You’ve Just Interviewed…Now What?
So you have recently interviewed for a position that you have your heart set on obtaining. You’ve cleaned up your resume and wrote a near masterful cover letter, you practiced the interview session over and over, and during the actual interview you felt confident and positive. But now what? Are there any additional steps to consider that can aid your chances in swaying the interview committee and your potential new boss, or is there only waiting now? The answer is “yes!” There are steps to take that can make a difference, and here’s how!
Thank you letter
One of the very best ways of making a positive impression on an interview committee and getting yourself ahead of the competition is by sending a thank you note. Though this may at first sound a bit old fashioned, some old fashioned, job related techniques still prove to be quite effective. For instance, by taking the time to send a short thank you note to the members of the interview committee responsible for choosing the position candidate shows them a number of things: you are truly interested in the position; you are willing to go the extra mile for what you want; you are dedicated. Yet another positive side of sending a thank you note is that the benefits of the action far outweigh the amount of time it takes to complete it. So even though you may be neck deep in an extensive job search, sending a simple thank you note takes relatively little time.
What to include in a thank you letter
Because you have just recently finished the interview, you know exactly what information you were able to confer, and what information that may have been left out. The great thing about sending a thank out note is that it gives the interviewer the chance to tell the interview committee any pertinent or important information that wasn’t mentioned. In other words, this opportunity can be yet another chance to sell yourself and expound upon positive attributes.
But you don’t want to begin the letter by including more positives about yourself. First, write a line or two thanking the committee for spending time with you and giving you the chance to go out for the position. After that, briefly explain why you wish to have the job and include any important information what wasn’t shared in the actual interview. And above all, be brief! Your resume is already in their hands, so you don’t need to write a whole page expounding upon what they already know; a short paragraph consisting of no more than seven to ten lines is all that’s needed.
When to send a thank you note
Generally, the best time to send a thank you note is about twenty-four hours after the interview. Remember, the more time you take in sending the note, the more time the committee has had in interviewing additional candidates and coming to their conclusion. The rule of thumb is, the quicker the better!
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