Sending a thank you letter goes a long way! A thank you note, email message, or even a phone call after an interview, networking event, or other activities related to your job search, is a perfect way to convey professionalism.
A thank you message demonstrates not only your appreciation but also boosts your career. It can assist you with landing a job offer, as well as expanding your professional network by establishing a strong foundation for relationships with customers and other contacts.
1. What is a thank you letter?
2. Are thank you letters important?
3. Types of thank you letters
4. How to write a thank you letter?
5. Tips to write a thank you letter
Typically, a thank you letter is a brief document or email that is written to the hiring manager following an interview, usually within 24 hours, and is not more than a single page in length. However, thank you messages are not only limited to the hiring process but also should be sent to the people who helped you in a job or have helped you enhance your career in one way or another, to show appreciation and build strong relationships. Also, it is professional, courteous and thoughtful to send a letter expressing your gratitude, when and if you decide to resign from a position.
When writing this letter, regardless of the purpose or recipient, ensure it is well written, memorable and non-generic.
Given that the minority of job applicants consider sending a thank you note, it is a necessary closing act to the job hunt process and an easy way to stand out and beat your competition.
Consider thank you letters as a follow-up or “after sales” activity, an opportunity to reiterate why you want the job, why you are the ideal candidate for the position, the qualifications that you have and how you would contribute to the company if given a chance. Also, this letter provides the best opportunity for you to discuss other significant information that the hiring manager didn’t ask you about during the interview, or expand on answers that you did not answer as well as you should have.
Sending a thank you message, business/work related or not, not only demonstrates your appreciation but also reminds the recipient who you are, as well as establishes and fosters a healthy relationship.
However, understanding when to express your gratitude, whom to thank, when to use them, and the different kinds of professional thank you messages is just as important as sending a thank you note. Read on to find out the types of professional thank you notes and how they apply in each situation:
Thank you letters are essential to building strong professional relationships. These letters play an integral role in conveying professionalism, courtesy, and gratitude from different aspects. It’s fundamental to thank people you associate with professionally to build fruitful, long-lasting business partnerships. Consider the letters below as a guide for writing and addressing thank you notes.
1. Job Interview Thank You Letters
Sending a thank you message to a potential employer after an interview is an excellent way to emphasize your interest in the job. Remind the employer why you are the ideal candidate for the role, as well as address any concerns that might not have been tackled well during the interview.
2. Thank You Letters for Recommendations and References
Sending a thank you message to your references or people who write recommendation letters for you is an excellent way to show your appreciation for the help they gave you during your job search.
3. Professional/ Business related Appreciation Letters
Expressing your gratitude to everyone who has assisted you with your career, a business or job search is an excellent way to establish and maintain strong relationships. This can include clients, vendors, employers, colleagues, and your networking contacts.
4. Employee Thank You Letters
Sending appreciation notes to your employees is an excellent way to recognize their hard work, foster healthy relationships and boost morale in the working environment.
5. Networking Thank You Letters
Expressing your gratitude after professional meetings or getting help from a contact is an excellent way to maintain your professional network.
There are a variety of options to choose from when it comes to deciding the method in which you want to convey your appreciation message. Deciding on the best approach to use trickles down to the recruiter’s expectations, the hiring company’s culture, and the manner which you feel is the best given the situation. Consider using either of these methods when writing your letter:
General Thank You letter Template
Your name
Your address
City, state zip code
Email address
Phone number
Date
Name
Title
Company
Address
City, State Zipcode
Salutation [Dear MR./Ms./Dr. Last name],
Body/First paragraph
Appreciate the interviewer for taking his/her time to interview you. Mention the position you were being interviewed for as well as other people in the room if any, and express your gratitude towards them also.
Second paragraph
Highlight why you are the ideal candidate for the job. List the relevant skills, experiences, and qualifications and use specific examples whenever possible.
Third paragraph
Mention any trait, ability, qualifications that you weren’t able to discuss in detail during the interview. Use this section to expand on any information that would make you a strong candidate for the position.
Fourth paragraph
Express your gratitude for the interview again and thank the recruiter for considering you. State that you look forward to hearing from him/her.
Sincerely/ Best regards.
Your signature (hard copy)
a) Email
Sending a thank you note via email can be quite advantageous as opposed to using the old-fashioned, handwritten variety. For email thank you notes you can do more than just reiterate your qualifications, experiences, and skills; you can demonstrate your expertise by including a link to your online portfolio, LinkedIn account or other professional social networking profiles. Also, with emails, you can get instant feedback.
When writing an email appreciation letter consider the following tips:
Sample Email Thank You Letter
Subject line: Smith Jacob-Thank you for the interview yesterday afternoon for the financial advisor, November 30, 20xx
Dear Mr. Miller,
It was a pleasure to meeting you and the team yesterday. I enjoyed our discussion and appreciated the time you took to discuss with me about the financial advisor position at ABC company. I was particularly impressed to hear about the flexibility of the working hours and the growth and development opportunities available to your employees.
During our discussion, you asked how I would add value to the company and how I would assist clients to make the best financial decisions. I informed you that my four years of experience as a financial manager, together with my track record of client satisfaction which can be easily be proved by my returning clientele base make me the best candidate for the position. In addition to my knowledge, I am enthusiastic to work with the team at ABC company considering the reputation as being the number one financial service provider district-wide supersedes them. I will bring to the position my firm persuasion, interpersonal and communication skills together with my ability to inspire colleagues to work harder and cooperatively to achieve the company’s goal.
I highly appreciate the time you took to discuss the position further and look forward to your feedback regarding the post next week as discussed in our meeting. I am confident that I will be a valuable asset to the team and I’m excited at the idea of joining your company. Thank you again for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Smith Jacobs
SJ @domain.com
Some city NY 30020
555-564 7777
[LinkedIn URL]
[Website URL]
b) Letter
Sending a thank you letter to the hiring manager creates a good impression. Also, this is an opportunity to restate information that makes you the ideal candidate for the position.
Consider the following outline as you write your letter:
Sample Thank You Letter
Smith Jacobs
234 Main street
Some city NY 30020
555-564 7777
SJ@email.com
November 30, 20xx
Juniper Lee
HR manager
ABC company
123 Main street
Some city NY 12345
Dear Ms. Lee,
Thank you for taking the time to interview me for the Content writer position today in the morning. I was impressed with the general working environment at your company and the prospects of growth and development for employees.
The creative approach to ensuring that the ABC’s articles are effectively customized to address the target audience as well as generate the adequate traffic to the organization’s website that you described, confirmed my desire to be part of the organization even more.
I believe that I am the perfect, exceptional candidate for this role because I have worked in a similar position for over three years while studying for my bachelor’s degree in journalism and communication at the University of XYZ. As you recalled, we discussed several of my suggestions for search engine optimization that proved to be valuable in my former position and how it drove traffic to our website, which ultimately led the company to attain market dominance.
Thank you again for considering my application and taking the time to interview me. If you have any questions or need further clarification, feel free to contact me.
Sincerely,
Smith Jacob
Make it a habit to send thank you messages
Always send a thank you note whenever you receive help in your job search, after a job interview, an internship among other situations that you receive assistance in your career.
Do not postpone
Send a thank you message as soon as you can-the earlier the better. This is especially vital after job interviews; you want to convince the recruiter that you are the exceptional candidate for the role before a decision is made.
Be concise and straightforward
Keep the letter short-not more than one page. Include the relevant information and express gratitude.
Sell yourself
If it’s an appreciation letter after an interview, use the letter to restate why you are the best candidate. Provide information that you had failed to mention during the meeting and is relevant to the position.
Use the right format
When deciding the format to use, email, handwritten or typed letter, consider the company’s culture. However, stick to a formal business letter format. Restrict yourself to using 10-12-point font, a standard font such as Arial, Times New Roman, Verdana among others are advisable.
Edit and proofread
Thoroughly edit and proofread your letter-ensure the final copy is professional and refined. Pay attention to details, leave a blank line after the salutation, each paragraph and before the closing. Ensure that you rid your letter off any typos and grammatical errors.
Through the course of your career path and job searches, you are likely to get assistance. Mentors, bosses, college professors, coworkers, all provide you with the relevant strategies, advice, and support with projects and training to help you succeed in the job market. Others will inform you about a job opening or provide you with contacts of people in the field you are interested in. All these people deserve a thank you note expressing your appreciation for the help they provided you with to attain your goals or land your dream job. Therefore, make this a habit as you develop and grow in your career.
Do you send thank you letters after interviews? Leave us a comment below.
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