The Importance of Giving Thanks

By: Janna Parke

It is common to go into an interview and be polite by giving a firm handshake, looking the interviewer into the eyes, and saying please and thank you. These unspoken rules will help a person to appear polite at the time of the interview, but what about after the interview? Believe it or not, there is one more step you can do in the interview process that could make you stand out. One way to do this is by sending a follow up email. Taking the time to write a short, but effective thank you to your interviewer is a good way to show you are not only polite, but that the time he or she spent interviewing was valuable to you.

Here are some quick tips on writing a thank you letter after an interview from AbleBits:

• Write it promptly. Send out your thank-you letter after the event (for a job interview, you'd better do this within 24-48 hours). You will still be fresh in the interviewers mind, but this is also enough time that shows you also took time to think about how the interview went.
• Make it personal. A standard message will be lost among other job-seekers' letters. Address your letter to one person, not just the company or organization in general, and mention details from the event, it will make your thank-you letter stand out.
• Make it short and stick to the point. Make your letter short, direct, clear and concise.
• Sound natural. Express your gratitude and make the thank-you letter sincere, heartfelt and tactful.
• Proofread it before sending. Always carefully check your spelling and grammar. Errors and typos are unprofessional, but nothing could be worse than misspelling of someone's name. Take a minute to double check the spelling of all names in the letter.
• Hand write, hard copy or e-mail? In general, typed (paper or email) thank you letters are recommended. Some managers, however, like hand written letters. In the tech industry, a thank-you email is appropriate. E-mails are also fine in less formal situations or if time constraints require it.

For the LACD Internship, the follow up email was an essential part of my being hired. The process was in parts: send in a resume and cover letter, a personal interview, then a group interview. After receiving an email that I didn’t make it to the group interview, I decided to thank Lisa for the opportunity and mention that I was interested in any upcoming opportunities. Luckily my email was still open five minutes later, because Lisa quickly responded and invited me back for the group interview that was an hour away. Without that email, I wouldn’t have been considered for a second interview, and I wouldn’t have been hired. Look at how far a simple “thank you” can take you.

Source: http://www.ablebits.com/outlook-templates-phrases/thank-you-letters-samples.php