How to Write a Thank-You Note When You Didnt Get the Job

How to Write a Thank-You Note When You Didnt Get the JobHow to Write a Thank-You Note When You Didnt Get the JobTest the letter you send after you didnt get the job to make sure its gracious enough to build bridges.Before you send a letter to the company that hired somebody else, run the content through this quick test.1. The letter is addressed toA. the partie who spent the most time interviewing you.B. the entire team who interviewed you.In most cases, experts advise passed-over job candidates to address the letter to the one part at the company with whom you spent the most time. If youre working with an external recruiter, you should always check with him/her before sending this correspondence. Some job candidates have reported making employers and external recruiters uncomfortable by contacting the company directly.2. The contentA. grabs the reader from the first line.B. says, OK. Thanks anyway.Caroline Ceniza-Levine, a partner at career coaching firm SixFigureStart and a life co ach, once had to select only 12 students from hundreds at a top university to interview for a full-time, entry-level program. One student, who made it to the top 25 but not to the final 12, wrote to Ceniza-Levine after the interviews were over. Her opening line I bid all of my points to interview with you. The point system welches set up to reflect students desire to work for a given employer. Each student had 1,000 points to spend however she chose 50 points on 20 employers, 100 on 10 or 1,000 on 1, for example, as this letter writer had done.She spent all of her points on just our company, essentially signaling we were by far her favorite and diminishing her chances with everyone else, Ceniza-Levine said. It was an impressive opener, and it paid off for the student when Ceniza-Levine referred her to another opening, where she aced the interview and nabbed the job.3. The questions and opinionsA. ask what you could do to make yourself a better fit for the company/position in the fut ure.B. state that no one could possibly have more experience in this area, then suggest they clearly didnt do a thorough job reviewing your resume.Julie Bauke, a former career strategist and now president of Congruity Career Consulting, has a colleague in human resources who received a letter with contents reflecting letter B above. The person might as well have said, ?You clearly dont know how to do your job, Bauke said. That response made my friend even more certain in her decision to pass on that candidate. And she will never forget that name.4. The content and toneA. reiterate a positive point from your interview that reflected well on the interviewer.B. are angry or threatening.Sandra Lamb, a career, lifestyle and etiquette expert and the author of several books about writing, advises a client to send a brief, positive letter that states that you were disappointed but that you wanted to congratulate the hiring person on having made a selection, and then wish him well for the f uture, she said.Employers discard angry or threatening letters, according to Ceniza-Levine. Those companies with good candidate-tracking techniques will then put the candidates name on a do-not-interview list for future jobs, she said.5. The subject matterA. is specific to the business.B. rambles on and on with nonspecific platitudes rather than tangible comments.After noting that shed spent all her points on the company, the student who wrote to Ceniza-Levine went on to talk about the particular role in the specific line of business she wanted and where she saw that business headed. She knew about our business, Ceniza-Levine said. Nothing confidential, but she clearly did her homework beyond just reading our Web site.Beyond that, the student documented specifically how her experience would translate to the business, giving examples of her past work and specific skills.SCORINGGive yourself 2 points for all As, 0 points for Bs.10 Nice work. Youre modeling how youll be as an employee gracious and mature.610 Not too shabby. Work on tailoring this letter to the business, and avoid bitterness.04 Somethings wrong. Check your letters for rudeness or disrespect, which displays poor judgment.