Candidate Services

Thank You Letters

Write Right Away

It's a good idea to follow-up as soon as possible after your interview. Send a thank you letter the same day as your interview when you can, certainly within the first couple days thereafter. You should also send a separate note to each person who interviewed you. It is a good practice to always get each interviewer's business cards.

Get Your Facts Straight

Be sure to spell all names correctly. You are trying to reinforce the positive contact with the good people who took the time to meet with you. You do not want your thanks to do more harm than good do you? If you didn't manage to get one of your interviewer's business cards, call his/her secretary or the company receptionist to confirm the proper spelling and title.

Choose the Proper Tone

Use your instinct to guide you on this one; match the tone of your interview. If you treated in a formal manner, a more formal response is appropriate. If you felt you interview went well and had a more relaxed tone, craft your letter accordingly (though you should always avoid being overly familiar). If there were important things that you felt were conveyed in your interview or were not clear, fill in the gaps in your thank you letter. If there were any misunderstandings in your interview, this is your chance to do damage control confronting such situations, be positive not antagonistic. Keep in mind, you can control the contents of your letter more completely than you could your interview. Take advantage of this opportunity wisely.

Be Unique

Individualize your thank you letter in some way. This does not mean sending a ballad program. The point is to steer clear of trite, canned statements that may sound impersonal or insincere, or like a mail-merge document that you send out after every interview. For example, refer to something that came up in your discussion. This will help emphasize the contact that you made and will help keep you fresh in their minds if you are competing against a large pool of candidates. Include additional information if you can. If the interviewer took particular interest in something you brought up, send him/her a related article, a copy of that publication you were in, or samples of your work. Add anything pertinent that might reiterate the unique qualities that you have to offer.

Sample Thank You Letter

Name:
Title:
Address:
Date:

Dear Mr./Ms. (last name):

Thank you for taking the time to meet with me on (Date) to discuss the (position title) you have available. I appreciated the opportunity to learn more about (company's name) to discuss how my qualifications can meet your needs.

I would like the opportunity to become part of your team. I feel strongly that I can be an asset to (company's name). My prior experience in (type of experience) plus my training (refer to training), would enable me to become a strong contributing member of your (name of team) organization. I look forward to hearing from you regarding your decision.

Please let me know if there is any information that I can provide that will help you in the decision-making process. If I don't hear from you, as you suggested during the interview, I will call you next (day), to see how your selection process in progressing. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Signature