Thank you Letters

A thank-you letter is a form of follow-up with an employer after a job interview, informational interview, or other contact.

Why Use a Thank-You Letter?

It can give you an edge over other candidates who neglect this important step by showing your interest in the position you were interviewed for.
It’s another chance to re-state your qualifications, and to include information you may have not touched on in the interview.
After an informational interview, it shows that you are appreciative, organized and detail-oriented by mentioning important points from the interview, and taking the time to follow-up.

When to Send a Thank-You Letter?

Immediately after each interview or contact.
Don’t forget to send a thank-you note to the people who give you job leads, advice and information.
Thank-you notes for job referrals show courtesy, and are a good way to announce your new position to those who were of assistance to you in your job search.

* Hand-written thank-you notes are acceptable, especially if you want to make them seem more personal. *

Sample Thank-You Letter

NOTE: This sample thank-you letter is only a guideline on how to write a letter and put the content together. Each thank-you letter you write will be geared towards the specific job interview you had and will be specific to that interview.

Applicant Name
123 Main Street
Town, Province
Postal Code
(613) 123-4567

Date

Mr. ABC, Title
The Manufacturing Company
Town, Province
Postal Code

Dear Mr. ABC:

Thank you for taking the time to interview me for the Administrative Assistant position. I enjoyed meeting with you. I am confident that my skills match your requirements, and that we could have an excellent working relationship.

Recapping my strengths and fit with the position:

I have 8 years of successful office experience, covering all aspects of running a small office.
I have extensive knowledge of Microsoft Office programs.
I am able to type 60 wpm, with high accuracy.

Please feel free to contact me with any further questions. I can be reached at (613) 123-4567. I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Applicant Name

Once your job search has ended and you find a job, there are things you can do to make your working life successful.

Communication skills
Working well with others requires effective communication skills, which can be learned on the job. Listening well to what is being said and asking for clarification when necessary are two particularly important skills in the workplace.

People skills
Good people skills are essential in the workplace and take time to develop. Here are a few pointers to get you started:

Practise patience. In the workplace, you often have to depend on others to get the job done, just as others may have to rely on you. The modern workplace relies on teamwork, so you need to stay calm under pressure and respect your co-workers.

Learn to accept criticism. When your supervisor hands something back to you for corrections, or suggests a different way of doing something, don't get upset; constructive criticism is part of the learning process.

Give others space to do their jobs. Ask questions if you need to, but learn to trust in your own ability to make decisions. When first training for a job, everyone will understand if you have questions about how to do things. After you settle in, try to solve problems on your own before going to your boss. That will show the employer and the other employees that you have the resources and initiative to find things out for yourself.

Forgive the mistakes of others as well as your own. Everyone has days when things don't go the right way. Being able to forgive yourself and others when mistakes are made will make you a better team member.

Learning styles
When you start a new job, there is a lot to learn about the organization, your employer, other employees and your position. That’s why it’s important to know how you learn best. For example:

Are you more likely to turn a computer on and start playing with it, or would you read the manual first?
Do you learn best by hearing about tasks, reading about tasks or performing tasks?

Let your employer know how you learn best and ask for what you need if necessary. It’s also important to look at how you can add different techniques to your learning style, like slowing down before jumping into a task or asking someone to show you how best to perform a task.

The power of knowledge
Knowledge gives you more choices. The more you learn, the more valuable you become to employers. You may be able to apply for higher positions within your organization or to transfer into another job with more responsibility.

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