Developing a Thank You Letter Following a Job Interview

1. Developing a Thank You Letter Following a Job Interview Reported by Andy Marchica September 16, 2004

2. Why Send a Thank You Letter? • Help you get the attention of potential employers by showing interest in the position and attention to detail. • Offers another sample of your writing and editing skills. • Can provide details that were not covered in the interview or that you may have forgotten.

3. Keeps you fresh in the interviewers’ minds. • Gives you an opportunity to invite additional questions. • Helps to keep the communication between you and the interviewers going.

4. Choosing a Letter Format • A Business Letter • An Email Message • A Hand-written Card

5. Offers room for details. Offers a standard, professional format. Can further showcase your writing, editing, and communication skills Perceived as a more traditional medium Not delivered immediately to recipient, but through postal mail. Considered an un-techie medium. Is not easy for recipient to forward to other decision makers. A Business Letter Advantages Disadvantages

6. Offers room for details. Immediate delivery. Easy for recipient to forward to other decision makers. Can showcase writing, editing, and communication skills. Is a techie communication medium. May be perceived as less formal or professional. May be perceived as a less traditional communication medium. An Email Message Advantages Disadvantages

7. Can give a personal touch. Can be perceived as more traditional. May be seen as less professional or polished. Is not delivered to recipient immediately, but through Postal mail. Is considered un-techie communication medium. Is not easy for recipient to forward to other decision makers. A Hand-written Card Advantages Disadvantages

8. Developing the Letter • Introduction • Body • Conclusion

9. Introduction • Thank the recipient. At the very least, the interviewer took time to introduce you to the company, to provide information about the position, and to answer questions. • Remind the recipient of the position you interviewed for. • Reiterate on when you were interviewed. • Express your interest in the position. • Remind the interviewer of your qualifications, briefly.

10. Body • Reiterate the key details that support your qualifications for the position. • Mention additional details that you did not discuss in the interview. • Provide examples, numbers, or other information that supports points the interviewer focused on in the interview. • Provide other details that might separate you from other candidates, given what you now know about the position.

11. Conclusion • Thank the recipient again. • Reiterate your interest in the position. • Invite the recipient to contact you with questions. • Include contact information (and specifics of your availability to be contacted, if appropriate) • Remember to always go back and check for errors.

12. Importance to Technical Writing • In Technical Writing, we learn skills to prepare us for a career in the workplace. • Résumés, Cover Letters, and Follow-up or Thank You Letters are critical in the application process. • This article describes how to create an effective Thank You Letter following an interview.