Marie asks:

“I had an interview today and it went pretty well. I want to send a thank-you letter, but what should I say?”

Congratulations on your job interview! First, let me commend you for writing an interview thank-you letter. The majority of candidates don’t take the time to do this, so your efforts will help set you apart from the crowd. The purpose of a thank-you letter is to:

1. Reiterate your strong interest in the position and thank the interviewer for his or her time. You need to communicate your enthusiasm for joining their team. Remember, you’re in competition for this job with other people who probably have similar qualifications as you. You must convince the employer that you are excited about the opportunity.

2. Restate your value proposition. For example, “As we discussed, you need a district manager who can quickly expand the Northwestern territory. My experience increasing revenue in a new territory by 140% within a year offers you this proven track record.” Now that you’ve had a chance to chat with the hiring manager, you should have a good feel for the responsibilities and objectives of the position, so treat the thank-you letter as a proposal for what you expect to accomplish if hired. Provide an outline of what you intend to accomplish, and include a timeline and expected results/outcomes/benefits to the employer. You will surely set yourself apart from the crowd by showing how you plan on meeting the employer’s needs.

3. Inject points that you forgot to mention during the interview or wish you had worded differently. If your interview went flawlessly, then there’s no reason to address this. But if you find yourself thinking, “I wish I had told them about…,” then write a line something like this in your thank-you letter: “As I reflected on our conversation, I realized that I neglected to mention my background in…”

Good luck with this opportunity, and let me know if you get the offer!