Below is a sample thank you letter for after the interview from a client I have been working with.
A while back one of my customers, Julie, asked me a question on what would be the best way to write a post interview thank you letter for after a job interview. Julie just had her interview and wanted to send a follow-up thank you letter right after her interview.
Julie said she interviewed for a state job with the dept. of social services. She wrote this ahead of time using one of my thank you letter samples so she could send it after she got home from her interview.
She asked me if I would take a look at her job interview thank you letter and let her know what I thought.
You can see my response to her sample thank you letter below:
She capitalized the first letter of every word in her letter because she thought it made for easier reading.
BIG MISTAKE!
All she is doing is demonstrating is lack of business writing skills. Capitalizing every letter actually made it extremely difficult to read.
So anyway, I reworked her thank you letter and sent it back to her. You can see a sample of the thank you letter I sent her. This one is basically the same, except the names are changed.
Job interview sample thank you letter anyone can use for after an interview
Start of: Sample Thank You for Interview Letter
May 11, 20xx
1234 Main Street
Cleveland, Ohio 44311
Cell: 216-555-1234
David Johnson
Johnson & Johnson
333 Chester Ave.
Cleveland, Ohio 44111
Dear Mr. Johnson,
Thank you for the opportunity to interview for the position of Programmer Analyst.
I’m very interested in the position and excited about the prospect of working in the Software Development Division at Johnson & Johnson.
I feel that I would be a valuable asset to your organization, and an excellent candidate to fill this position.
In addition to my programming background and experience, I will bring a very strong work ethic along with great organizational skills to this position. I pay close attention to detail and am dedicated to my work.
I have excellent communication skills and can work with many different types of people of varying personalities and skill levels. I am motivated, disciplined, and focused and I’m determined to get my job done well and on-time.
I also have a passion for helping others and making a difference.
I appreciate the opportunity to speak with you and look forward to hearing from you soon.
Sincerely,
Brad Davis
End of: Sample Thank You Letter
How to write an email thank you letter
You can easily turn the above business-formal thank you letter into an email version simply by stripping off the date, address, and heading. Simply use the same body of text to write your thank you letter.
Download Sample Thank You for Interview Letter
This is a great example of a simple thank you letter that you can use for after your interview. Anyone can use this sample thank you letter after an interview.
Good sample thank you letters don’t have to very long or complicated. Anyone could easily use this sample as a template by simply substituting a few words and you instantly have a perfect and well thank you letter that will do the job for any profession.
I think it’s important to keep any after the interview thank you letter or follow-up letter very short and to the point to increase the probability of it ever being read.
Check out my new thank you letter guide: It includes sample thank you emails for after a job interview. In all, it has over 100 thank you letter samples included. Samples thank you letters for business, government, finance, manufacturing, teaching, and many, many more professions.
Employers like to hear “thank you” from candidates because it reemphasizes your interest in working for them and that way they know you are genuinely interested in the position. Sending a post interview thank you letter puts you in a better position and increases your chances for getting the job.
Difference between a thank you letter and a follow-up letter
Job interview thank you letters, are also called follow up letters. It is a good way to not only say thank you but to keep you fresh in their minds as they consider filling the position. This also gives you the opportunity to mention anything you left out during the interview.
These expressions of thanks can be done through email or postal mail. These thank you letters should be very short, just enough to remind them of whom you are and that you appreciate their time. Very little wording can serve a much larger purpose.
It may be especially important to get a follow up letter to an employer in a timely fashion if they intend to quickly fill that position. You will want to send your letter very soon after the interview. You can even send it immediately.
As a rule of thumb, I would avoid sending a hand written note, but a typed letter in business format and sent via postal mail or email. If you really wanted to, you could send a hand written note, but do so only if you feel strongly about it and that it reflects your personality.
I would suggest that this practice of hand written notes be reserved for women only and fields that are commonly dominated by women, like cosmetic sales. Of course this is just my opinion, but I feel that a hand written note is of a more feminine nature.
Email is often the preferred way that job seekers send a thank you letter after an interview. My guide has over 50 sample thank you emails for after an interview which makes it an ideal way to follow-up after any type of job interview.
Writing an email thank you letter is quick and efficient and is sure to get through. There is some controversy over emailing any type of thank you letter, but this is probably the only place where email thanks are generally acceptable. You can still send one through the mail, but be aware that it will take a lot more time to get there.
How to Write Perfect Thank You Letters is packed full of sample thank you letters for after an interview.
