First off, why write a Thank You Letter?
It's not just to thank your interviewer but to help you stand out amongst the numerous teenagers they'll be interviewing and to possibly start a dialogue or even mentor-mentee relationship with the interviewer. Now that we're clear about the aim of the letter, here are my tips to get you going.
1. Write formally
Just because you made a few jokes or bonded over something personal during the interview doesn't suddenly make the interviewer your best buddy. Please don’t greet them with the cringy “Hey man” or “Hey dude” at the beginning of the email. Be cordial but formal like you're writing to a long lost uncle who happens to be the CEO of a company that you’re trying to get an internship at.
2. Only mention parts of the interview that were enjoyable or intriguing for both you and the interviewer.
One of the biggest mistakes I see is students try to include too much information in their letter. Your job is to make the interviewer remember you, rather than bore the him/her with the same information about academics, extracurricular activities, zzzzz. If you don't have anything interesting to say about the interview then I suggest you check out my tips for college interviews before your next interview.
3. If the interview went well, follow up with a question or an invitation for future email exchanges.
Having the patience and analytical mindset to digest a conversation and ask intelligent questions is the hallmark of an inquisitive student. Just make sure the question isn't one that could be answered through reading the school website or accessing your own brain. If you really don't have a question to ask, perhaps you can end with an invitation for future conversations. One of my students actually followed up with his interviewer so well that he ended up getting some valuable insight for writing that particular school’s supplement essay.
If the above tips are not enough, you can always ask me to proofread your Thank You Letter.
K Thanks Bye
Comments