Part 7: Saying “thank you” never goes out of fashion
The interview is concluded, you’ve gone home, and now all you can do it wait, right? Well, not exactly…
There is this old-fashioned piece of etiquette called a “thank you letter” that most of us have forgotten about, but it’s a good thing to remember immediately after an interview. Sending a thank you letter gives you several advantages over those interviewees who don’t.
Why bother?
First of all, it is polite to acknowledge and thank your interviewer for the time s/he invested in you. Aside from being a polite thing to do, it gives the subliminal message that you are a person who values courtesy and social order…something most companies prefer over people who think being polite and respectful to others is a waste of time. Secondly, it gives you a chance to touch base again with your interviewer, bringing you and your interview back to mind.
A further advantage is that the letter allows you to reiterate things you think important, and to say those things that occurred to you on the drive home that you think you should have said in the interview. Finally, it gives you the opportunity to reiterate your interest in the position and make your availability for further interviews known.
A thank you letter cannot hurt you and it help you by bringing you back to the front of the interviewer’s mind.
What do you say?
You are going to use the same letterhead format that you used for your cover letter, and lay it out the same way. You are going to address it, however, to your interviewer, and for the salutation you will use the polite form of Ms./Mr. and the interviewer’s surname. If you had more than one interviewer, then address it to the person in the department that is hiring and send a copy to the HR person or the person who coordinated the interviews for you. You did remember to get business cards from everyone, right?
The thank you letter should consist of no more than four paragraphs:
1) Thank the person. Thank you for the time you took to speak with me on Tuesday, April 1 about the Engineering Manager position you have open.
2) Say something related to the interview. The positions, as you described them, look like a good fit: the work seems interesting and the many opportunities for growth are appealing. I am particularly interested in the FineWare project, but XYZ seems like such a great place to work and grow, I’m sure I’d be happy in any of the three positions you outlined.
3) Say something about your qualifications: I was pleased to note that my background as Sr. Engineer on OldWare for ABC Corp. was so relevant to your FineWare project. That experience combined with my two years as Project Manager for Bigge Corp would seem to be an ideal mix of background and skills for your needs
4) Reiterate your interest: Again, thank you for your time on Tuesday. I am very interested in joining XYZ Corporation, and I believe I could make an excellent contribution to the company and its forward progress. I am available for additional interviews at your convenience, and I look forward to hearing from you.
Close the letter with “Sincerely,” space down four lines and type in your name (no initials unless you go by your initials), sign the letter and pop it into the mail.
Note: it is important that you actually snail mail this letter, even if you have been corresponding by email. There is no guarantee that an emailed letter of this sort will be printed and added to your file, and it is important that other people who come across your file…like potential hiring managers…see it. Yes, you can email your thanks, but follow up with the snail mail.
Now what?
Well, now you wait.
If the company doesn’t want to hire you and is on the ball, courtesy-wise, you’ll get a postcard or email thanking you for your time and telling you they are “keeping your résumé on file.” Don’t hold your breath…they probably will keep it on file, but that in no way indicates that they will ever look at it again. This is just a polite way of telling you that they are not interested in your services.
If you don’t hear from them after two weeks, it is time to write them off. It is unlikely you will hear from them further, although if you are their second choice and their first choice turns their offer down, they may call you back. It is, however, very unlikely.
They may call you back for further interviews. Approach these in the same way you approached the first, but try to focus the conversation more closely on the requirements of the job and your qualifications for it.
They may call you back to make an offer…YAY! The next instalment of this series will help you with that.
Next: You got the offer!! … Now what?
You can find more of Violet at http://sweetvioletsa.blogspot.com/ and http://svcooks.blogspot.com/
by: Sweet Violet
Tags: after the interview, CV, grooming, job hunting, job interview, resume, thank you letter, unemployed
