Thank You Letters

Congratulations! You’ve gotten past the first interview and things have gone well. You’re interested in the job.

We all know that good candidates are in short supply. And some candidates seem to feel that the company should send them a “thank you” letter or email for coming in and interviewing.

However, unless you are truly a candidate with impeccable and highly sought after credentials, you are well served to send a “thank you” letter or email to the employer following your interview

The Follow-up Letter or Email:

This is your chance to accomplish a number of things with your prospective new company, including showcasing your written communication skills. Keep the letter to one page and, if possible, have someone check it for possible grammar or spelling errors.

1. Reaffirm your interest in the job
(Thank you)(Thanks again) for taking time yesterday to (meet with me)(see me) in ___________. I was impressed with (company name) and am (excited)(very interested) in the position of _____________which we discussed.

2. Reestablish your qualifications for the position. Examples:
I wanted to reiterate that my (background)(experience) in __________________has prepared me well to (address the issue of (tackle the job of) (undertake the task of) ________________________with your company.
From our discussions, it appears that my background in _________________ would be an excellent fit with your needs for ________________________.

3. Fill in any missing pieces from the interview to include information that the interviewer might have requested. Example:
Also, as you requested I am including _____________________

4. Establish a timeframe for the next step. For example:
I am (eager to move ahead))(interested in moving forward) with this (exciting)(challenging)(excellent) opportunity with ____(company name)________.
I will call you in _________________to discuss the next step OR
I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Send the letter or email immediately following the interview. If you choose to send a letter rather than an email and you really want to make an impression, FedEx the letter. It will cost a few extra bucks but your correspondence will stand out in the crowd.