Interview Follow-up Letters - Do You Know Their Importance?
You've had your interview with a perspective employer. Now what?
Do you simply wait for a response or do you take a more
proactive stand? The fact is that job searching doesn't end with
the interview. It's what you do in the days that follow the
interview that can shift things in your favor.
Do you know the importance of a follow-up letter? It is the last
piece of the overall resume package but it can be the most
powerful and persuasive piece of material you can have in your
job-hunting arsenal. Not sending one to someone, who has
interviewed you for a position, can be the biggest mistake that
you can make. It is the one thing that can be used to sell your
skills to an employer, one final time before they make a
decision. It actually serves two purposes.
1. It thanks the interviewer for taking the time to interview
you. This is especially important because they are busy people
and it's a nice way of acknowledging that you value their time.
2. It gives you one final chance to remind the interviewer what
skills and experience you will bring to the position. This gives
you an edge over the competition for 2 reasons. A) Many
candidates never send one and B) It keeps you and your skills
fresh in their minds.
This can give you the edge needed over the competition to sway
their decision in your favor. Since it can have a dramatic
impact on the hiring decision, it should be written carefully
and with much thought.
Because hiring managers literally view hundreds of resumes for a
single position, they can't remember all the details of a
particular resume. It's your job to make sure they don't forget
you or your skills. This is why it is extremely important to use
a follow-up letter to get their attention one last time.
Constructing a good follow-up letter is key to continuing the
professional appearance you need to portray to a potential
employer. The first paragraph should "thank" the hiring manager.
The second paragraph can restate key skills, abilities or
experience that you mentioned during the interview. Keep it
brief, but choose your words carefully. Make sure to mail it no
later than the day after the interview.
Don't pass up the chance to sell your qualifications to a
perspective employer one last time, it really is your final
opportunity. It can mean the difference of getting the position
or losing it to someone else. So send it off and put yourself
one step ahead of your competition.