Why send a thank-you letter after an interview?

Expressing your gratitude is always a good gesture, especially during a job search. This means thanking your interviewers by the means of an email or ordinary mail. A thank-you email after an interview is the most popular-- and accepted-- method of following up with your future employers. Most of the candidates do not even bother sending a thank-you, states an Accountemps survey of human resources (HR) managers. The study discovered that just 24% of HR supervisors receive thank-you notes from applicants. Nevertheless, 80% of HR supervisors say thank-you notes are practical when examining prospects.

Whether it's a physical letter or an email, this token of appreciation might decide whether you get the job or not. "Sending out a well-crafted and timely thank-you letter after an interview can add a positive impression to an already favorable connection," states Jennifer McClure, president of Unbridled Skill, a Cincinnati, a company specializing in skill acquisition, recruiting, and human resource advancement.

These guidelines can teach you how to write a thank-you note after your job interview.

Email thank-you notes

A recent study revealed that 94% of HR supervisors state it's appropriate to send a thank-you email after an interview, as many (65%) of the thank-yous they receive are sent by email.

Now, before you rush to hit "send," you'll have to go through the mail once again. Ask yourself how you got this opportunity, how they contacted you, etc. If you are certain that this is the right way to thank the employer for the opportunity, end an email thank-you note as quickly as you return from an interview, normally within 24 hours after the interview. Email thank-you notes have clear advantages over their delivery counterpart: It's the fastest way to put your name back in front of the interviewer.

Ordinary mail

If the business you talked to is official and conventional, utilize snail mail to send your thank-you note. Should it be handwritten or typed? Typed is the standard reply. This will show your ability to communicate professionally by proving that you understand how to deal with, format, and sign a letter. Especially for some positions, such as administrative assistants, hiring managers would need to know that you're a good communicator because composing letters could be a huge part of your task.

The additional effort on the part of one prospect made a distinction to Carol Galle, president and CEO of Unique D Events, an event-planning firm in Michigan. "I recently filled an open role  for which I had 2 highly qualified candidates, however, it was a thank-you note that made the difference," she states." One prospect put in the time to write a custom two-dimensional notecard with our company's logo design and a genuine, handwritten message of thanks. I want to hire people who want to work for my company, and it was clear from her effort that it held."

Handwritten notes are ideal if you'd like to show your gratitude to others in the workplace who helped you out. For instance, if a receptionist, assistant, office manager, or another person involved with the talking to process was especially useful-- state they took you to lunch or directed you from workplace to office throughout the speaking with procedure-- then a handwritten note is a nice gesture to reveal your appreciation. The survey conducted by Accountemp discovered that 86% of HR supervisors like handwritten thank-you notes, yet handwritten notes account for only 21% of the letters they receive.

What to say in your thank-you note

What you say and how you state it are a lot more essential than how you send it. A standard thank-you note should achieve several things:

• Thank the person for giving the chance.

• Showcase your skills but don’t overdo it

• Finally, recap a few of the conversational highlights.

Interviewers have short memories. A thank-you note is the final opportunity a candidate gets to stand apart from all of the others. Whether you send a thank-you email or you drop a letter in the mailbox, is completely up to you. Just make certain you do it. Now it's time to score some chances to write those thank-you notes.  Here are some thank you email templates to start with.