A Thank You Letter: to send or not to send – that is the question!

Years ago, after I graduated from a University in Europe, I faced a challenge, which sooner or later, every alumnus faces; starting to look for a job in hope of finding a suitable position within my Degree in Political Science and International Relations. Being an A+ student, I believed that I had strong communication skills and a vast knowledge of the field. However, I also knew that I did not have any professional experience, and understood that it could be a serious obstacle on my way to success.

Almost every interview, where I was trying too hard to convince employers that I was a quick learner and persuade them to hire me in spite of the lack of experience, came to an end with the words, “Thank you for your time. It was a pleasure to meet you” or “Thank you. We’ll call you in few days.” I returned home anxious, restless and full of worries, simply because I was not sure if they would contact me again. Hours, days and weeks were passing. I was eager to find out if they really were going to call, or merely said they would simply because of decorum. I was craving to find out what was in their minds. I was eager to see if they hired someone else because I did not suit the position for this or that reason. I wanted to see clearly where I stood. I felt powerless, because I knew I was not able to do anything, but force myself to idle and wait. What could I do after all? Call them again? Inappropriate! Send my resume one more time? Weird! Initiate another meeting? Pushy!

All of a sudden, it came to me in a flash as I was ruminating on why they were keeping silent- THERE WAS a thrilling solution for my fretful distress – sending them a nice, well –written “Thank You Letter!” Thinking it over, I came to the conclusion that I would not lose anything by sending the people I expected to hear from a little charming reminder! In addition, by sending them a Thank You Letter, I was going to gain myself an exceptional chance to:

– politely remind an employer that I was still interested in the position, and if I were hired, would do all my best to be an excellent employee, even if inexperienced;

– perceive the situation as it was. A bitter truth is always better than a sweet delusion. If the position was taken, I simply had to let it go, get unstuck and move on;

– get rid of my concerns, sleepless nights and unrealistic expectations, and be able to turn to other numerous opportunities, which the world is so full of!

Thus, the first letters I’ve sent by email and mail, were plain and short (employers do not have much time to go through endless personal stories!), but written in a sweet, polite, and respectful tone. I simply expressed my continuous interest in the position and thanked an employer for finding time and meeting me.

The letter worked the magic! Most employers, who handled an interview with me, got back to me with a response the same or next day! Of course, I received different replies such as: “I am sorry, but we decided to hire someone else,” “Thank you for being interested in the position. We keep in files your resume, and, definitely, let you know our decision after interviewing a couple more candidates” or “We would like to schedule another interview with you on Friday, 12:00 p.m. in order to make a final decision.” Some people, who did not find time to reply, called me in two or three weeks to see how I was doing and if I was still interested in the position. As a rule, I apologized and said I was not, because… I found my dream job some time ago!

Is it worthwhile to have a Thank You Letter in a job – seeker package, in addition to your Cover Letter and Resume? Definitely, yes!

The letter, though, should be written aptly. If a Thank You Letter is well –composed, it will give you another chance to catch an employer’s attention (your professionally written Cover Letter and Resume are the main keys which got to their attention by now), bring you closer to getting what you actually want, and, possibly, become a lucky ticket, which will open the door to success for you!