Always Follow Up, Always
Always follow up an interview.
Sometimes you may have not been the applicant they would choose
first, but your ambition and the determination of a follow up telephone
call, thank you note, or even a surprise visit could make them see you
in a whole new light! During your
conversation, ask questions that follow up with a previous conversation,
proving your interest, and good memory.
Remember:
"Familiar Faces Attract Attention"
Thank-you / follow-up letters
Thank you letters are critical to your job search success, and
interviews are not the only occasions to send thank-you and follow-up
letters. If you've ever experienced helping or doing something for
someone, and not receiving a thank-you, you understand how employers
view this lack of courtesy on the part of job seekers. They may
also gauge your motivation on the level of your follow up activities.
On this page:
When to write thank-you letters:
A thank-you letter should be written after:
- An interview; (See
interview follow-up / thank-you letters)
- A contact is helpful to you in a telephone conversation or
e-mail;
- Someone provides / sends information to you at your request;
- A contact was particularly helpful to you at a career fair;
- You visit a contact at their work site; and
- Any other contact for which you want to express thanks and
develop a good relationship.
Hard copy, handwritten or e-mail:
Thank-you letters can be hard copy typed, handwritten or e-mailed.
Hard copy are most formal and are always appropriate after an interview.
Handwritten are more personal, and can be appropriate for brief notes to
a variety of individuals you may have met during on on-site interview or
who may have helped you in other ways. E-mail is appropriate when that
has been your means of contact with the person you want to thank, or if
your contact has expressed a preference for e-mail, or if you want to
send a quick thank-you to be followed up by hard copy.
Samples (below):
Sample 1: Follow-up to telephone call
12345 Your Street
City, State, ZipCode
(XXX) XXX-XXXX
Thursday, August 24, 2006
Mr. Robert Anderson
Company Name
12345 Company Street
City, State, ZipCode
Dear Mr. Anderson:
Thank you for talking with me on Wednesday in response to
my inquiry about the open [Job Title] position in the [City
name] area. After speaking with you and
some of the Career Counselors at Avjobs, I think I am much better
prepared to pursue this opportunity.
On your advice, I have updated my resume, emphasizing my
recent volunteer activities. A copy is enclosed for
you. I also plan to contact [Contact Name] as you suggested,
and appreciate your giving me their name.
Thank you for inviting me to visit your office. I will be
in [City] during the week of [Date Range], so I will call your office
two weeks prior to see if it would be convenient to schedule
a visit.
Again, thank you so much for your help and advice. I look
forward to meeting with you in [Month].
Sincerely,
(your handwritten signature)
Your Name
Enclosure |
Sample 2: Follow-up letter to information
seeking meeting
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12345 Your Street
City, State, ZipCode
(XXX) XXX-XXXX
Thursday, August 24, 2006
Mr. Robert Anderson
Company Name
12345 Company Street
City, State, ZipCode
Dear Mr. Anderson:
Thank you so much for taking time from your busy schedule
to meet with me last Tuesday. It was very helpful to me to
learn so much about the current projects of [Company Name] and the career paths of several of your staff. I
appreciate your reviewing my portfolio and encouraging my
career plans. I also enjoyed meeting [Another Person You
met], and am
glad to have Their suggestions on how I can make the most
productive use of my experience.
Based on what I learned from my visit to your company and
other research I have done, I am very interested in being
considered for employment with you in the future. I
will be available to begin work after [Date]. As you saw from my portfolio, I have developed strong
skills in the area of [Your Strengths] and this is a
good match for the types of projects in which your company
specializes. I have enclosed a copy of my resume to serve as
a reminder of my background and experience, some of which I discussed with
you when we met.
During the next few months I will stay in contact with
you in hopes that there may be an opportunity to join your
team. Thank you again for your generous help.
Sincerely,
(handwritten signature)
Your Name
Enclosure |
Sample 3: Follow-up to personal contact
12345 Your Street
City, State, ZipCode
(XXX) XXX-XXXXThursday, August 24, 2006
Mr. Robert Anderson
Company Name
12345 Company Street
City, State, ZipCode
Dear Mr. Anderson:
Thank you so much for your time and advice during my
visit to your office last week. I very much appreciate your
inviting me to visit since this was my first experience
seeing the hands-on work which takes place in a [Department
Name]
department. I learned a great deal, and hope to put this
experience to work with your company as a productive team
member.
After [Month], I will be in contact with you again to
explore the possibility of arranging a permanent position
with your company. As I mentioned to you when we met,
[Recall some significant event that you discussed with this
person in the past, and how it relates to your new job with
this company]. I believe my skills would make me an asset to
an organization like yours which often must produce
excellent work under tight time constraints.
Thank you again for all your help, and I look forward to
talking with you in the coming months.
Sincerely,
(handwritten signature)
Your Name |
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