Past experiences and research shows that the thank you letter can make a difference. The DR Coaches have hudled together to provide tips on how to win the interview with a Thank You Letter.

You don’t have to be a sports fanatic to appreciate the adrenaline rush of a half-court buzzer shot. The anticipation is well worth the ultimate exhilaration when it all falls into place and your team SCORES! Where else can such determination, drive, excitement and sense of accomplishment be experienced? Deacon Recruiting asks you, “Been career hunting lately”?

At Deacon Recruiting, we see career seekers everyday playing the game of career hunting and putting forth their best moves on the interview playing field. But there is more to career hunting than submitting your resume, interviewing, and anxiously waiting for a response. There is the all important thank you letter. The thank you letter can tip the balance of an interviewer’s indecisiveness, or further clarify that you are right person for the position.

There are many purposes to a thank you letter besides the most obvious of sincerely thanking the interviewer for meeting with you. A thank you letter can provide the opportunity to:

• Remind the employer of who you are and help distinguish you from the others.
• Provide the employer with a sample of your professional writing skills.
• Show and restate your level of interest and outline why you want the career opportunity.
• Summarize the interview and prove that you are a good listener.
• Resell yourself by restating your most compelling skills and any vital characteristics not mentioned in the interview.
• Reinforce yourself as a professional with foresight and follow through.
• Correct any wrong answers or clarify any answers given during the interview.
• Clear up any misconceptions or false assumptions that may have resulted during the interview.
• Ask for the career opportunity.
• Save a not so great interview.

Guidelines for writing a thank you letter include:
When addressing the thank you letter, use the name that the interviewer used to introduce him/herself. If in doubt, formally address the interviewer with Mr. or Ms. and last name.

Include the Job Title in the interview letter. For example: Thank you for taking the time to speak to me about the “Job Title” position.

Include any names of team members that you were not able to meet if have that information. For example: I look forward to meeting with “team member name” and learning more about the company.
Mention the company culture and explain how you will best fit with that culture.

Note any recent company presence in publications such as accomplishments and awards.

Include the one most important characteristic you possess that will benefit the company and restate your value.

Listen carefully in the interview and find the one most important issue the interview has and build upon how you are best fit to handle that issue.

Restate the employer’s objectives from the interview.
If a next step of interviewing process is mentioned, restate your availability.

Show sincerity in the tone of your letter.
Format the letter properly according to business letter standards and check grammar and spelling. Let another person read the letter.

Use a standard closing such as Sincerely or Regards.
Send the letter within 24 hours, regardless of whether it will be mailed or emailed.