Career and Life Coaching Tip of the Day...

Career Integrity Coaching April, 2011 Newsletter Tips For Writing “Thank You Letters”: Approximately, less than 10 percent of job seekers complete the necessary task of “writing a thank you letter to a potential employer” which is a crucial practice of the process. It is proper business etiquette to send a thank you letter, but numerous candidates ignore this matter of courtesy. Writing a thank-you letter can be a significant reason on receiving the opportunity you are currently seeking. A thank you letter can make you be noticed from other potential candidate contenders. In our current job climate, it is smart and necessary to consider every tool that will give you the ultimate edge and advantage. A thank you letter allows you to explain, restate and clarify. In addition, you can redirect your focus on topics that you learned during the interview and re-emphasize your strengths, accomplishments, and skills. An effective thank you note should be forwarded to the interviewer before the final hiring decision has been made by the organization. • Situations that call for a thank you letter: o Immediately after you have your interview meeting. E-mail your letter/note within one day-----ASAP! DO NOT PUT IT OFF! Remember to spell check. You want to convey your interest level in the position. o After a corporation meeting or an exploratory and informational interview. o When a business associate provides a networking contact or refers you directly to an employer. • Main ideas that a Thank You letter should include”: o State your appreciation of your interview meeting and the time spent. o Articulate your interest level in the opportunity. o Re-emphasize your qualifications that match their position summary. o Provide important information that you didn’t have the opportunity to share and cover during your interview meeting. o Keep your thank you letters to one page- simple, clear, concise and short. o Assist the interviewer in remembering you by referring to specific examples and points reviewed in your meeting. o Express your continued interest and enthusiasm for the opportunity. o Demonstrate to your interviewer that you a true professional that is concerned about details. o Keep in mind, a minimal amount of candidates do not send thank you letters - This can be your ADVANTAGE! This is your last opportunity to leave your interviewer with a positive impression of you and your interview meeting Sample “Thank You Letter” Anthony F. Marano Director of Human Resources DIAL Consultants Inc. 337 Court Street Stamford, CT, 06878 April 3, 2011 Greetings Mr. Marano, It was a true pleasure meeting with you today in regards to your Assistant Controller opportunity at DIAL Consultants Inc. I wanted to thank you so much for spending a significant amount of time informing me about your organization and your operational and financial management needs. I especially want to thank you for being so kind to me and making me feel extremely welcomed during our interview meeting. The opportunity, as you presented it, seems to be a very good match in regards to my interest level and my experience in reviewing and preparing external financial reports and establishing and maintaining accounting policy. Once again, thank you for the opportunity to meet with me for this interesting opportunity with your company. I am very excited about the prospect of working with such a dedicated team of professionals. Please feel free to contact me directly if you have any additional inquires. I truly look forward to hearing from you soon. Sincerely, your name Additional Tips: • Proofread the letter before sending it: grammatical errors and typos are unprofessional. You may want to wait awhile and proofread it again. Some decision makers proofread by reading the letter backwards. • Email your thank you letter/note to a specific contact not just the company or organization in general. If you were interviewed by more than one person, either forward a separate letter or note to each person or send a single letter to a key contact for distribution. When sending more than one letter, tailor the message to each recipient. • Stick to your point and message. • Be sincere--most people can sense when you aren't being honest and genuine. • Be specific and detailed….. make certain your letter stands out from the rest. • Do not thank the person beforehand (for example, "Thanking your interviewer in advance for their help in this matter"). To do so is presumptuous and suggests you are unwilling to write a follow-up letter. • Close with either an expression of thanks or an indication of your intention to continue contact. Irene “Highly Recommends”: Connect with your interviewers and check if they are Linked In members immediately after your interview meeting. Remember, you want to continue to build your business and professional network during your job search. To a potential employer, “a Linked In recommendation” is an opportunity to review and read a reference in advance. Having strong references can only assist you when it comes to getting selected for an interview and obtaining a new position. The best way to get recommendations is to give them, so take some time to write recommendations for your fellow peers and colleagues and they will most likely will reciprocate the gesture. Good luck to all, Irene