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Should I Send An Interview Thank You Letter?

There are several reasons why most interviewees don't bother to send an interview thank you letter.

- Some worry it looks like they are trying to score points, and

- others think the position has already been filled,

both of which are probably not right.

Then there are those for whom writing a thank you interview letter does not even enter their minds.

It never occurs to them that sending such a letter can be very powerful indeed.

The Benefits of Sending An Interview Thank You Letter

Here are some of the reasons why writing an interview thank you letter is a good idea:

Not many applicants do it so your letter is sure to be noticed which will make you stand out from your competition. It is worth spending twenty minutes doing this, even if you felt your interview did not go particularly well.
On the other hand, if your interview was a good one, your interview thank you letter will simply add more weight to your application.
The majority of interviewers do not make an immediate decision as soon as the job interview is over. They like to sleep on it for a day or two, by which time your thank you letter will have been received.

A good thank you letter gives you the opportunity to show your appreciation to the interviewer for taking the time to see you. It lets them know you would really like to work for them and in your own words, it summarizes why you consider yourself to be the right person for the job.

If you were the best candidate applying for the vacancy your interview thank you letter is likely to clinch the deal in your favor. It will simply reiterate that they were right to be offering you the job in the first place.

If, however, following your interview, you were second or third in line for the job, your profile will be considerably raised in comparison to the competition when the interviewer receives your thank you letter. After all, the person carrying out the interview is human and is likely to respond warmly to your note of thanks.

An example of this occurred recently when one of us was accompanying a candidate from the premises after a job interview. In the course of the conversation, Andy mentioned that his cat was sick. Two days after the interview, Andy received the candidate's interview thank you letter, which covered the subjects he would have expected it to, along with a personal message to Andy, hoping that his cat had made a good recovery. Naturally this had a powerful psychological effect on Andy and coincidentally, the candidate won the job.

Do You Have An Example Interview Thank You Letter?

Here is an example of how an interview thank you letter should read:

Dear Mrs Smith

It was great to meet you and your colleague Mr James yesterday and I would like to thank you for taking the time to discuss the Sales Manager position and tell me a little more about XYZ Products Inc.

Following our discussions and after observing the operations of your Company more closely, I am confident that my skills, experience, and knowledge more than adequately meet with your requirements. My visit to your Company and hearing about your own personal experiences whilst working for XYZ Products Inc. was really interesting and I appreciate the time you set aside for me.

It comes as no surprise that your Company has a low turnover of staff and enjoys widespread acknowledgement for both its successes and its attitude to investing in people. I would love to work with you both and feel I could learn a great deal from you.

As well as my experience and skills, I would also bring sound decision making and first-rate work ethics to this position.

As you have so many demands on your time, I understand that you need people who you can put your trust in to carry out the responsibilities of the job to a high standard with the minimum of supervision being necessary.

Once again, thank you for your consideration and I look forward to hearing from you when a decision has been made.

Yours sincerely