Writing a thank you letter after a job interview is not a choice, it is a must if you really want to get a job.
Many employers say that when it comes to making the final hiring decision, the smallest detail can be a turning point. They look at everything from your qualifications and how you performed during the interview to your follow-up letter.
To stand out from other candidates with the same skills and experience, you need to prepare a powerful thank you letter. Use it to express appreciation of the interviewer’s time, remind of your competence and show that you are interested in the position and are looking forward to hearing from them.
Sending a follow-up letter is a sign of etiquette, so to leave a positive impression and remind your name one last time, take the time to prepare it.
Here are some tips on how to write a good thank you letter.
1. Write a Personalized Header
At the top of the page you need to include the most important information about yourself, such as your name, phone number, email and address to make your letter personal. Then you have to specify the information about your recipient. Write “Dear Mr., Mrs. or Ms.” which is appropriate for your interviewer. If you had more than one interviewer, you can try to customize it for each person if possible.
2. Show Your Appreciation
Start the first paragraph of your you letter by thanking the hiring manager for devoting his or her time to talking about the job position. Write briefly about yourself and your qualifications to make sure that the interviewer will recollect you. Hiring managers interview many candidates every day and cannot remember all details about everybody. Include the date and day of your meeting and mention the people you also talked to.
3. Discuss Your Impressions of the Company
Use the second paragraph of your follow-up note to discuss the impressions of the company and the interview. Stress one more time why you perfectly fit the position. If you have any qualifications or particular work-related skills, state them here. Make sure to mention that you can bring value to their company, can help with a project or know how to solve the problems they currently have.
4. Stress Your Interest in the Job
It is very important to show that you are really interested in this job and dream about working in their company. A proper follow-up letter has to show your great desire to become a part of such a professional team and grow and develop together with them. You can write something like “I would be thrilled to work for ….., and hope to meet you soon as a colleague.” Just repeat your deep interest in a job.
5. Use the Right Tone, Style and Length
When writing your thank you note, remember that hiring managers are people too. They don’t have time to read a long letter from you, even if it a masterpiece. Aim for about 200 words and try to be as clear and concise as possible. It’s up to you to decide how formal to be. Choose the style that reflects the degree of formality during your interview. Make sure to format the letter properly and try to avoid slang or terms that don’t reflect the open position.
The whole point of sending a follow-up letter after a job interview is to strengthen your uniqueness as a candidate and keep your bright personality in a recruiter’s mind. No hiring manager in the world wouldn’t love to receive a personal and convincing letter. That’s why do your best to write a great thank you note to ensure that your manners fit for a king!
