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Follow-Up Letters
Win Job Offers
A surefire way to separate yourself from a sea of other qualified
candidates is to write a follow-up letter after an interview. Most job
seekers neglect to write a letter, assuming that once they leave the
interviewer’s office the interview is over. Well, it isn’t. The interview
process extends beyond the one-on-one meeting and it is up to you to keep
your candidacy in the forefront of the decision-maker’s mind.
An effective follow-up letter serves two purposes: (1) It reminds the
interviewer of your skills, knowledge and abilities; with the number of
candidates they are interviewing, it can be easy to get lost in the crowd.
(2) It demonstrates that you remain interested in working for the company
and that you were impressed by the organizational culture.
There are several slants the follow-up letter can take, including the
following:
• Thank the interviewer(s) for the time they took to meet with you and for
giving you the opportunity to learn more about the organization and the
open position.
• Reiterate your interest in the position and draw parallels between what
you have to offer and the organization’s immediate needs.
• Address a concern that came up during the interview or offer new
information to a question that was asked during the interview.
Most job seekers don’t follow up because they don’t want to do the wrong
thing. So instead of risking making a bad impression, they choose not to
follow up at all. Common questions most job seekers have about following
up include:
1) Should I e-mail, hand-write, or type, print, and mail my follow-up
letter?
The answer is, it depends. With so many ways of sending communications,
you may feel confused as to how to send a follow-up letter. Send an e-mail
when a hiring decision is going to be made within the week. This will
ensure that your letter gets read before it’s too late. A handwritten note
works well if you have nice handwriting and if you’re sending a card with
a quick note; I wouldn’t recommend handwriting a note on loose-leaf paper.
My favorite, if time allows, is a typed letter that you send through
regular mail. The reason why I prefer this method is that it is easy to
for a decision-maker to delete an e-mail but most likely, a snail-mailed
letter will end up in your file. Again, a snail-mailed letter is not
always possible, so do the next best thing and e-mail the letter instead.
2) After interviewing at a company, should I send a letter to all
interviewers?
Yes. You should send a letter to each interviewer because each one has
his/her own concerns and reasons for participating in the selection
process. For example, a direct supervisor may be looking for a new hire
that will make her look good to the powers that be. On the other hand, a
peer will be looking for a coworker he can get along with when
participating in work activities or when grabbing a beer during Friday
night happy hour. Having two different audiences means that you can—and
should—create two different follow-up letters.
Sample Follow-Up Letter
Ms. Barbara Cortes
ABC Corporation
876 Lakeland Street
Hauppauge, NY 11787
Dear Ms. Cortes:
Thank you for taking the time to meet with me regarding the paralegal
position at Collado, Collado, & Fiore, LLC. After meeting with you and
discussing the set requirements, I noted several similarities between your
requirements and my past experience.
From our discussion, it seems you are seeking a paralegal that has
experience in supporting trial proceedings by organizing evidence for case
review; preparing exhibits; maintaining relationships with experts; and
scheduling witnesses and ensuring they are present and ready when needed.
In my current position with Allen & Associates, I am required to perform
all those responsibilities in addition to juggling and managing numerous
legal tasks.
Be assured that I can be counted on to get the job done under demanding
schedules, and I would enjoy the opportunity to do the same for your
organization. What you will expect and get from me as a member of your
team is dedication, enthusiasm, and professionalism.
Again, thank you for taking the time to meet with me. I remain interested
in participating in the next round of interviews. Thank you for your
consideration.
Sincerely,
Michele Martinez
Final thought
Don’t underestimate the power of an effective follow-up letter. They
have been known to win job offers.
By Linda Matias |
Writers
Profile
Certified in all
three areas of the job search—Certified Interview Coach ™ (CIC), Job &
Career Transition Coach (JCTC), and Nationally Certified Resume Writer (NCRW)—Linda
Matias is qualified to assist you in your career transition, whether
it be a complete career makeover, interview preparation, or resume
assistance. You can contact Linda directly at
linda@careerstrides.com
or visit her website www.careerstrides.com for additional career advice
and to view resume samples.
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