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Thursday, June 26, 2014

Once upon a time, the primary form of communication was the written letter. People took pride in using correct grammar and spelling. It is becoming a lost art (my writing here is probably full of errors thus proving my point). However, the thank you letter is a very important part of the interview and hiring process. It reveals many things about the candidate. The absence of one is usually the end of the road for that candidate. So, in the electronic age, how do we successfully pen a great letter.
Here are some basics. First have electronic personal stationary. Anyone that can surf Facebook has the skills to do it. Write your letter as if they will print it off and place it in a file. Start with the person's company and address. Name and title. Finally the date. You would be shocked at the number of letters I see that are not set up that way. Begin your letter that should be three paragraphs. A paragraph is defined as a minimum of two sentences.
Start off with thanking them for their time etc. The second paragraph is the meat of the letter. You may want to highlight one great thing you have done to solidify that in their mind. This might be a great time to handle that one objection they had about you on the interview. Finally, the final paragraph tells them you want the opportunity and you look forward to moving forward in the process.
Attach the letter to an e-mail.....not in the body of an e-mail.
Just my abbreviated thoughts on the thank you letter. See, it pays to go to English class in school!!

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