Seal the deal with a Thank You!

Increase your job interview odds.

You’re prepping for your interview. You’ve done your homework on the company you’re interviewing with. You’ve prepared your answers for the toughest interview questions, even lined up a few savvy questions of your own to ask. You’ve dressed for success. You know how to gracefully sidestep the too-early salary question.

Now, do you want one final killer tip to set yourself head and shoulders above your toughest interview competition?

Write a killer thank you letter, and make sure yours is the first one received.

When you plan your perfect thank you letter strategy before you head into your interview, it’s easy to pen it almost immediately after the interview. First, carve out enough time after your interview to craft an immediate response. Whether you respond via text, handwritten thank you or typed thank you is a judgement call based on what you feel best fits your skills and the position and the culture.

Once upon a time, the gold standard interview thank you response was a typed letter, sent through the mail. These days, in our fast-paced world, following up after an interview with an email thank is acceptable, normal and easily forward able. An even prompter short, sweet text message is often-times not only acceptable, it’s technically appropriate. A slightly longer follow-up email that same day “for the record” is not a bad idea.

A handwritten thank you, hand-delivered almost immediately after the interview saves you a stamp while solidifying your superb and speedy follow-up skills with a touch of class. Simply buy the stationary ahead of time, and bring it with you. Bring some spares as it’s normal to toss your first draft. Your handwritten note must be legible; if you can’t write legibly, send a text instead.

Perfect Thanks Yous. Follow These 3 Simple Points.

Thank the interviewer for their time.
- Interviewing is a huge time sink for employers. They appreciate your respect for them and the time they take out from doing their job in order to interview you.
Briefly highlight what the interviewer said regarding what’s important to them in the person they hire.
- Demonstrating that you’re capable of hearing what they tell you is important and taking it to heart is a skill all prospective employers appreciate.
Connect the dots
- Explain why or how you’re uniquely qualified to meet their needs. Even though you’re selling yourself, never forget that getting hired is all about them, and only about you in the terms that you satisfy their needs.

Why so fast? Don’t you want to mull over your response? Your prompt thank you offers iron-clad evidence of your ability to respond intelligently, compassionately and quickly. What could be more compelling to a prospective employer?

Still not sure what to say?

Check out these four interview thank you templates. Choose the one that best fits what you need to address based on the company culture and the job you’re applying for.

While a terrific thank you is not a miracle guarantee you can overcome skill or fit issues that your interviewing competitors possess in spades, it certainly can’t hurt. If you’re close, other otherwise equal to your competition, a thank you can put you over the top. Even if you’re not hired, a great thank you leaves a lasting good impression that can help open doors down the road.

Seal the Deal: Pre-Interview Thank You Note Strategies

Connie Dorigan, Founder and Director of Recruiting, sees the food processing industry as the link between good living and good people. As the west coast’s most experienced and trusted food processing recruiter, she also provides Executive and Career coaching and lots of free job search tools. Once you’ve connected with Connie, you’ll always be connected. For more information please visit her website at www.dorigan.com or call 503-635-8565.

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