To answer the question, yes you should always say please and thank you, it is polite and simply good manners. We are taught to be courteous from a very young age and for most people this behavior is incorporated into their job search. With this logic it follows that you should always write a thank you letter after an interview, since this would be viewed as proper interview etiquette. However, a written thank you has to be perfect or it does more harm than good.
With job competition being so fierce, you want to do everything possible to stand out and set yourself apart from the remainder of the candidates. Sending a follow up or thank you letter after the interview has the potential to do just that. The caveat is that the thank you letter can make you a star but it can also be your demise.
I have asked many recruiters that I work with their preference on thank you letters. The general consensus is that although they have the potential to be a very powerful and positive addition to the interview, candidates must be very careful when writing them. A recruiter from a top financial firm said that she has experienced many instances when a candidate has had a fabulous interview and was being seriously considered until the thank you note arrived. She said that if the thank you letter contains grammatical errors, is poorly written, is too generic, or even if it has poor tone, the candidate is immediately disqualified. She then went on to explain that a person’s writing is an extension of the quality of work you can expect them to produce if hired. If a candidate submits poorly written materials during the application process, why would a recruiter expect that their work would improve if hired?
Now that you understand just how important it is to produce a thank you letter that is free from errors, there are some additional guidelines that should be followed to ensure that your thank you letter is well received and actually enhances your chances of landing the job.
- The letter should be written promptly within 3 business days of the interview
- Ensure that the letter is personalized, being addressed to the hiring authority with whom you interviewed
- Use the same heading for your thank you letter as you used for your resume and cover letter to maintain consistency in all of your written documents
- Keep the content brief yet specific to your interview
- Reiterate your interest in the position as well as the company
- Mention only the highlights from your interview
- Review why you are qualified for the job
- The letter can also serve as a place to mention any requirements or major job related accomplishments you may have forget to mention in the interview
- Provide any additional information that the employer may have requested during the interview
- Proofread, proofread, and proofread again to ensure that your letter is grammatically perfect and free from any errors
- The letter can be sent as a hard copy or emailed, it is really a matter of preference
- A hard copied letter sent through the mail tends to be viewed as more personal
- An emailed letter is better if time is of the essence
If you have any futher questions about the fine art of writing a Thank You Letter be sure to leave a comment and we will get back to you.
**Thank you for reading**
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