Write a thank you letter after an interview

Write a thank you letter after an interview

Get tips for saying thank you for an interview

So, you submitted a well-polished cover letter and resume, breezed through the phone interview, and nailed the in-person chat with your potential boss. Now you get to sit by the phone like it's two days before the big dance and you're waiting for that dreamy football player to call and ask you out: "Will he call? I'm sure he'll call! What if he doesn't call?" The one thing that may help you land the dream job is sending a brief, professional post-interview thank-you letter. Think of it as that one last impression that might help you stand out and be remembered amongst all those other bright candidates.

We all know how to write a thank-you letter; it's something we probably learned in grade school. The key is to take that same structure—which will be laid out in a moment—and create a professional yet concise letter.

Your thank-you letter can be handwritten to show that you took extra care, rather than using mail merge or the copy-and-paste function on your PC. For the same reason, it is especially nice if the letter is written on high-quality stationery.

This short document should reiterate your desire to work with the company and express your gratitude for the opportunity to meet with the interviewer. Here are the basic steps:

1. At the top left-hand corner of the page, write or type your name, followed by your phone number and/or email address, the date you are writing the letter, the person or department you are addressing, and what the letter is regarding. It should look something like this:
   
   Your Name
   Your Phone Number/Email Address
   Date
   TO: The Person or Department You Met With
   RE: Recent Interview, or Interview on mm/dd/yy
2. Leaving one space below the "Regarding" line, address the letter to a specific person using Mr. or Ms. and their last name. If, for some reason, you didn't get the person's name, the letter should be addressed to Sir or Madame and followed by a colon, like this:
   
   Dear Mr. Parsons:
   (or)
   Dear Madame:
3. After the introduction comes the creative part: the body of the letter. In the first sentence, offer a note of thanks to the person who met with you for taking the time to do so, or a quick thank-you for the opportunity to speak with them in person. Next, add a couple of sentences featuring something interesting that you learned about the company or a reason you feel you will excel there. You should also reiterate your reasons for wanting the job and highlight your best qualifications or unique abilities for the position. Finally, issue another thank-you and a note regarding further contact, something like, "Thank you again for your consideration; I look forward to hearing from you soon."
4. This is the easy part: all that is left is a closing and your name, placed one space below the last line of the body. If you are typing the letter to be printed and mailed, leave about three or four spaces between "Sincerely" and your printed name so you can sign it by hand. If the letter is handwritten or will be emailed, you may leave one or two spaces. The closing will look like this:
   
   Sincerely,
   
   Your Name

Here is a sample thank-you letter template that can be used as a reference when composing your own:

John Smith
(888) 555-1234
[email protected]
TO: Ms. Loretta Jones
RE: Recent Interview

Dear Ms. Jones:

Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to meet with me on Tuesday. It was a pleasure to sit down and discuss my future with your company. I was very impressed to learn that your reader base has grown by 6% already this year, and I'm excited about the possibility of helping your magazine continue to grow even more in the future. I feel that my experience with distribution and marketing would be an excellent addition to More Magazines, Inc., and I look forward to talking with you again soon! Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

John Smith

That's all there is to it. Keeping your thank-you letters simple, creative, and professional will help you stand out from the rest of the pack. A follow-up letter reminds your potential employer that you are serious about the position and can set you apart if few or no other applicants take five minutes to make this lasting impression.