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10 Tips To Writing A Great Thank You Letter After An Interview

10 Tips To Writing A Great Thank You Letter After An Interview

If you think submitting a resume and nailing your interview is enough to secure a job offer, then you’re missing a vital component.

On average, a job opening will attract more than 250 resume submissions. So how do you make yourself stand out?

By following up your interview with a thank you letter.

Here are some tips on writing a letter that will give you a leg up on the competition.

Don’t Wait

Following up on interviews can seem daunting and it’s common to be unsure about time frames. You should send a thank you letter within 24 hours of your interview.

Sending a note in a timely matter will show that you truly care about the position and are willing to go the extra mile to get it.

Personalize Your Note

Don’t type up one thank you letter and address it to multiple people. Be sure to write a different note for each person you interviewed with.

It’s likely that they will compare notes with each other. It won’t help your chances if they all receive the same, generic thank you note.

Triple Check Names

Make sure the names and titles you use are 100% correct. A thank you letter is pointless if you misspell the interviewer’s name.

If you aren’t sure of a name, do some online research or call the administrative office.

Email vs. Traditional Mail

While sending an email is the fastest and easiest way to send your thank you letter, consider sending a thank you note via snail mail.

A handwritten note could be that extra gesture that makes you stand out in a sea of candidates.

Reiterate Your Interest

A good thank you letter will not only show the interviewer that you appreciate their time, but that you are interested in the job.

Bring up any points from the interview that made you excited to work for them.

Highlight Major Points

You spent a lot of time preparing for your interview to demonstrate that you are the best candidate. So in your letter, don’t just thank them, remind them that you are the one for the job.

Don’t use the letter as a second interview and carry on about all of your achievements. Just mention a skill or past job that stuck out in the interview to reinforce what a good fit you are.

Tailor Your Tone

To ensure that your thank you letter leaves an impact, tailor your tone to fit the position you applied for. You want to show that you understand the company’s brand and personality.

You can be friendly, just be sure to keep it professional.

Be Genuine

When writing a letter, be sure it conveys that you are genuinely thankful for the time they gave you, and not just writing it out of obligation.

But don’t go overboard with false praise, it will just make you look dishonest or desperate.

Keep It Short

You may be tempted to use your thank you letter to carry on about how much you love the company or to bring up all of the skills you forgot to mention in your interview, but do not do this.

Get your point across in a concise way. Try to stick to three short paragraphs.

Be Sure To Proofread

Make sure you aren’t sending a letter full of typos. You wouldn’t spend time creating the perfect resume only to send it off with a misspelled word. The same diligence should be applied to your thank you letter.

A good tip is to leave the first draft alone, then come back to it later. Fresh eyes are more likely to catch a mistake.

Use These Tips For The Perfect Thank You Letter

A strong resume and nailing your interview is only half of the battle.

Follow up all of your interviews with a thank you letter. You will ensure the employers not only know you care, but that you are also reliable.

If you have any questions or want more tips on how to secure your dream job, reach out to us today.

The Importance Of Resume Keywords

The Importance Of Resume Keywords

If you’re in the process of looking for a job, you’ve probably spent hours editing your resume, obsessing over every word, trying to get it just right.

But did you know that your resume could be read by a machine before it ever reaches a member of human resources?

That’s right.

Most large companies use some form of tracking system which scans your resume for keywords.

This analysis is used to assign a ranking, which determines your chance of getting to the next stage.

If your resume doesn’t pass the test, it may never reach a human.

To make sure you have the best chance of getting your dream job, you need to stay ahead of the game.

I’m here to tell you exactly why using resume keywords is essential if you want to land interviews.

Ready to tweak that resume for the final time?

Let’s do it.

1. Ensure Your Resume Won’t Be Discarded at the First Stage

We’ve already touched on this, but let’s go into a little more detail.

Most companies now use an applicant tracking system, or ATS, to scan your resume before having it looked at by a human.

This means that you could be perfect for a job, but if you haven’t included the right keywords, noone will ever read your application. In some cases, even using the wrong form of a word ― like ‘manager’ instead of ‘leader’ (or vice versa) can hurt your chances.

It’s really important to look at the keywords used in the job description and person specification for the job and mirror these on your resume. These are likely to be the same keywords used in the ATS.

Don’t get carried away with adding resume keywords, though.

There’s no point in getting past the tracking system if your resume reads poorly to an actual human.

2. Resume Keywords Help You Focus on the Most Important Skills Needed

It’s tempting to list everything you’ve ever done on your resume, but this looks unprofessional and vague.

Honing in on specific keywords helps you to narrow down exactly which skills you need to include on your resume, making it much more focused.

More hiring managers won’t care that you played the flute in high school, or attend tennis club on the weekend ― and you can be sure that the ATS won’t.

3. Using The Right Language Shows You’re on the Same Page as the Hiring Manager

Managers like to hire candidates who they feel already understand the role and the industry.

Speaking the right language in your resume demonstrates that you’re part of their world and reassures them that you’re experienced.

Even if you say all the right things, using the wrong language can be detrimental. It’s the difference between saying, “I have effective merchandising skills,” and “I can make pretty window displays.”

Using the right keywords makes you stand out as a professional ― to the managers and the machines.

Why Keywords are Essential to your Job Search

Writing a great resume just isn’t enough. You need to make sure you include the right resume keywords to avoid having your application rejected at the first hurdle.

Start by listing some of the keywords that you see most often in job descriptions, then work them into your resume in an organic way.

You’ll get more interviews, and you might even start to find writing your resume less daunting!

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