Write On!
Send Thank-You Notes After Your Interviews.
Contributed by Elaine Landau
The interview has just ended. You stand, shake the hand of the interviewer and thank him/her for their time and interest. When you exit the building and enter the private sanctuary of your car, you can breathe. You did it! You got through the interview without any glitches. Now what?
As soon as you get home, write a thank-you letter.
It may be old-fashioned. It may be unexpected. It will be appreciated.
So many job seekers today believe that a strong interview is enough to leave a great impression with the prospective employer. That might have been true a few years ago, but today every nuance, every nicety, will set you apart from the crowd.
What do I say?
Thank you is a good start. You appreciate their time and interest. Tell them so.
If your interview went smoothly, you were able to find some common interests to talk about. You might have shared a good laugh about something. Whatever strengthened your bond in that all-important half-hour interview is worth repeating in a thank-you letter. By including a reference to a particularly good moment in your meeting, the thank-you letter will remind the interviewer of who you are and how good he/she felt about you when you were there in person.
Some dos and don’ts.
Do write your thank-you letter as soon as possible. If you wait too long, they may have hired somebody else by the time your letter arrives.
Do use a friendly tone, but do not be too familiar. Address the interviewer by Miss, Mister, Missus, or Ms., whatever title he/she used when he/she was introduced to you. If later in the interview, the interviewer insisted on first names, follow that lead in your thank-you letter.
Do not use fancy flowery paper. This is a written communication between two professionals. Be sure your paper selection is appropriate.
Do not go on and on about anything. This is a thank-you letter, not a recap of your encounter.
Do be sincere, honest and straightforward.
Don’t waste a lot of time being too complimentary. It may come off as insincere and actually make the recipient feel uncomfortable.
Do not discuss any mistakes you made in the interview. When reviewing your conversation in your head, you might think you could have answered a question better or could have elaborated more. This is not the time to bring that up. Chances are, unless it was a glaring faux pas, the interviewer didn’t think about it. Bringing it up again will focus on a negative aspect of your interview.
Do consider handwriting the letter. It adds a personal touch. If, however, your handwriting is less than impressive, you may want to e-mail the interviewer. It is not as personal, but it is certainly better than not writing one at all.
The letter is from you. Be sure it sounds like it.
Tone is extremely important in a thank-you letter. The right tone can make it an extension of a good experience and reflect well on you.
Adding a personal touch to a professional communication can be a little tricky. To be too familiar may seem a little stalkerish. To be too cold will work against any camaraderie that you were able to generate during your short meeting.
Be sure your letter sounds like you. Don’t try to over impress with big words that don’t come easily in your day-to-day vocabulary. With the correct choice of words and phrases, your thank-you letter will strike a responsive chord in the recipient.
Need more guidance?
For more valuable information and insights, log on to the Internet. There are many, many sites that have thank-you letter examples and make good points about what to say and what not to do. If you are not comfortable with the Internet, get some basic Internet training. It can start with a free Internet lesson and you are able to learn at home. Take advantage of free Internet training and free Internet tutorials so you can become proficient in no time. Then your research for the best thank-you letter will be effortless and fruitful, just in time for your interview.
About the Author:
Elaine Landau is a freelance writer, publicist, web site editor, and television writer with more than 15 years of experience in marketing, advertising, and publicity.
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