeah, that wouldn’t be nice at all. When speaking about an interview, that’s about the same thing. You don’t show interest if you send the letter after more than 24 hours! It will give the employer the impression that you had much more important things to do than that job you told him you wanted so bad during the interview.
Better write a letter, but email is also an alternative
A handwritten thank you letter is recommended. It makes you sincerer. You could also send an e-mail, but only if you don’t have much time. I suggest you should make time for the letter, though. Just be sure to obtain a business card from the person that has interviewed you. This is very appreciated by the employers as well.
What about the writing ?
Be sure to write in a correct manner (grammar, spelling, punctuation) and do not forget to check it again before sending it. If you choose to handwrite the thank you letter, be sure that your writing is legible. It has to be done with a black or blue ink, of course. Try not to change your writing type; make it cursive. If you wanna send a thank you email, choose an eye-friendly font like Arial or Times New Roman.
What to include ?
A great reference would be a link to your LinkedIn profile or, much better, to your own website, a presentation website, in case the employer wants to know more about you. Don’t forget that the letter should only be one page long, not a novel.
You don’t have a website? Well, create one!
Right after thanking the interviewer and telling him about the value you would add to his company, put the link to your branding web page. Sell yourself!
Don’ts in Writing a Thank You Letter
Do not change the message of the letter
The message is “Thank you!”, which means that you must not ask for anything. By asking something, you will change the idea of the message, and that will totally spoil everything instead of helping you.
Do not mention your flaws
You made some mistakes during the interview ? That’s OK. What’s done is done, but don’t write about them. Point out your pros instead.
Do not insist on being hired
Don’t make your employer think that you desperately need that job. Be a professional. You just need to thank your interviewer and point out your availability for new discussions.
Two Samples of Thank You E-mail/ Letter
E-mail example
Good afternoon, George,
Thank you for taking the time to speak with me yesterday about the online sales position within Amazon.
It was a real pleasure meeting with you, and I truly enjoyed learning more about the role and the company.
After our conversation, I am confident that my skills and experience are suitable for this opportunity. You can find out more about me from my personal presentation website https:yourname.com.
Please do not hesitate to contact if if you need any other information during the recruitment process.
Thank you again and I hope to hear from you in the near future.
Best regards,
Name
Phone number
Website
Written letter example
Date
Name
Title
Organization
Address
City, State, Zip Code
Dear Mr./Ms. Last Name,
I would like to thank you and your staff for taking the time to meet with me and discuss the System Engineer position at Oracle.
The way in which the interview issued made me very keen about working with such a professional team.
As an organized person, with analytical skills, I am confident that your requirements would be accomplished and that I would have a great collaboration with the rest of the team.
If there are any questions or any information that you might need during the recruitment process, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Thank you again for your time and professionalism.
If you would like to know more about my experience, please feel free to take a look at my website YourName.com.
Sincerely,
Your Signature
Your Website Link
Keep your eyes on your mailbox afterwards and do not worry if you don’t get a reply from your interviewer. Anyway, you can send a follow-up e-mail in a few weeks to find out if the process is over.
Alright now, I hope you are conscious of the importance of a thank you letter and put it on your To-Do list when you want to work on your career. Break your leg!
Comment
(1)