Every interaction with an employer is an opportunity to market yourself. So take full advantage of all of them – especially the thank you note you send after you’ve had an interview.

Key elements of a marketing thank you note:

  1. Thanks for taking the time to meet with me.
  2. I’m even more excited/enthusiastic/interested/intrigued about the position and the company/working with you/working with you and your team/joining your team. (select one or make up your own – be enthusiastic!!)
  3. Something specific related to the interview: a topic you were especially interested in, a reason your skills can meet their needs, a way you match exactly what they are looking for.
  4. A paragraph that takes your candidacy a step further and tells them you are thinking more about the job and the company, that you are getting ready to “hit the ground running.” It also could be allaying a concern you think they might have based on the interview.
  5. Looking forward to next steps.

Here’s a thank you note as it started and as it ended up:

NAME,

Thanks for taking the time to speak with me today about the Senior Project Manager position at COMPANY.  I just wanted to reiterate my interest in joining your team.  It sounds like you are right at the point where my passion for and knowledge of project management could make a huge impact on how your group manages projects for your Strategic Accounts.

Managing the PAST EMPLOYER integration project helped me to gain the experience of how to manage large scale technical projects that involved multiple groups and locations.  This experience would allow me to hit the ground running with you and your team.  You mentioned that you may not have the immediate need for a project manager until the first quarter, but let’s take the opportunity now to get on top of your existing projects and let me use my knowledge of process creation and project management best practices to put a scalable process in place to manage your projects going forward.

I look forward to hearing from you and Adam regarding next steps.  Please feel free to contact me if you have any further questions.

Happy holidays,

INTERVIEWEE

I made edits as you’ll see below. My thinking was not to give him an out but to create a sense of urgency that he has needs he has to fulfill in less than a month. (Sidebar: I avoid using the word “but” as much as possible, because it negates the first statement in any sentence, as in “I hear you but…” means I really don’t care what you said.)

Dear PERSON (can be first name if you know them, preferably Mr./Ms.),

Thanks for taking the time to speak with me today about the Senior Project Manager position at COMPANY.  I am even more excited about the possibility of joining your team.  It sounds like you are right at the point where my passion for and knowledge of project management could make a huge impact on how your group manages projects for your Strategic Accounts.

As the first quarter of 2012 is rapidly approaching, I’m already thinking of how to use my knowledge of process creation and project managment best practices to put a scalable process in place to manage your projects going forward. Managing the PAST EMPLOYER integration project gave me great experience in managing large scale technical projects that involve multiple groups and locations, experience that will allow me to hit the ground running with you and your team.

I look forward to hearing from you and PERSON regarding next steps.  I’d love to keep talking with you about your project management needs. Please feel free to contact me if you have any further questions.

Happy holidays,

INTERVIEWEE

Thanks for reading my blog and feel free to share it with the people in your life who you think can benefit from it.

Julia Erickson is a career coach/blogger helping you find and do work you love – your “right fit” job. Her coaching is grounded in nearly 30 years experience in NYC’s non-profit industry, including 12 as CEO of two major organizations. Julia led Public/Private Initiatives at NYC’s Department of Employment, which gave her in-depth knowledge of what employers want.  Julia applies to career management the marketing expertise she used to raise more than $100 million, much through direct response.

print