Job Search Means Always Saying Thank You – 5 Tips for Thank You Letters

“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

After sorting through countless resumes and interviewing candidates, it sometimes comes down to the Thank You letter as the deciding factor for some hiring managers.

Now you may be thinking why should I send a Thank You letter and how can this possibly decide the outcome of who gets the job, but Thank You letters really have little to do saying thank you (confused yet?).

A Thank You letter is your chance to let the people who interviewed you know that you heard what they had to say and to tell them why you are the perfect person for the job. This is when you take everything you heard during the interview process and transform it into a short note to align the job specifics to your background and convince the interviewing manager to hire you.

• Repeat what you heard: You should use part of your Thank You letter to repeat some of the specifics discussed during the interview. Maybe it is points on the “perfect candidate” or possibly items regarding the difficulty of the job. Repeating some of what you heard lets the hiring manager know you were listening to what was said. ==>> Guide to Thank You Letters

• Email or Snail Mail? – Years ago, before Internet email (yes, I am that old), snail mail was the only way to send a Thank You letter (and no one knew what snail mail was). There was a grey area of time when, even with Internet email, it was not considered professional to send a Thank You via email. I don’t really remember when all of that changed, but it is perfectly fine to send a Thank You via email. It saves time and you know it will be delivered to the recipient. You do need to consider format and email etiquette (covered below). ==>> Thank You Letters following an Interview

• Why I’m the Perfect Person for the Job – The core of your Thank You letter is your “sales pitch”. This is your opportunity to tell the hiring manager why you are best choice for the job (assuming of course you are). You need to reference specific achievements from your resume and career that match key job responsibilities and requirements. And, don’t forget to cover any topic where you think the interviewer had some concerns (this is your last chance). So how much do you write? Not a book, but you should include the key points that will help you snag the job.==>> The Eight Most Important Items to Include in Your Thank You Letter

• Formats for Thank You Letters – The format you should use for your Thank You letter depends on a few things. Email versus snail mail, what to include, length, etc. The formats are fairly standard and it is the content that is most important. Sometimes seeing better than explaining, so take a look at some of the Thank You letter formats and samples. ==>> Sample Thank You Letters

• Other Letters You Will Need – So, there are Thank You letters following a job interview, but there are other Thank You letter occasions as well. Such as, when someone introduces you to a potential job lead, referrals or when someone writes a reference letter for you. Then, of course, there may be times that you interview with a potential co-worker. Make sure that the letter matches the event. ==>> Great Job Interview, Have You Said Thank You?

Good luck in your search.

Author: CareerAlley

Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates searching for entry level jobs and other career opportunities.