You might have had your fill of thank you notes after acknowledging all of those graduation or wedding gifts, but you can't stop writing them just yet. Even though you already thanked the recruiter for his time at your job interview, send him a short thank you letter soon afterward. Katherine Hansen of Quintessential Careers reports that only about 5 percent of job-seekers actually do this, so give yourself a leg up on the competition by taking the time to complete this classy, important interview followup.
If you interview with more than one person, send each an individual thank you note.
Step 1
Start your letter by thanking the interviewer for his time. Cite the date of the interview and the position for which you interviewed, just in case he's interviewing multiple people or interviewing for multiple positions during the same time frame. One of the purposes of a thank you note after an interview is to let the recruiter know that you're still interested in the position. It's all right to say something such as, "Talking to you about the position reaffirmed my interest in the company and the exciting direction it is taking."
Step 2
Write a short paragraph or two about specific elements of your interview, highlighting things you discussed and linking them to what you have to offer, says Roy Cohen, the author of "The Wall Street Professional's Survival Guide: Success Secrets of a Career Coach," in Forbes magazine. Show that you understand the company's needs by using phrases such as, "After discussing the specifics of your project lead position during our interview, I feel confident that my experience as a marketing team leader and project director at my previous job have provided me with the perfect skills to successfully lead your company's marketing project teams."
Step 3
Ask whether there is any additional information he needs from you, and offer to send it to him promptly or come in to talk further in person, if it would be helpful.
Step 4
Close your letter or note by confidently stating that you look forward to hearing from him in the near future and repeating your appreciation for his time and consideration.
Step 5
Proofread the letter carefully and correct any mistakes. If you are sending a hand-written note, copy it over if needed until you have a neat, mistake-free version. Send it via first-class mail to your interviewer, ideally within two days of the interview. It is acceptable to send your thank you note via email if you have already established that this is how the company conducts business, or if you need to get your note there promptly, in advance of a hiring decision. If you do use email, send the paper version in the mail as a formal courtesy.
Tips
References
Tips
- If you interview with more than one person, send each an individual thank you note.
Writer Bio
As a national security analyst for the U.S. government, Molly Thompson wrote extensively for classified USG publications. Thompson established and runs a strategic analysis company, is a professional genealogist and participates in numerous community organizations.Thompson holds degrees from Wellesley and Georgetown in psychology, political science and international relations.