Tips for Sending a Thank Your Card After a Job Interview

You may consider a successful interview as the final step in getting the job of your dreams. However, you are forgetting about the other people who also were interviewed. When many individuals, with similar qualifications, apply for the position, you need to sell yourself by writing an effective job interview thank you letter. There are several advantages to this. First, it will give you a chance to include something you might have forgotten during the interview. The letter will let the employer know that you want the position. Finally, the letter will give you the upper hand over individuals who do not send a thank-you letter.

Even if you decide not to take the job offer, it is common courtesy to send the interviewer a thank-you note. He did take the time to discuss the position with you. Therefore, you should take the time to send a letter. The main benefit is that the interviewer will remember this, especially if you decide in the future to apply for a position in the company.

While it may be easier to send a thank you letter through email, I suggest typing it up and mailing it. With more and more people sending emails each day, your thank you letter may accidentally get lost in the system. It may even be deleted before it has been read by the right person.

Your letter must have a professional style to it. It must be typed, single spaced-with an extra line between sections. Using the block format include:

Your name and address

Date

Inside Address-this is the name of the interviewer, his title, the name of the company and the address

Body

Complimentary Close-Sincerely, for example

Signed signature

Your name

To see an example of the block format, go to: http://www.savvy.business-correspondence.com/BlockBizLetter.html.

The body of the letter should be brief, about 3-4 paragraphs. In the first paragraph thank the interviewer for taking the time to talk about the position. Stress how your qualifications will meet the needs of the company.

In the second paragraph, discuss items you may have forgotten during the interview. Stress how you are are looking forward to working for the company.

In the third paragraph, write about other skills that you would bring to the company. For example, you may have a strong work ethic. Mention this, especially if the company is looking for individuals who are hard workers.

In the last paragraph, thank the interviewer once again. State that you are looking forward to hearing from him.

There are two things you must do when writing the job interview thank you letter. The first thing is to type this up and mail it out within 2-3 days after the interview. Do not wait a week before doing this. If you do, the decision may already be made; another person can be offered the job. The second thing is to proof-read your letter. Make sure there are no spelling and grammatical errors. The interviewer is looking for somebody who is professional to fill the position. That is why this letter must have a professional look to it.

These are some examples of polite phrases you can use in your job interview thank you letter:

"Thank you for taking the time to interview me for the position."

"At this time, I have decided to turn down the position."

"I have accepted a position from another company."

"Your company offers an excellent opportunity, however."

"I am confident that my qualifications and background fit the needs of the company."

"I am very excited about this position."

"I meant to mention during the interview that..."

"In addition to my qualifications, I am bringing strong work ethics to the company."

"I have many skills I want to share with the other employers."

"I can create an excellent working relationship with the company."

"I am very dependable and can carry out the duties and responsibilities of the position."

"I will be an assert to your company."

"I look forward to hearing from you."

"I am available for any questions you may have."

References:

http://www.quintcareers.com/sample_thank-you_letters.html

http://www.savvy.business-correspondence.com/BlockBizLetter.html