No Thank You? It Could Mean No Job

You have put together the resume, the cover letter and gone through the interview — congratulations! Don’t stop now — there is at least one more step before you are through.

The “Thank you” letter cannot be neglected in today’s competitive market. You need an edge over the other candidates and you can increase your chance of being hired by writing them — by marketing yourself one more time.

The bottom line is that less than ten percent of interviewees ever follow-up interviews with thank you letters. If you do, you rise that much higher to the top of the candidate pool.

Writing a thank-you letter after an interview doesn’t just showcase a candidate’s manners — it can also make or break their chances of landing a job. Nearly 15 percent of hiring managers say they would not hire someone who failed to send a thank-you letter after the interview.

Although most hiring managers expect to receive a thank-you note, format preferences differ. One-in-four hiring managers prefer to receive a thank-you note in e-mail form only; 19 percent want the e-mail followed up with a hard copy; 21 percent want a typed hard copy only and 23 percent prefer just a handwritten note.

No matter which format you choose, it’s crucial to act quickly when sending a thank-you letter to your interviewer.

Twenty-six percent of hiring managers expect to have the letter in-hand two days after the interview and 36 percent expect to have it within three to five days. Sending the letter quickly reinforces your enthusiasm for the job, and helps keep you top-of-mind for the interviewer.

Always follow up your interviews by sending interview thank you letters. The most important thing of your thank you letters is to quickly get them in the hands of interviewers.

At the very latest, do this within 24 hours after the interview. It’s a courteous thing to do and set you apart from those candidates who usually do not do this.

It also sends out a message that you’re interested in the position, responsible, efficient and productive.

Here are some tips to make the most of your thank-you letter:

Stick to three paragraphs.
In the first paragraph, thank the interviewer for the opportunity. Use the second to sell yourself by reminding the hiring manager of your qualifications.

In the third paragraph, reiterate your interest in the position.

Fill in the blanks.

Thank-you notes are a great way to add in key information you forgot in the interview, clarify any points or try to ease any reservations the interviewer might have expressed.

Proofread carefully.

Double-check to be sure your note is free from typos and grammatical errors. Don’t rely solely on your spell-checker.

Be specific.

Don’t send out a generic correspondence. Instead, tailor your note to the specific job and the relationship you have established with the hiring manager.

Vicky Boodram is a Marketing Consultant & Lecturer.
vickyboodram@hotmail.com