Follow-up and thank you letters

According to statistical information and data available, reports confirm that less than 10% of interviewees send formal follow-up and thank you. While the statistics are disappointingly low, this can work in your favor if you make it a habit to diligently post or email formal thank you letters after an interview. The main reason for doing the same is to draw the attention of the employer that you are interested in the organization and value their time.

Formal thank you letters generally stand out among the general masses that attend interviews and leave without any appreciation for the organization or employers. After reading the thank you letter or follow up letter the employer might be inclined to go through the resume or recollect the interview and consider one’s candidature more seriously.

Below are a few tips on writing formal thank you and follow-up letters to employers:

Writing a formal “thank you” letter

Thank you letters should be sent within 24 hours of attending the job interview. This will ensure the employer will remember and associate the letter with the interview and will certainly appreciate the effort.

Employer Details: Addressing the letter to the relevant person and typing all information pertaining to name, designation, and location should not have any mistakes. An error-free thank you letter will indicate one’s attention to detail among other things.

Express Enthusiasm: Express your interest and genuine thanks to the employer by indicating you value the organization and the time they spent talking to you. Use this opportunity to mention you look forward to associating with their team and learning and contributing to their organization.

Address Unresolved Issues: A brief line or two seeking clarification regarding any doubts you might have after the interview can be included in the thank you letter. Since the thank you letter is perhaps the last chance to indicate or confirm terms, this request must be drafted carefully and must leave a positive impact.

Personalize not Dramatize: While it is important to personalize the letter a little in an effort to not make it sound too vague and common, one must certainly not go overboard and dramatize the letter. Clearly express your appreciation and interest in the culture of the organization and indicate how informative and interesting it was talking with the employer.

Conclusion: This should be very brief and mention that you look forward to hearing from the employer and are available on the phone or email for any clarifications or if they require you to attend another round of discussion or interview.

Similarly follow-up letters must include all the above points and clearly indicate that you are following up regarding the particular position you were interviewed. In a formal follow-up letter you can directly mention the date when you attended the interview. Employers normally respond with the result of interview or that they are in the process of reviewing the results.

Since email is the most commonly used medium of communication both thank you and follow up letters can be sent via email, if you know the recipient reads their email regularly. This is better compared to snail mail and it is even more important to send the letter in time to employers after attending interviews!

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Candace Davies ACCC, CRW, CIC, CPRW, CEIP, CECC
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