by Allie Camp

Created on: November 10, 2009   Last Updated: November 12, 2009

Taking the time to send a thank-you letter to a prospective employer after an interview might be considered optional, but I believe it is essential. Not only is it courteous to thank your interviewer in writing for taking the time to meet with you, it is also wise to take this opportunity to reiterate your skills and the reasons why you believe you are the right candidate for the job.

Thank-you notes don't have to be long, but it is appropriate to hold them to the same importance that you hold your resume and cover letter. That is, correct spelling and grammar are important. In the past I have followed my own three paragraph outline for thank-you letters. In the first paragraph, I thank the interviewer for their time and I note the date we met and the job I interviewed for. I also lead into the second paragraph with a statement of confidence that I can meet and exceed the company's needs as an employee.

I briefly restate my skills and experience in the second paragraph of my letter. I also take any information I have learned from the interview (such as the specific qualifications desired for the position) and explain how I can provide these very same qualifications.

The third paragraph is for closing, where I list the names of any additional individuals who were present during the interview. I close politely and simply by letting the interviewer know that that I am looking forward to hearing from him or her when the company has made a hiring decision. I add that I am available should they need any further information.

Whether or not it is acceptable to fax or email a thank-you note is definitely open to debate; some say it's ok under certain circumstances, others say neither one is acceptable at all. If you can, hand deliver your note within 24 hours of the interview.

If you do not hear back from the company hiring manager or the individual who interviewed you within a week, it's perfectly acceptable to contact him or her for a follow-up. Sometimes it can take several weeks for a hiring decision to be made. I believe that two follow-up calls are acceptable, but I do not advise calling again after that point.

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