Thank you letter after an interview: why and when to write, main requirements

Thank-you letter writing is a tradition of many western countries. It help to emphasize the candidate’s interest in a vacancy and also demonstrates the gratitude for the time devoted to him. Of course, correct behaviour at the interview is recipe for success. However, if during an interview a candidate have not manage to stand out, thank-you letter will help to fix small mistakes and secure a good impression about a job seeker. How to write a thank-you letter and what for you need it our certified professional resume writers are going to share with you in this post on thank-you letter writing.

Tip #1. Set feedback

Most people who occupy management positions like to get feedback. Recruiters like it even more. So why job seekers, who pass an interview, not take this opportunity and influence the employer’s decision one more time? Sending a thank-you letter after an interview you will not only show your interest in a future workplace, but also characterize yourself as a responsible and valuable employee.

Tip #2. Get contacts

It is quite logical that you can not send a letter if you do not know email address. It is usually easy to get contact data of people who interview you. Any recruiter or a company employee very often has a personal or corporate visiting card, which he willingly shares. It is recommended to get the visiting cards of everyone who interviewed you. If they are not available due to some reasons (since you are not a company employee, you may get refusal because of inner information mentioned on a visiting card), it is necessary just to add to the bookmark email boxes addresses.

Tip #3. Sending terms

It is very important that company employees should get the letter before they make decision about your hiring. In any case a thank-you letter needs to be sent within twenty-four hours from the time of interview. Otherwise, it is better not to send it at all, because a letter sent three days after the interview will not only bring you no benefit, but also pull you down in the job seekers’ rating.

Tip #4. Follow the plan

So, you are in front of the computer screen and ready to write a thank-you letter. The absence of any official norms of this kind of correspondence tempts to use creativity. However, we want to warn you against this step. Our resume service recommends to write the letter using the following generally accepted plan:

1. Once again express the interest to the activity of a company and emphasize that a position, which you are applying to, is very important for you.

2. Refer to what you have been discussing at the time of the conversation. It will show that you usefully spent time even at the interview.

3. Very briefly and concisely list your skills and strengths making emphasis on how the skills will help the company.

4. Thank an interviewer for the time devoted to you during the interview, as well as for the time spend on reading the letter.

A very important condition: do not try to force a person, who reads your letter, to change his mind or to persuade him to make a choice in your favor. It will be easily noticed in suchlike correspondence and will do you no good.

Tip #5. Literacy and style

A letter that you send to a personal or corporate mail of workers has some magical effect: having just “dropped” into email box it begins to form an idea about you. Consequently, it is necessary to treat this step very seriously and with much attention. If you send a thank-you letter, then you should think how each of the receivers will treat its content.

There are more chances to harm yourself than to help in a thank you letter. However, if you do everything correctly, namely if you follow our tips given in this thank-you letter sending post, you are doomed to success. The most important requirement is to keep to official style, write concisely and correctly. It is necessary to realize that people who read thank-you letters do not have tons of free time. So do a pleasant favor to both, you and them, and write the letter briefly. And one more time: check the letter for grammatical errors. Have you done it? Check it once again!

Necessary actions after an interview

At the end of an interview candidates are usually asked if they have any questions. Use this opportunity and wonder in what time frame the company plans to make a decision on hiring. Ask your interlocutor for permission to re-appointment in a couple of days. Remember, if you say that you plan to re-contact the person, it is obligatory to do it. Also remember that your appearance is also important, so read post on what to wear to an interview on our resume website to be perfectly ready.

Re-contact increases the employment chances. Many companies judge the candidate’s interest in a position according to the steps he or she makes after the interview. Remember, that any interaction with an employer is a kind of interview, whether it is formal or not.

Before leaving, it is necessary to get contacts of all the participants of the interview. Check whether you have written down their names and positions correctly. For this purpose the easiest way is to ask their visiting cards. You can ask for this information from the secretary. Even if the secretary does not take part in the interview, try to make positive impression on him.

Re-contact format depends on your circumstances. It may be on phone, in the form of a letter, or by means of personal visit. Regardless of the method it is necessarily to show your interest for the position again; mention what you have discussed during the interview; mention once again your strengths and how they may help the organization; dispel doubts; than the interviewer for his time; do not exert pressure on the interviewer trying to make him hire you for a work.

Acknowledgements letter

One of the ways of contacting a company is to send a thank-you letter. Such a letter will not only emphasize your interest in a position, but also will prove your gratitude for the attention he paid to you.

Thank-you letter sending after an interview is an integral part of business etiquette. Some employers expect for this letter. Surprisingly, but only a small amount of job seekers send thank-you letters. Probably, due to this reason many employers hire candidates, who send thank-you letters.

Even if you are not absolutely sure that you are interested in the position, sending a thank-you letter is a must. If candidate creates a good impression on the interview participants, he or she also creates possibilities for future contacts and employment.

Writing a thank-you letter use the contacts that you have got during the interview. Send separate thank-you letter to each interview participant. Make sure that the company will get your letter before it makes decision about the employment. If you know that employer will make decision before he gets your letter, then send it by email. If you have several days, then send it by regular post. Anyway, you have 24 hours after the interview to send the thank-you letter. If you decide to send a handwritten message, make sure that your handwriting is legible. If you send a printed letter, do not forget to sign it. And of course, check the spelling and grammar.

Re-contact with the recommendations

If you have recommendations, do not be afraid to use it. If potential employer has already got the recommendations list, then your task is to contact the recommenders and let them know that you have passed an interview and they may be called from the company. Make sure that they are ready to prove your skills and experience. Do not forget to thank them for their help.

Persistence and patience

Employer may need more time than he plans to make decision on employment. Be patient and mildly persistent, but avoid excess contact with the company and employer. Re-contact the employer during two weeks from the moment of your last contact to find out a vacant position status. Continue to build mutual understanding and emphasize each time your strengths. Contact the employer again if he asks you to do it.

Continue job search

Even if you think that position, which you are applying to, is perfect for you, continue job search. Be constantly engaged in activities connected with work search. Set inspiring, worthy and righteous goals that will enliven your imagination and fill the heart with joy. If a person moves confidently towards his dream and try to live according to how he imagines his life, in the most ordinary day he will suddenly achieve great success.