The Art of Appreciation: Four Tips for Effective Thank You Letters

Childhood... it was great time. Minimal responsibilities, food on the table, free rent, the list could go on. Remember when you wanted to go with a friend somewhere or spend the night at a friend's house one weekend? Everything was so simple then. There was only one thing you needed to remember and I think we all heard from our parents growing up, "Remember to say "Please" and "Thank You" and you better be on your best behavior!"

As adults the responsibility has grown and sometimes we forget the basic rules we need to engage in to assure we look our best. Sending a thank you letter after attending an interview has become less prevalent in recent years, but has never lost its importance. In today's tough economy and competitive market, it may in fact be the little bit extra that you need to assure you get that position you interviewed for. As such, here are some tips on what to cover in a thank you letter to make sure you get noticed and keep your name fresh on the hiring managers' mind.

#1 Send a hand written letter.
It may take ten minutes and you may have to write it a couple times before it looks clean and organized, but a hand written letter carries more weight now than ever. With the advent of email, web conferencing, and text messages the hand written letter has gained more appeal as a means of showing personal interest and appreciation. An email can take ten seconds to read and toss to the side. However, when a hiring manager needs to open a letter and read the card it will get you noticed, in a good way.

#2 Reiterate why you are a good fit for the job.
Remember when you asked those important questions in the interview and found out the top three qualities they were looking for in a new hire? Now is the time to reiterate that you possess those qualities and how you could use those to help the company. State what makes you a good fit for this position and what makes you stand out from the other candidates and you will solidify your position at the top of the pack.

#3 Make it personal.
You and the manager had a great interview, you even had a chance to share stories about fishing trips in the Gulf of Mexico and that "secret spot" you always go to. The manager may or may not remember your name, but if you remind him of your conversation and make it personal it will definitely jog his memory. A good way to do this would to write at the end of your letter a brief personal note such as, "I look forward to working with you in the future and sharing stories of future fishing trips as well." Just make sure you are bringing up something you spoke about in the interview and not just being random. If your interview didn't have a personal touch it's time to start researching interviewing tips.

#4 Edit before sending
Document your letter in a word processor before writing down in a card. This will ensure you have minimal (hopefully none) grammatical and spelling mistakes. Also, have someone else read your letter before sending.

Remember, the difference between an ordinary candidate for a job and an extraordinary one is that little extra. Go the distance and make sure you seal the deal by adding that personal touch and sending a hand written thank you letter.