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Thank
You Notes
by ResumeEdge.com
The Net's Premier Resume Writing and Editing Service.
Companies
differ in their expectation of a thank you note after an
interview. In some offices, interviewers take offense at the
absence of a note and malign negligent interviewees. In other
offices, politeness is a superfluous rather than central part of
the culture. Rather than spending your time deciphering the
expectations of your interviewers, invest in making the thank
you note clinch your candidacy.
You
should consider the content of your thank you letter as
carefully as you considered the content of your cover
letter.
In
addition to showing appreciation for the time of the interviewer
and establishing another point of contact, your thank you letter
should include a reaffirmation of your particular value to the
company now that you have more information about the job. Use
the note to market yourself. By referencing specific concerns
and needs of the company as expressed by the interviewer, you
show the interviewer again that you paid close attention to what
she said. By citing particular ways in which you can address
those needs and concerns, you do the work of connecting the job
requirements with your job skills. Making connections between
yourself and the job not only fortifies your aptness for the
position, but it also tangibly demonstrates your interest in the
position. The greater care you take to customize the note, the
more personally it will affect the interviewer. For this reason,
it is also helpful to comment on something specific that you
appreciated about the interviewer or what she said. (Note: be
sure that your comments are appropriate and professional.)
If
there is something important that you forgot to mention during
the interview, you think there might have been a point of
miscommunication, or the interviewer indicated concern over some
aspect of your qualifications, you can address these in the
thank you note. When doing so, be certain that your tone is
positive, forthright, and confident.
Consider
a sample thank you note:
Dear
Mr. Thompson:
Thank you for taking the time to interview me yesterday. Your
dedication to ensuring that clients receive what they need
from Svens Consulting in the timeframe they need it is
admirable and makes me confident that I would fit into the
culture at Svens.
After speaking with you, I reflected on some of the skills and
qualities you indicated are most important in this position:
analytical acuity, project management, flexibility, and the
ability to establish strong relationships with clients. In my
experience as project manager overseeing the delivery of
complicated knowledge management systems to five major
clients, my success depended on these same skills. You had
mentioned that miscommunication between Sven's and your
clients periodically causes glitches in providing services.
Since I am adept at developing a strong rapport with clients,
understanding their objectives and expectations, and keeping
communication lines open, I would immediately add value to the
team at Svens.
In short, Pat, I am convinced that the Director position would
be a good career move for me and that I would contribute to
the success of Svens. I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Roger Wallace
Not
only does the thank you note communicate respect for the
employer and reaffirm your case as a candidate, but it also
provides you with an easy excuse for calling the employer again.
When you make sure that the note arrived, you can take the
opportunity to discuss certain aspects of the position, ask the
interviewer whether he or she has any additional questions for
you, and reaffirm your interest in the job.
Thank
you note reminders:
-
Send
the note within 24 hours of the interview if you send it via
the mail service and 48 hours of the interview if you send
it digitally.
-
Send
one note to each person who interviewed you. The
interviewers will likely compare your notes.
-
Make
the note personal, but professional.
-
Keep
the tone positive and confident.
-
Keep
the note brief; use your words economically.
-
Refer
to specific things that the interviewer said during the
interview.
-
Reaffirm
how you can add value to the company.
-
Be
certain that there are no grammatical or spelling errors in
the note.
-
Follow
up the thank you letter with a phone call a week later, if
you have not heard from the employer.
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