How to Write a Thank You Letter for Job Contacts
Know when you should write a thank you letter., Consider the topics should you discuss in your thank you letter., Write your thank you letter., Keep your letter short., Keep in mind that your letter can be electronic., Proofread your letter.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Know when you should write a thank you letter.
If you have had an interview with a company, you should send a thank you letter, regardless of whether the interview was in-person or on the phone.
You should also send a thank you letter if you meet with a representative of the company to find out more about the company and the position you would take.
You should also write thank you letters to people who give you referrals, or people who send your resumes to other companies on your behalf.
Write thank you letters to people who have given your valuable advice or given you guidance in some way. -
Step 2: Consider the topics should you discuss in your thank you letter.
Your letter should discuss other topics besides thanking the person for their time.
If you are writing to a person who just interviewed you, your letter should also discuss how interested you are in the company and the position you applied for.
You can also write down anything you may have forgotten to mention in your interview that you think may be crucial to your chances of getting hired.
The letter also serves as a way to remind your potential employer about your application and your skills.
When you send a thank you letter, it also showcases your professionalism. , When writing your thank you letter, there are several things you should keep in mind.
The first is that your letter should be succinct and to the point.
Be precise in your writing and make sure that you do not have run-on sentences; instead, they should address your reason for writing the letter (as discussed in the previous step) efficiently and professionally.
Other things to keep in mind when writing your letter include:
Keeping your tone gracious.
First and foremost, your reason for writing the letter is to thank your potential employer for his or her time.
Show your gratitude by keeping your tone gracious.
However, you should not be overly gracious; keep your tone honest and do not try to exaggerate your emotions.
Mentioning specific parts of the interview that really interested you.
Think of the letter as a way to showcase your enthusiasm and interest in what you discussed and the company as a whole.
Adding an extra fact about yourself that you feel may tip the scales in your favor and get you hired.
Clearing up confusions.
If there were any misunderstandings about your skills or qualifications, clear them up in the letter or reiterate what you said in the interview.
Touching upon grey areas.
If you felt like there was an issue that was not addressed well, clear it up in the letter. , While you should try to include all of the topics that pertain to you listed in the previous step, you should still try to keep your letter short.
Once you have written out your letter, try to condense down sentences to make your letter shorter.
Longer letters are less likely to be read.
Keep your letter to a page at the very most. , In general, you should send your thank you letter through the same means of communication that you have previously used to talk to your potential employer.
In this day and age, it is very likely that you have communicated with your employer via email.
If this is the case, feel free to send your thank you letter from your email.
The goal is to get the letter to the potential employer as quickly as possible after you have had your interview.
You could also write the thank you letter by hand and put it in the post or deliver it by person.
If you do choose to write your letter by hand, make sure that your handwriting is legible and that you use professional-looking stationery. , After you have finished writing your letter, set it aside for an hour or so.
Once the time has passed, return to the letter and look for any grammar errors, or any sentences that sound awkward.
You can also try reading the letter out loud, as this may help you to find sentences that sound awkward.
If possible, have someone else look at your letter.
They may be able to help you spot the errors that you missed. -
Step 3: Write your thank you letter.
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Step 4: Keep your letter short.
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Step 5: Keep in mind that your letter can be electronic.
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Step 6: Proofread your letter.
Detailed Guide
If you have had an interview with a company, you should send a thank you letter, regardless of whether the interview was in-person or on the phone.
You should also send a thank you letter if you meet with a representative of the company to find out more about the company and the position you would take.
You should also write thank you letters to people who give you referrals, or people who send your resumes to other companies on your behalf.
Write thank you letters to people who have given your valuable advice or given you guidance in some way.
Your letter should discuss other topics besides thanking the person for their time.
If you are writing to a person who just interviewed you, your letter should also discuss how interested you are in the company and the position you applied for.
You can also write down anything you may have forgotten to mention in your interview that you think may be crucial to your chances of getting hired.
The letter also serves as a way to remind your potential employer about your application and your skills.
When you send a thank you letter, it also showcases your professionalism. , When writing your thank you letter, there are several things you should keep in mind.
The first is that your letter should be succinct and to the point.
Be precise in your writing and make sure that you do not have run-on sentences; instead, they should address your reason for writing the letter (as discussed in the previous step) efficiently and professionally.
Other things to keep in mind when writing your letter include:
Keeping your tone gracious.
First and foremost, your reason for writing the letter is to thank your potential employer for his or her time.
Show your gratitude by keeping your tone gracious.
However, you should not be overly gracious; keep your tone honest and do not try to exaggerate your emotions.
Mentioning specific parts of the interview that really interested you.
Think of the letter as a way to showcase your enthusiasm and interest in what you discussed and the company as a whole.
Adding an extra fact about yourself that you feel may tip the scales in your favor and get you hired.
Clearing up confusions.
If there were any misunderstandings about your skills or qualifications, clear them up in the letter or reiterate what you said in the interview.
Touching upon grey areas.
If you felt like there was an issue that was not addressed well, clear it up in the letter. , While you should try to include all of the topics that pertain to you listed in the previous step, you should still try to keep your letter short.
Once you have written out your letter, try to condense down sentences to make your letter shorter.
Longer letters are less likely to be read.
Keep your letter to a page at the very most. , In general, you should send your thank you letter through the same means of communication that you have previously used to talk to your potential employer.
In this day and age, it is very likely that you have communicated with your employer via email.
If this is the case, feel free to send your thank you letter from your email.
The goal is to get the letter to the potential employer as quickly as possible after you have had your interview.
You could also write the thank you letter by hand and put it in the post or deliver it by person.
If you do choose to write your letter by hand, make sure that your handwriting is legible and that you use professional-looking stationery. , After you have finished writing your letter, set it aside for an hour or so.
Once the time has passed, return to the letter and look for any grammar errors, or any sentences that sound awkward.
You can also try reading the letter out loud, as this may help you to find sentences that sound awkward.
If possible, have someone else look at your letter.
They may be able to help you spot the errors that you missed.
About the Author
Michael Adams
Committed to making crafts accessible and understandable for everyone.
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