For some reason, the thank you note has lost its style, its pizzazz in today’s world. As with any thank you in life, a thank you letter can go a long way, but people have forgotten how to send a thank you letter. Seeing that it is Thanksgiving time, we thought it would be appropriate to discuss the thank you letter.
Lets try and bring it back with the tips below.
- Be Sincere: Above anything else, be sincere and genuine. Write the thank you note like you really care. At the end of the day, if the interview went great or horrible, the interviewer could have met with hundreds of other people, but they decided to meet with you. They took time out of their day to meet with you. The least you can do is write back a thoughtful, meaningful, sincere note truly thanking them for their time and consideration of you.
- Personalize: Chances are you will be meeting with more than one person. This means you cannot simply send the same note to each. It is crucial that you write down notes after each interview that are personal the interviewer. For example, you interview with John, Product Manager and in your conversation he mentioned that he loves football and cooking; specifically homemade pizza. When you go to write your thank you note to John, you can mention something about his favorite football team and include a great recipe for homemade pizza. This will show John that you actually listened to him in his interview and you took initiative to include a recipe. These are two simple qualities that hiring managers are looking for in every candidate, no matter the position.
- Write What You Forgot: A thank you letter can be a good time to write what you forgot to say in the interview. Whether you were nervous or ran out of time, take this time to say what you forgot. Just keep it short and to the point. Also, the whole point of the interview was to sell yourself. If you are finding that you have to restate your qualifications in the thank you letter, then you did the interview process backwards. It’s okay to list some skills you possess, but do not list things like your education or certifications.
- Act Fast: The faster you can send out that thank you letter, the better off you will be. You want to the interviewer to be wowed by your ability to follow up and write a thoughtful letter.
Hiring managers, HR professionals and business owners enjoy receiving thank you letters. It is that extra touch that can put you ahead of the competition, but you have to be sure that when you do send one that is the best possible.
Here is a sample thank you letter that you could revise to fit your needs.
Your Name
Your Address
Your City, State, Zip Code
Your Phone Number
Your Email
Date
Interviewer Name
Title
Company you interviewed for
Address
City, State, Zip Code
Dear Mr./Ms. Last Name: (Unless they asked you to use their first name)
Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to talk to me about the _________ position with your company. I appreciate your time and consideration in interviewing me for this position. (Here is where you should inset your personal touch. Tip #2)
After speaking with you and the group, I believe that I would be a perfect candidate for this position, offering the _____ and ______ that is needed for this position.
In addition to my enthusiasm for performing well, I would bring the technical and analytical skills necessary to get the job done.
I am very interested in working for you and look forward to hearing from you once the final decisions are made regarding this position. Please feel free to contact me at any time if further information is needed. The best way to reach me is __________.
Thank you again for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Your name
