Tip No. 170
Q. I've just had a successful interview and I know the company is interviewing several other candidates for one open position. Is writing a thank you letter the appropriate thing to do next? Where should I begin?
A. Yes, a thank you letter is the best way to keep the connection with a potential employer alive and demonstrates that you were paying attention during the interview. In fact, a well written, timely thank you note also illustrates both your appreciativeness (of the time they spent with you) and highlights your organizational skills. Before beginning, try to answer the following questions so you will have a bit of material to use when composing your letter: • What are the names and titles of those you met with? (be sure spelling is correct) • What will you be doing in this job? • Why can you do the job? • What was the agreed upon next-step? • Can you remember what was said during the last 5 minutes of your interview? Once you've gone over the answers to these questions, type or handwrite a letter on the same type of stationary that your resume is on, referring back to these points. If at all possible include something specific that was said during the interview so that you can genuinely give a compliment about the interviewer or the company in your letter. Finally, refer back to your agreed upon "next-step."
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