Teena Rose of Resume to Referral offered these insights about the rationale for sending a post-interview strategic follow-up letter:
Keep in mind that few jobseekers actually send a thank-you or follow-up letter. Therefore, when it actually occurs, it can sway a hiring manager’s decision in your direction. Remember, it’s all about who looks the best in the eyes of the employer. Here are just a few reasons for sending a great follow-up letter, along with suggestions on what to include in it:
- Thank the interviewer for his or her time. Everyone likes to be recognized and thanked, even if the “tree fails to bear fruit.” Send a follow-up letter even on those occasions when the interview didn’t go as well as expected.
- Refresh the interviewer’s memory concerning a particular topic you talked about in the interview. It helps to relate to the interviewer; and by bringing up a previously discussed topic, you can draw the interviewer’s attention on to you — even if only for a minute.
- Forum to reinforce knowledge, skills, and abilities brought up in the interview.
Don’t be afraid to restate what makes you a prime candidate for the position. It doesn’t hurt to mention it, because maybe the interviewer missed something relevant about your skill set.
