THE INTERVIEW IS OVER: Now What?
by Willette Coleman ©2014
You’re
excited! The job interview went well. You arrived fashionably early (5 minutes),
responded impressively to all questions; asked thoughtful questions in
return. It’s over.
Not
quite. Within 48 hours, you must complete
an important task: Compose and email a
“Thank You” note to the hiring manager.
A
follow-up-thank-you note or letter is a valuable communication tool, so much so
“it could make all the difference in the outcome of a job interview,” said Nicole
Fallon at Business
News Daily. According to an online
job-matching service, TheLadders,
75 percent of interviewers said that receiving a thank you letter from a
candidate impacts their decision. The
Ladders’ research was based on surveys of 500 job candidates and hiring managers
from industries ranging from construction, education, engineering, finance,
human resources, and law, to marketing, medical/science, real estate, sales and
technology. “Following up to thank the
hiring manager for his or her time is not only polite, it also demonstrates a
sincere interest in both the position and the company,” Fallon said.
Max
Messmer at Accountemps
says this is an opportunity “to reiterate the case for why you are the best person
for the job." True, but you might
want to consider whether the hiring manager appeared to be someone who would
interpret “reiteration” as boarder line begging, which is why Business News Daily's Brittney
Helmrich suggests you “Tailor it to the company's culture.” Should you choose to “reiterate,” affirm your
knowledge, skills and abilities with information you haven’t already provided,
or expound on something that needs clarity.
For
maximum impact:
1.
Send
the note within 48 hours. Most career
advisers suggest 24 hours. I recommend
48 for extenuating circumstances, such as personal schedule, an emergency,
technology glitches, or no immediate Internet access (13% or 60 million people
still don’t have access according to Pew Internet).
2.
Be
direct and succinct; two paragraphs max.
3.
Check
and re-check for grammatical and spelling errors. You can guess what it would be like if, after
you ace the interview, the HR manager received a thank you email with typos
and/or poor grammar.
4.
If
interviewed by more than one individual, send a note to each person. Near the end of your interview, get business
cards so you’ll have correct email addresses, titles and names.
5.
If
you learned something personal about the interviewer (e.g., he or she draws/paints)
mention an upcoming related event they might find interesting. This demonstrates good listening skills/paying
attention, people skills, reflection and a willingness to share relevant
information.
Remember,
your objective is to stand out from the crowd by showing initiative,
thoughtfulness and gratitude.
Following
is a sample thank you letter you can modify to suit your need.
Dear
Mr./Ms. [Last Name]:
Thank
you for taking the time to interview me on [Date] for the [Job Title] position
with [Company]. It was a pleasure
meeting with you [include any additional names] and learning more about the
role and your company. I am confident
that my experiences and skills would be valuable assets to [Company’s] team.
If
you need any additional information, you may contact me at [Email Address] or
[Phone]. I look forward to hearing from
you.
Sincerely
[or Best regards],
[Your
Name]
See
more sample thank you letters on the following websites:
Monster
{NOTE: Monster’s sample letter is 5 paragraphs,
which is not recommended, but some of the language and context may help you
compose your note.}
*See
a short version of this post at www.perkconsulting.com/
