Please contact your Career Center for more information and advice on writing thank you letters.
Why Write A Thank You Email
You have put together the resume and gone through the interview – congratulations! Don’t stop now – there is at least one more step before you are through. The thank you letter cannot be neglected in today’s competitive market. You need an edge over the other candidates and you can increase your chance of being hired by sending a letter or emailing employers by marketing yourself to them one more time. The bottom line is that less than 10% of interviewees ever follow-up interviews with thank you letters.Go Beyond Saying “Thank You”
You should plan to send a thank you letter as soon after the interview as possible. To be most effective, it should arrive prior to the final hiring decision. A thank you letter should say much more than “thank you”.Here are some of important points you may want to include:
- Customize. Send a customized message noting a key point from the interview, something you enjoyed learning – you want the recruiter to remember you and this email is written specifically for them.
- Unresolved Points. Do you feel you did not answer a question well? Now is your last chance to say something you wish you would have said.
- Multiple Recruiters. If you interviewed with multiple recruiters, email them individually with a customized message. Do not simply copy and paste the same email to each person.
- Professionalism. You may want to consider adding a link to your electronic portfolio, lesson plan or professional and complete LinkedIn profile.
Final Considerations
- Write a clear subject line. “Thank You – Western NY TRD Interview” or “TRD Job Title Interview, First and Last Name – Thank You.”
- Keep it brief and focused. Send within 24 hours.
- Be genuine and personal, yet professional. Do not paste content from a template.
Sample Thank You Letter (sent via email)
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Hello Dr./Mr./Ms./Mrs. (Last Name): Start off by thanking the representative for meeting with you at the Western NY Teacher Recruitment Day event. Reiterate your interest and enthusiasm in working in their district or organization. Perhaps focus in on one aspect of the conversation you had with them that would “jog” their memory about who you are (i.e., you may have discussed team teaching or technology based educational techniques, etc.). Discuss a bit more about their district and how impressed you are by what they are doing. You can even bring up unrelated information that may have come up (i.e., your common interest in traveling throughout Europe). Let them know you look forward to the next step in the recruiting process. Strongly consider setting up a “next step” with them. For example, you could inform them that you will call them within two weeks to follow up on your candidacy, etc. Thank them one last time for the consideration of your credentials and let them know you are looking forward to speaking with them soon (if appropriate). Sincerely, [other closings could be: Best, or Regards, etc.] Your Name Address and Phone Number (include if sending a thank you via email) |