Thank you letters

After you have done your preparation and effectively delivered your message in an interview, don't stop there! In order to win the job, you must be memorable. A thank you letter shows you are courteous, appreciative, and professional. Demonstrate that you are motivated and interested in the position enough to send a carefully written thank you letter to your interviewers.

CONTENT

Reiterate your interest in the position and cite some important points that were discussed in your interview. If appropriate, you may include additional information about your work experience that will strengthen your position as a desirable candidate. You may wish to comment on some topics discussed in the actual interview to indicate that you have given serious thought to the position. You can also mention aspects of the employer's programs or services with which you were particularly impressed. This type of well thought-out communication to your interviewers builds on the relationship you began with the employer and further establishes your sense of commitment to your profession. Send it out within 24 hours of your interview.

Should you decide that you are no longer interested in the position, you should follow-up with a thank you letter indicating your decision. This should be done in a timely manner to allow the employer to focus on other candidates. Remember that employers may appear at future times in your professional life, so it is important to conduct yourself professionally at all times.

FORMAT

A type-written thank you letter is the best type of thank you letter. It reflects a high level of professionalism. Use the same paper that you used to produce your resume.

Some job candidates in the human services and education fields have sent a hand-written thank you card. This is not ideal and should only be used if you know the person well.

In this electronic age, email thank you letters have emerged. For those seeking a position in a computer-related field, an email thank you letter is appropriate. However, it still needs to follow the structure of a type-written thank you letter.

Be especially careful to check for typographical errors, whatever format you use.

THANK YOU LETTERS SERVE OTHER PURPOSES TOO ...

There are other circumstances in which you need to follow-up with a thank you letter. If anyone takes the time to do an informational interview or speak with you on a professional basis, it is both courteous and wise to send a thank you letter. Let them know what aspects of your conversation were helpful to you and let them know that you will keep them apprised of new developments in your endeavors. People appreciate the feedback and the courtesy. Additionally, the thank you letter may serve to remind them of you and could produce a referral to one of their colleagues.

An outline of a thank you letter follows.

Name
Address
Telephone number
Email

Date

Ms. Margaret Turner, Director
Clinical Services
Sunnyvale Clinical Services
456 Brown Boulevard
Everytown, MA 12345

Dear Ms. Turner:

In the first paragraph, thank the interviewer for the interview, stating the date of the interview. If you interviewed with more than one person, you can send letters to each person or to the chairperson of the interview team. Mention you enjoyed meeting the interviewer and learning more about the company/organization.

In the second paragraph, briefly state some specific reasons why you believe you are qualified for the position. Also, you can include any information about qualifications you did not give in the interview and that you think the interviewer should know. You can also mention aspects of the organization's programs, services, or products with which you were particularly impressed.

Reiterate your interest in the position and/or joining the staff of the organization.* You may also wish to say you look forward to speaking to her/him soon.

Sincerely,

(signature here)

Melanie Ambition

*If you are not interested, it is not necessary to include the information explained in the second paragraph above. State that you are no longer interested in the position. You may also state why you are no longer interested.