| A surefire way to separate yourself from a sea of | | | | |
| other qualified candidates is to write a follow-up letter | | | | 2) After interviewing at a company, should I send a |
| after an interview. Most job seekers neglect to write a | | | | letter to all interviewers? |
| letter, assuming that once they leave the interviewer's | | | | Yes. You should send a letter to each interviewer |
| office the interview is over. Well, it isn't. The interview | | | | because each one has his/her own concerns and |
| process extends beyond the one-on-one meeting and | | | | reasons for participating in the selection process. For |
| it is up to you to keep your candidacy in the forefront | | | | example, a direct supervisor may be looking for a new |
| of the decision-maker's mind. | | | | hire that will make her look good to the powers that |
| An effective follow-up letter serves two purposes: (1) | | | | be. On the other hand, a peer will be looking for a |
| It reminds the interviewer of your skills, knowledge and | | | | coworker he can get along with when participating in |
| abilities; with the number of candidates they are | | | | work activities or when grabbing a beer during Friday |
| interviewing, it can be easy to get lost in the crowd. (2) | | | | night happy hour. Having two different audiences |
| It demonstrates that you remain interested in working | | | | means that you can-and should-create two different |
| for the company and that you were impressed by the | | | | follow-up letters. |
| organizational culture. | | | | Sample Follow-Up Letter |
| There are several slants the follow-up letter can take, | | | | Ms. Barbara Cortes |
| including the following: | | | | ABC Corporation |
| - Thank the interviewer(s) for the time they took to | | | | 876 Lakeland Street |
| meet with you and for giving you the opportunity to | | | | Hauppauge, NY 11787 |
| learn more about the organization and the open | | | | Dear Ms. Cortes: |
| position. | | | | Thank you for taking the time to meet with me |
| - Reiterate your interest in the position and draw | | | | regarding the paralegal position at Collado, Collado, & |
| parallels between what you have to offer and the | | | | Fiore, LLC. After meeting with you and discussing the |
| organization's immediate needs. | | | | set requirements, I noted several similarities between |
| - Address a concern that came up during the interview | | | | your requirements and my past experience. |
| or offer new information to a question that was asked | | | | From our discussion, it seems you are seeking a |
| during the interview. | | | | paralegal that has experience in supporting trial |
| Most job seekers don't follow up because they don't | | | | proceedings by organizing evidence for case review; |
| want to do the wrong thing. So instead of risking | | | | preparing exhibits; maintaining relationships with experts; |
| making a bad impression, they choose not to follow up | | | | and scheduling witnesses and ensuring they are |
| at all. Common questions most job seekers have | | | | present and ready when needed. In my current |
| about following up include: | | | | position with Allen & Associates, I am required to |
| | | | perform all those responsibilities in addition to juggling |
| 1) Should I e-mail, hand-write, or type, print, and mail my | | | | and managing numerous legal tasks. |
| follow-up letter? | | | | Be assured that I can be counted on to get the job |
| The answer is, it depends. With so many ways of | | | | done under demanding schedules, and I would enjoy |
| sending communications, you may feel confused as to | | | | the opportunity to do the same for your organization. |
| how to send a follow-up letter. Send an e-mail when a | | | | What you will expect and get from me as a member |
| hiring decision is going to be made within the week. | | | | of your team is dedication, enthusiasm, and |
| This will ensure that your letter gets read before it's | | | | professionalism. |
| too late. A handwritten note works well if you have | | | | Again, thank you for taking the time to meet with me. I |
| nice handwriting and if you're sending a card with a | | | | remain interested in participating in the next round of |
| quick note; I wouldn't recommend handwriting a note on | | | | interviews. Thank you for your consideration. |
| loose-leaf paper. My favorite, if time allows, is a typed | | | | Sincerely, |
| letter that you send through regular mail. The reason | | | | Michele Martinez |
| why I prefer this method is that it is easy to for a | | | | Final thought |
| decision-maker to delete an e-mail but most likely, a | | | | Don't underestimate the power of an effective |
| snail-mailed letter will end up in your file. Again, a | | | | follow-up letter. They have been known to win job |
| snail-mailed letter is not always possible, so do the next | | | | offers. |
| best thing and e-mail the letter instead. | | | | |