Hiring Process Tips: The Secrets of a Thank You Letter

  

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By: Stephanie Parra

The secret isn’t really that big of secret, except many interviewees over look its importance. The secret is to always write a thank you letter no matter what level position you are applying for, regardless of how you think the interview went! You may be thinking that this is common knowledge; however, you would be surprised to find out the amount of people applying for positions that do not write thank you letters. The simple act of sending thank you note can go a long way in the mind of a potential employer and can accomplish several tasks.

A Thank You Letter? Why?

In today’s competitive job market, you should be proactive and take every chance to expose yourself to a potential employer. A thank you note allows you to follow up with the people you interviewed with, express more interest in the job, and show that you are professional and courteous. While doing this you are helping the interviewers remember who you are and making a second impression on the employer. As I stated before, you would be surprised at the amount of candidates that do not send letters. At Infusive Solutions, we inform 3 out 5 candidates to send out a thank you letter. Sending a letter will differentiate you from the competition and give you an advantage in the hiring process. Although a note will not guarantee you a job, most interviewers notice when you do not send a thank you letter and will therefore think you are unprofessional or no longer interested in the job. According to a new survey from CareerBuilder.com, more than one-in-five hiring managers say they are less likely to hire candidates who don't send a thank-you note after an interview.

The Thank You Letter

Now that you recognize the significance of a thank you letter, it is important to understand how to write one. The goal of a thank you letter is to make you sound professional, increase exposure for yourself and reinforce your qualifications to the potential employer. The key to a successful thank you letter is to act fast and make it short. Within a day after you've interviewed for a job, spend a few minutes writing a letter to all the people who interviewed you. The letter should be no longer than a few paragraphs and only contain relevant information. While there are many options on how to write a thank you note, a simple template is outlined below.

First Paragraph:

• Thank the interviewers for meeting with you and their time. 

Second Paragraph:

• Briefly reiterate how your skills are valuable to the hiring manager 

• Address important qualifications that did not come up in the interview

• Mention an interesting topic or rewarding moment from your interview.

Last Paragraph:

• Thank the interviewer again

• Tell them to reach out if they have any additional questions

Signature

• Sign the letter with a simple “Regards” or “Thank you for your time.”

To see a sample thank letter, please visit our Job Seeker Resources section. Overall, a simple thank you letter will go a long way in the interview process and help you get the Tech Job of your dreams!