Job seekers of today have a tendency of minimizing or underestimating the importance of a thank-you letter. More than just professional courtesy, a well-written thank-you letter will ensure that your name stays fresh on the interviewer’s mind, that your resume is being reviewed, and it might even increase your overall chances of landing that dream job. However, there are a number of key components that should be present in order to maximize the effectiveness of your thank-you letter.
Heading
Just like your resume and cover letter, the thank-you letter should always include a heading that consists of your full name and contact information. Ideally, the heading of your cover letter will match that of your resume and cover letter.
Next, position the interviewer’s name, as well as their company name and contact information, just below the heading and before the body of the thank-you letter. This should be no different than any other professional letter, including the original cover letter that you sent along with your resume in the first place. Once your heading is complete, you can then move on to the body of the letter.
Body
Similar to your cover letter, the body of the thank-you letter should be rather brief and concise in nature. Remember, the interviewer or hiring manager in question already has access to your original resume and cover letter. Indeed, the thank-you letter is, as its name implies, simply an avenue for expressing your appreciation for the interviewer’s time and reiterating your interest in the position at hand.
You can also use the thank-=you letter to address any outstanding questions or issues that weren’t covered during the interview, to draw attention to your skills that are relevant to the job in question or even to schedule future communications. In that sense, there is actually a certain amount of flexibility and freedom of creativity when it comes to writing a thank-you letter.
With that said, two-to-three short, succinct paragraphs should be more than enough to get your point across. Between your resume, cover letter and the thank-you letter, your hiring manager or interviewer will have at least three separate documents associated with your name. It’s critical that you avoid bogging them down with too much content.
Closing
Finally, close out your thank-you letter just as you would with any other letter, including your cover letter. Leaving enough space at the bottom of the letter to sign your name is a great way to give the letter your personal touch while simultaneously conveying the fact that your thank-you letter is not a mass-produced document, but rather a letter that was written specifically for the interviewer and job in question. This kind of personalization can go a long way in making a strong and lasting impression on any hiring manager, recruiter or interviewer.
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