Should I Send a Thank You Letter After an Interview?

Even in a booming economy, highly sought after jobs bring stiff competition. Job seekers are constantly searching for ways to differentiate themselves from other applicants. For this reason, many candidates are utilizing professional resume writing services to ensure that they have the most professional and cutting edge resume to market themselves with. One of the leading resume writing services in Houston, USA Resume, has found that in addition to their resume, many of their clients are seeking other ways to help them stand out. One of the most requested documents besides a resume or cover letter is a thank you letter. In particular, clients want to know if they are really worth it.

They have valid questions such as, Does a hiring manager really care? Will sending a thank you letter after my interview really make a difference? If they do, then when should it be sent? What should be included in the thank you letter? How should it be sent? With so many questions surrounding thank you letters, we took the time to break it down for you and answer all of your thank you letter questions.

Should I Send a Thank you Letter?

While there is no universal answer to that very broad question, we do highly recommend that all of our clients send a follow up thank you letter after an interview. In most cases, you won’t be the only applicant that is interviewed for that position that day. If you are trying to stand out in a crowd of applicants, the best way to ensure your name is resurfaced is to keep the interview going after you leave. Sending a follow up thank you letter reminds the hiring manager about your interview and brings you to the forefront of their mind. 

When Should I Send a Thank You Letter?

As we mentioned, you won’t be the only one applying for the job in the majority of cases. Often times, you will be among multiple applicants interviewed for the job and even in the same day. In order to make sure you are brought back to the top of the hiring manager’s mind before a decision is made, you should aim to send a thank you letter soon after your interview. A good timeline to stick to is to send your thank you letter within 24 hours after your interview.

How Should I Send a Thank You Letter?

So if you’ve decided to set yourself apart from the other applicants and send a thank you letter within 24 hours after your interview, how exactly should you send it? This is another common question we are frequently asked by our clients. Most applicants want to know whether the letter should be sent through email or if it should be handwritten. Our answer – it depends!

Do you have the time to handwrite thank you letters? Is your handwriting neat and professional? If so, then a handwritten note definitely has a more personal and thought out tone. That being said, if your handwriting is sloppy, email might be a more professional format in your situation. In some instances, you may know that the hiring manager is making a hiring decision quickly. If that is the case, we definitely recommend email so that it can reach them instantly!

Who Should I Send the Thank You Letter To?

This is another question that has trying answers based on your unique situation. If you were interviewed by a single individual then send your thank you letter directly to that individual. If you had a panel interview with multiple managers, we recommend sending a personalized letter to each of the interviewers. The extra time and attention to thank each of the individual interviewers makes a lasting impact and shows that you are serious about your professionalism and desire for the job. Quick Tip: Ask the panel for their business cards so that you have their contact information!

What Should Be Included in a Thank You Letter?

We’ll get straight to it: don’t make your thank you letter long. You need to keep things short and sweet. Thank the interviewer for taking their time to spend time with you and use the opportunity to reiterate your strong interest in the job role. If you had a specific positive moment or memorable interaction with them, be sure to touch on it lightly in your letter.It will make a personal connection that they may not have had with other applicants.

Last but not least – be sure to proof read your thank you letter before sending it. If you’ve invested in your resume to communicate professionalism to the hiring manager, make sure your thank you letter continues that same message. If you need help crafting a perfect resume or thank you letter, contact the resume writing service in Houston, USA Resume today!