Amazing Cover Letters/Jimmy Sweeney Cover Letters
Learn to write a high-quality cover letter, and receive copies of his
award-winning cover letter templates. View
the Amazing Cover Letter Creator and resources to help with your job-search;
i.e. 10 secrets to acing your job interview and salary negotiation tips.
Interview Questions & Strategies
Interview with these interview tips, career Q&A's, and resources.
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Thank You Letters
Sending a thank you letter is as
important as interview preparation. But they’re tough to write,
so people either tell themselves that not sending one doesn’t
matter, or they procrastinate until it’s too late and almost pointless
anyway. But anyone who tells themselves that foregoing a fundamental
rule of etiquette doesn’t matter, not only taints themselves in
the mind of the interviewer, but misses two additional opportunities
to sell.
A thank you letter is an additional sales piece. As I’ve said
before, you’re selling a product and the product is you. So beyond
the reason of etiquette, the letter sells you as a polite person
who recognizes that the interviewer gave them something valuable:
time and consideration.
A fundamental rule of sales is to keep the product in front of
the buyer and reinforce its benefits. So beyond the etiquette,
the letter gives you ample space to comment on what you liked
about the company, why your skills are of benefit to them, and
how much you’re interested. If something wasn’t tied up, or was
left unsatisfactorily, you should use the space to further address
the issue.
When you miss the opportunity to reinforce your skills and tie
them to the job requirements, you miss a chance to sell. When
you fail to address a concern or answer a question and leave it
to fester in the mind of the interviewer, you’ve failed to overcome
an objection. And if a buyer has an objection to the product,
if it isn’t addressed, the likelihood of the sale is slim.
The third opportunity missed by skipping the thank you letter
is the chance to keep your name in front of the buyer. Read newspapers?
Watch TV? See the same ads over and over and over again? It’s
somewhat the same principle – if you keep your name in front of
the hiring authority, they’re more likely to remember you.
Thank you letters are one of the reasons it’s important to take
notes during an interview. Not only does it show good attention
to detail, it saves you from having to scrunch your face up trying
to remember some of the information you learned about the company
and position during the interview. Because if you met with three
separate people during one visit to the company, that’s three
thank you letters….three different thank you letters.
So let’s look at how to create one of these so that it becomes
a less odious task.
First paragraph Open with the obligatory thank you and
include how you enjoyed the meeting. Say why. Maybe the people
you met were exceptional. Perhaps their company philosophy was
exactly what you had hoped for. Or they need to overhaul a department
and you can’t wait to sink your teeth into it because that’s what
you’ve got a stellar track record of doing. It doesn’t matter.
Pick something out, and put it down. But make it real.
Second paragraph What took place during your interview?
Pull out a piece of information that pleased you, say what it
was, and tell them why. For instance: I was particularly pleased
to find that X company/the opportunity/your management style has/was/is/does
whatever. This is exciting because…… . You can expand on whatever
it is for a few sentences by elaborating: how it relates to something
you’ve experienced and liked -- or didn’t like. Discuss a particular
aspect of the job you find appealing and reiterate why you’d be
successful at it or how long you’ve been performing it or how
similar it is to something you’ve done in the past.
Third paragraph You can add a similar paragraph if the
second was fairly short. Or you can wind it up if it was a bit
lengthy. If there was something that came up that needed clarification
or about which they were dubious, address it and clear it up here.
Fourth paragraph Wind
it up. Re-iterate your interest. Be enthusiastic! Leave the job
speak behind. If you really want to be hired, let your interest
shine through. There’s nothing wrong with coming right out and
saying, “I’d love to work with X company!”
Caution: Don’t start every sentence
with “I”. It may be the easiest way to write the letter but it’s
not only repetitive, it’s a turn off and egotistical. This process
is about you getting a job, but it’s about what they get out of
it if they hire you.
If you really want the job, the letter will be easy to write because
it will contain genuine impressions and sentiments. If you choose
to skip the letter, perhaps you don’t care if you’re hired or
not. But make that decision yours and withdraw from the process
instead of letting the decision be made for you.
Judi Perkins, VisionQuest
www.findtheperfectjob.com
Sample Letters
Example Cover Letter, Research & Development Professional
Example Cover Letter, Administrative/Accounting Professional
Example Cover Letter, Commercial Property
Example Cover Letter, Desktop Support and Network
Admin Professional
Example Cover Letter, IT Director
Example Cover Letter, Insurance
Claims Professional
Example Cover Letter, Supervisor/
Management Position
Example Cover Letter, Project
Leader
Example Cover Letter, Hospitality
Position
