Thank you letters

What is a thank you letter?

Commonly relating to a formal letter or note sent after a job interview. Its purpose is to reinforce your thanks and keen interests in a job opening.

There are also other instances were you may wish to send a thank you letter:

  • If you receive a job offer
  • After a telephone interview
  • When turning down an offer
  • When your job application was unsuccessful.

Why is a thank you letter so important?

A thank you letter can be the last opportunity for you to sell yourself to the interviewer.

Thank you letters allow you to demonstrate your continued keen interests including a sign of thanks and courtesy.

Many job seekers over look the importance of sending in such a letter. If you are applying for a job which has many candidates and thank you letter will allow you to set yourself apart from the rest.

Research shows that many interviewers will be flattered that you have taken the time to send in a thank you letter. When written correctly it will most certainly increase your chances of getting the job.

If required a thank you letter can also allow you to include briefly; any information you may have forgotten to mention in the interview.

Thank you letter example

When writing a thank you letter its ok to be brief.

Consider .5 line spacing for the main body text.

Your Full Name,
Street Number and Name,
Suburb, State, postcode
Your phone numbers
email address

dd/mm/yyyy

Mr/Ms Full name,
Title,
Company name,
Street number and name,
Suburb, state, postcode

Dear (Full name of interviewer / job contact),

I'm writing to express my thanks for being able to meet with your in person to further discuss the job opening of 'online content manager'.

The interview has further strengthened my enthusiasm in this position and interest to work for WebGroup. My education and experience provides me with great confidence in exceeding the job requirements.

Yours sincerely

(Your signature)

(Your name printed)

When is the best time to post thank you letter?

The best time to send is within 48 hours after the job interview. This is where your letter will have the most impact. Consider pre writing your thank you letter before the interview and mailing it the same day.

Can I email a thank you letter?

This will depend on what you feel most comfortable with. Using email can be a great way to surpass the formalities of posting your thank you letter. When emailing your thanks be sure to type in the main body of the email as apposed to attaching a separate file.

Thank you letter do's and don'ts

Do's

Don'ts
  • Do personalize every thank you letter
  • Do ask someone to proofread your thank you letter
  • Do use a sans serif font in size 10-12
  • Do send the thank you letter within 48 hours. Any thing past this will minimize you letters effectiveness
  • Do use simple language and avoid complicated sentences
  • Do sign the letter personally. Consider blue ink
  • Don't over use personal pronouns eg. I, my, and me
  • Don't go beyond one page
  • Don't misspell any person(s) names in the thank you letter
  • Don't ramble



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