Thank You Letters

1. Thank You Letters

2. When to write thank-you letters: A thank-you letter should be written after: • An interview; • An individual is helpful to you in a telephone conversation or e-mail; • Someone provides / sends information to you at your request; • A contact was particularly helpful to you at a career fair; • You visit a person at their work site; and • Any other contact for which you want to express thanks and develop a good relationship.

3. Hard copy, handwritten or e-mail: Thank-you letters can be hard copy typed, handwritten or e-mailed. • Hard copy are most formal • always appropriate after an interview. • Handwritten are more personal • can be appropriate for brief notes to a variety of individuals you may have met during on on-site interview or who may have helped you in other ways. • E-mail • appropriate when that has been your means of contact with the person you want to thank, or if your contact has expressed a preference for e-mail, or if you want to send a quick thank-you to be followed up by hard copy.

4. View Your Thank You Letters as Sales Letters • Customize Your Thank You Letters • You may also view your thank you letters as follow-up "sales" letters. • In other words, restate why you want the job • What your qualifications are • How you might make significant contributions, and so on. • This thank you letter is also the perfect opportunity to discuss anything of importance that your interviewer neglected to ask or that you neglected to answer as thoroughly, or as well, as you would have liked.

5. When You're Not Sure What to Write • Time takes precedence • Get a simple, appreciative thank you note in the mail or send a thank you by email without delay • Keep in mind though, that the thank you note should be brief and to the point. A couple of brief paragraphs are sufficient. • Save your creative efforts for another time.

6. Address Sample Thank You Letter City, State, Zip Date Mr./Ms. First and Last Name of ContactTitle of InterviewerName of CompanyAddress of CompanyCity, State, ZipDear Mr./Ms. (Last Name):Start off by thanking the representative for meeting with you at the Buffalo Teacher Recruitment Days. Reiterate your interest and enthusiasm in working in their district. Perhaps focus on one aspect of the conversation you had with them that would "jog" their memory about who you are (e.g. you may have discussed team teaching or technology based educational techniques, etc.). Discuss a bit more about their district and how impressed you are by what they are doing. You can even bring up unrelated information that may have come up (e.g. your common interest in traveling throughout Europe). Let them know you look forward to the next step in the recruiting process. Strongly consider setting up a "next step" with them. For example, you could inform them that you will call them within two weeks to follow up on your candidacy, etc. Thank them one last time for the consideration of your candidacy and let them know you are looking forward to speaking with them soon (if appropriate) and again provide contact information. Sincerely,Sign your name(Type) Your Name

7. E-mail business etiquette Do not abandon business etiquette in your use of e-mail! • Business-like writing style • Attention to grammar, spelling, punctuation (same rules as for hard copy correspondence) • Subject line meaningful to recipient • Clear signature block with your full name, postal mailing address and return e-mail address (obviously there is no handwritten signature)

8. Email Message: Dear Mr./Ms. Last Name: It was very enjoyable to speak with you today about the assistant account executive position at the Smith Agency. The job seems to be an excellent match for my skills and interests. The creative approach to account management that you described confirmed my desire to work with you. In addition to my enthusiasm, I will bring to the position strong writing skills, assertiveness, and the ability to encourage others to work cooperatively with the department. I appreciate the time you took to interview me. I am very interested in working for you and look forward to hearing from you regarding this position. Sincerely, Your Name Email Address Address Phone Number

9. Proof Your Messages • Finally, remember to proofread - proofreading is important. Be sure to check spelling, grammar, typos, etc. • If in doubt about the correct names, spellings or titles of your interviewers, call the office to double-check. • Also, keep a copy in your Out mailbox or cc: yourself so you have a copy of each message you've sent.