HTML Preview Government Official Thank You Letter page number 1.
Edmund A. Walsh School
of
Foreign Service
. .SFS Career Development Center
Georgetown University
ICC 228
http://www.georgetown.edu/sfs/careers
THANK
YOU
LETTERS
Thank you letters are a critical part
of
the
job
search process. Send thank you notes to people who help you along the
way, including networking contacts, informational interviewers, and
job
interviewers. This is a professional gesture
that will establish good will and distinguish you from other candidates. .
A follow up thank you letter is your chance to present yourself again and to answer or address specific concerns raised
during the interview about whether you have qualifications the organization is seeking. For example, if an interviewer
had doubts about your supervisory experience, you can emphasize that you have demonstrated leadership abilities in
much
of
your volunteer work. You may also use your letter to mention a specific area
of
expertise that you did not
have an opportunity to discuss in the interview. Send thank you letters within 24 to 48 hours after each interview.
WHY
WRITE
A
THANK
You
LETTER?
• To acknowledge the
interviewer's
time in considering you for the position or in spending time with you to
provide information about an industry or company.
• To highlight something from the conversation that you learned and/orwere impressed by: Use one or two
specific examples.
• . To express
your
enthusiasm for the position if you sincerely feel this way. If an organization is your first
choice, let the addressee know
..
If
you are not interested in the position, thank the person for hislher time and
let him/her know diplomatically that you are not interested in further consideration.
• To supply information you promised in the interview. For example, you may have mentioned an article or
paper you wrote that they wanted to see.
• To clarify/elaborate on a question to which you feel you responded poorly.
'Do
not remind the interviewer
that something did not go well in the interview. Instead, state the thought in a strong, positive tone.
• To reinforce
your
assets, especially if it is clear that the interviewer has reservations about your candidacy.
You may feel that your GPA was
of
concern, or that the employer was troubled by your lack
of
direct
experience. Acknowledge the interviewer's hesitation and provide a strong, positive counterargument.
• To show you have good manners. Employers want to hire people with polish
"and
professionalism. Thank
you notes contribute to establishing a professional reputation.
Thank you letters should be brief.
If
you were interviewed by more than one person, it is best to personalize each note,
perhaps by referring to a comment each interviewer made.
In some cases, you may write the same letter to each
interviewer and "cc" each person on every letter. Use your best judgment, as each case is different.
It is usually best to type your letter/envelope and send by postal mail. It may be acceptable to hand-write a card to a
personal networking contact.
If
the organization has special note cards (UNICEF, for example), you might consider
using that organization's stationery. If sending a thank you letter to someone in
aU
.S. government agency where
surface mail would not arrive in a timely fashion, e-mail is acceptable. In some cases, you may want to send your
letter by both postal and e-mail to ensure delivery. If in doubt, you may speak to a member
of
the CDC staff.