Who Receives the Thank You Letter After an Interview?
Not all applicants for a job who receive an interview send a thank you letter, so your action can make you stand out among a crowd. When you interact with a few people in the interview process, each of these people should receive a thank you letter after your interview.
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Potential Recipients
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Send a thank you letter to each person who was present at your interview. If you are interviewed by a panel, send a separate thank you letter to each member of the panel. Ask for a business card from each interviewer so you spell their names correctly. In addition, if a different person contacted you to set up an interview, send a thank you letter to that individual as well. For example, if the human resources manager set up your interview but you spoke with the hiring manager at your interview, send a letter to each of these people.
Letter Content
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In the thank you letter, start by thanking the individual for the time he put into interviewing you and reaffirming your interest in the position. In addition, write a few sentences that mention something that stood out to you in the interview or address a concern the interviewer brought up. If you have anything you forgot to mention at the interview, the thank you letter is an acceptable way to convey that information. When writing thank you letters to a few different people in the same organization, vary their wording and content slightly so the recipients do not feel like they received form letters.
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Time Frame
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Mail a handwritten thank you letter to each interviewer within 24 hours of your interview. If your handwriting is not legible, you can type the letter, although this feels more impersonal. If your interviewer told you that the hiring decision would be made within the next day or two, send a thank you letter by email instead of postal mail to ensure its timely receipt. When writing multiple letters, send them all at the same time to ensure they are received together as well.
Importance
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A thank you letter demonstrates your continued interest in the position for which you interviewed. In addition, sending a letter shows your concern for business etiquette and your attentiveness to detail. A well-written letter with no spelling or grammatical errors also acts as a sample of your good written communication skills. If the employer is having a hard time with a hiring decision, the thank you letter can be the tipping point that gets you the job.
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