Thank You Letters to Build Your Job Search Brand

The competition for good jobs is tough.

And with many excellent applicants competing for a limited number of good jobs it’s important to do everything you can to stand out from your competition.

An easy way to build your brand

An easy way to build your brand in the eyes of your interviewers is to follow up with a simple thank you letter.

Apart from demonstrating your knowledge of workplace etiquette you can use your thank you letter to reinforce your position as the outstanding candidate in less obvious ways. You can use a thank you letter to:

• Focus the thoughts of the interviewer or panel on you, while they’re deciding on the successful applicant,
• Highlight the areas in which you can value add to the job and
• Mention anything you forgot to say at interview.

Your focus in drafting your interview thank you letter should be on reinforcing your message about why you are the best applicant and what you can bring to the organisation.

Interview thank you letters should be succinct and strategically written; three paragraphs are adequate.

Paragraph 1

The first paragraph should be used to thank the interviewer or the panel for their time and for the opportunity to attend the interview.

Paragraph 2

In the next paragraph, you should reiterate the areas in which you could value add to the position, and you could also include any relevant information you forgot to mention at interview.

Paragraph 3

The last paragraph should thank the interviewer or panel once again and indicate that you are looking forward to hearing from them in due course.

What about a panel interview?

While some consultants suggest that you should send a thank you letter to each member of an interview panel, I disagree.

I believe it’s more professional to write directly to the Chair or Head of the panel because that shows that you understand corporate protocol. Also the impact of a thank you letter is lessened if everyone on the panel receives an identical letter.

Should you send an interview thank you letter after second and subsequent interviews?

Yes, the content of your first thank you letter could have been one of the elements that helped to swing opinion in your favour.

Subsequent thank you letters should be tailored to the interviews to which they relate, because each preceding letter is likely to be included in your interview file and will be read by future interviewers and panellists.

It is best to send a thank you letter as soon as you are able after an interview, so that it’s received preferably within 24 hours and definitely within three days of the interview, as the decision making process could be well underway by then.

As a job seeker in today’s tight employment market, can you afford not to use every means at your disposal to differentiate yourself from your competition?

Try sending a thank you letter after your next interview it could make all the difference.

And good job hunting!