You've sent your resume and cover letter and finished the interview, but your work is not yet done. You still must follow up with a thank you letter.

No matter if the interview went wonderfully and you know you got the job or it went horribly and you would never accept an offer from the company, you should always write a thank you letter.

The thank you letter is your opportunity to reiterate what was said in the interview, remind the employer why you are an ideal candidate for the position, and thank the employer for his/her time and consideration. Thank you letters can be computer generated, written by hand, or sent via email.

What to Include

• Restate some of your skills or accomplishments that you spoke about during the interview.
• Demonstrate your knowledge of the company and the position and how you would contribute to both.
• Address anything that you perceive may prevent you from getting the job.
• Recall a specific conversation that occurred during the interview.
• Reiterate your interest in the position.
• Link your goals and beliefs with those of the company.
• Restate your objective and how the position fulfills that objective.
• Outline your goals and aspirations within the company.
• Mention something you learned during the interview or something that you found interesting.
• Include anything you forgot to mention during the interview.
• Express your desire to hear from the employer and your willingness to provide more information, if necessary.
• Include or attach any information, references, or work samples that the employer requested.
• Thank the employer for his/her time and consideration.
• Sign your thank you letter.

Send It Promptly
The most important thing to remember about a thank you letter is that you need to send it immediately following an interview. Try to send it the same day, but never wait more than three to four days after the interview. The longer you wait, the greater the chance that the employer's enthusiasm for you will have decreased. If you met with more than one person during an interview, send a thank you letter to each person individually.

Proofread
Make sure you have the proper spelling, address, and title for the person to whom you are sending a thank you letter. If you didn't receive a business card during the interview, call the operator or receptionist at the company and get the correct information.

As with every other written communication you've produced so far, proofread and edit your thank you letters. This is the last thing that the employer will see from you before making their decision, so end things on a good note.