Many of the highest performers’ job seekers will practice the art of writing a thank you letter after they have been to an interview. This is a tried and tested way to make the company know you’re interested in the job, and you’re a professional who takes what you do seriously.
Today, we’re going to explore eight most common mistakes made when writing an interview thank you letter, giving you everything you need to avoid them.
#1 – Waiting Too Long
Timing is everything when it comes to writing a thank you letter, you don’t want to leave it so long that the opportunity has passed, and they’ve already moved on. In fact, you want to stay in their minds throughout the interview process. So always aim to send one within 24 hours of the interview.
#2 – Being Too Formal
Nobody is formal all the time, even the managers of the business you were just interviewed at. “While the interview and company may have been formal, feel free to relax a little in your thank you letter. After all, this is simply a nice gesture,” says Thelma Johnson, a Communication manager at Stateofwriting and Eliteassignmenthelp.
#3 – Not Being Concise
No manager on a recruitment drive has the time to read paragraph after paragraph on a thank you letter, nor will they. So, don’t bother sending them one that rambles on. Instead, keep things concise and to the point for maximum impact.
#4 – Being Generic
Just like writing a resume, you don’t want to have a single thank you letter that you simply send out to every company after an interview as a formality. Instead, always take the time to write a personal and customized thank you letter specifically for that business.
They’ll massively appreciate the individuality of the message. Also, it’s important to remember that every recruitment manager will be aware that the letter is generic. After all, it’s their job to know.
#5 – Not Writing Properly
While the idea of writing a thank you letter is a kind gesture, the impact of the letter can be ruined if the letter is not written correctly, that is, if the letter is full of mistakes, typos or just generally difficult to read.
However, it doesn’t matter if you’re not a professional writer because, thanks to the internet, there are plenty of online tools that can help. Here are some to get you started;
Studydemic / Academadvisor – These two websites have a range of email and writing guides you can follow to make sure your letter is written to the highest quality with a proper format.
Academized – This online tool is overflowing with tips, tools, and advice to help you edit and proofread your letter to perfection.
My Writing Way – This website contains a full range of proofreading guides to help you spot and correct any errors in your thank you letter.
Paper Fellows / Australian Help – These are two leading online formatting tools, as mentioned by Australian Reviewer, to help you format and perfect the layout of your thank you letter.
Via Writing – This website is full of handy and helpful tips on how to use and perfect your use of grammar.
Big Assignments / Ox Essays – These are two business letter-writing tools to ensure you’re presenting your letter in the best possible way.
#6 – Sending to All Managers
If you’ve had multiple interviews with different managers throughout a business, perhaps through different times or for different instances, one of the biggest mistakes you can make is sending them the same letter, which is hand in hand with the point we spoke about above.
Always write a customized and personalized letter directly to each individual manager and talk in a personalized way – summarize and connect with the experience you had with each manager. Never be generic with your responses as this can be as counterproductive as not sending a letter at all.
#7 – Let’s Connect!
Another problem that happens commonly with thank you letters is people asking the managers to connect with them on social media. Likewise, don’t go out of your way to add the manager on LinkedIn or Facebook. Give them space, at least, wait until a second interview for this.
Otherwise, this can feel like you’re being too pushy or pressuring the final decision. Find a balance between keeping yourself in the loop and giving the business the time and space to make their decision.
#8 – Talking About Money
Of course, you want to know how much you’ll be earning if you get the job, but there is a time and a place for asking this question, and it’s not in your thank you letter. Use your letter for genuinely saying thank you and providing really valuable insight into who you are.
Conclusion
While writing a thank you letter may not seem effective, or a big deal, it’s important to make sure you’re avoiding these potential mistakes in order to make the best impact, the best impression and to get the best results.