Job Interview Questions and Answers - Resume Writing Tips and Sample Resumes

When in an interview situation, you must be at your best and follow through with a proper protocol. This includes thanking the interviewer for her time and effort. Not sending a proper thank you can virtually eliminate your chances for the desired position.

Thank You Letter Timing

Thank you letters should be sent within twenty-four hours of the interview. The prompt thank you is courteous and shows you understand proper protocol. If you must wait or are delayed for any reason, a late thank you note is still much better than none at all. Your best choice would be to finish the interview and then write the thank you note immediately afterward to ensure you've checked all items off your list for the day. That being said, you'll still need to follow up about a week after the interview.

The Ideal Thank You Letter

Thank you letters fall into the same realm of manners as the hostess gift. Many find it old fashioned, exceedingly polite, but at the same time you get extra credit for going out of your way to put in extra effort. A basic thank you letter can be sent via email and this is acceptable at the base level, especially if you are working with a company that communicates almost exclusively through email.

The ideal letter, however, is handwritten in legible handwriting on nice stationary or letterhead and mailed. The letter that arrives in the mail is virtually unheard of in business today, and would get much more attention than a short email from the competition. It would showcase exactly how far you're willing to go on even the small details. Granted, if you have terrible handwriting, you should skip the demonstration of your poor penmanship, but typing a letter and signing it is still very much admirable.

Your letter should be short, gracious and done professionally – no colored or scented paper. No emoticons or exclamation points should be included. This letter is about your interviewer, and is not the best time for a hard sales pitch, although you can include a line about your desire for and interest in the target position.

Thank You Letter Example:

Interviewer Name
Company
Address

Dear Mr. Smith,

Thank you for the opportunity to discuss the analyst position. After speaking with you, I am confident that my knowledge and skills are a solid match for the characteristics you're seeking.

I appreciate the extra time you took to answer my questions and show me around the offices. It was easy to see why your employees all seem so competent and comfortable with such a devoted management team.

In addition to knowledge and ability, I would bring solid work ethic to the position, which would seem to be a good fit with the level of enthusiastic performance I experienced in your building today.

Thank you again, Mr. Smith, for taking the time to speak with me about the position. I very much look forward to hearing back regarding your hiring decision.

Thank you,

Your Signature

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Thank You Letter Sample