5 Steps to Writing a Winning Thank-You Note

5 Steps to Writing a Winning Thank-You Note5 Steps to Writing a Winning Thank-You NoteYoure fresh out of the interview- feeling good about your presentation, answers, and connection with the interviewer. You feel like you absolutely NAILED it. Youre confident youre going to get a callback- 100 percent confident.But then a week passes and you dont hear anything. And then anotherbei week. Whoosh A month has gone by. Nothing. Not a word. You call to check in, but the position has already been filled you didnt get the job.What. The. HECK?Where did you go wrong?Well, you can nail an interview, but if you dont do one important step afterward, you could very well sabotage yourself. That important step you missed? Writing a thank-you note.You might think a thank-you note is a minor part of the job search process, an unnecessary courtesy even, but thats where youd be wrong. And because you forgot to send one to your interviewer(s), you passed up one final opportunity to stand out among your c ompetition.Okay, so now that you know how important it is to write a thank-you note after your interview, you might ask, Great. Now, how do I write a thank-you note that will grab my interviewers attention?Great question. Here are the steps to writing a winning thank-you noteStep 1. Thank them for their time.This might sound a wee bit obvious, but some people might be so caught up in trying to sell themselves in the thank-you letter that they forget to actually THANK the interviewer(s) for his/her time Right off the bat, give them a big ol thank you.Step 2. Show them you connected with them.Let them know how much youd like to work there. Tell them exactly what you loved about the position and/or company culture. Show them that you connected with them. Bonus If you met someone who youd be working closely with, mention their name in the note.Step 3. Show enthusiasm for the position.Emphasize how excited you are to be considered for the position and tell them why you feel its a great o pportunity. ThenStep 4. Reinforce your top qualifications.After thanking the interviewer(s) for his/her time, BRIEFLY reinforce your qualifications.Accentuate three of your top qualifications as discussed during the interview, wrote Rosa Elizabeth Vargas in her article, What to Say in Your Thank You Card Besides Thank You. Now you have mora information than you did prior to the interview- put it to work for you Connect your qualifications with employer needs expressed during the interview.Keep this brief, though. If you sell yourself too hard, it can work against you.Step 5. Keep it short.Remember, youre not writing a novel here. Youre writing a note. Keep it short and sweet.Writing a winning thank-you note is something you should do after every interview- regardless of how you feel it went. Not only is it polite, but it is a great tool to stand out. OH And make sure to send your email within 24 hoursReaders, do you send a thank-you note or email after an interview? Why or why not? Share with us belowAriella Coombs is the managing editor ofCAREEREALISM. Shes a wicked career nerd, and loves finding ways to make career more fun. Follow her on TwitterAriellaCoombs