Chapter 7
The Thank-You Letter
Note: Before you proceed any further into this chapter than this paragraph, be sure you are
reading the appropriate material. The Thank-You Letter and the Follow-Up Letter are en-
tirely different from each other. Each is written and sent under completely different cir-
cumstances. If you have just concluded an interview and wish to send a letter to promote
your candidacy further, turn back to Chapter 6 for instructions on how to compose a Fol-
low- Up Letter. If you wish to send a brief, yet sincere, note of appreciation—and have no
hidden agenda—read on.
Thank-You Letters are honest and straightforward, with a simple, singular
message. Your only reason for writing is to say “thank you,” and nothing else. You
may be expressing your gratitude to someone for an introduction, advice, a refer-
ral, or serving as a reference for you. You may have interviewed for a job, which
you do not intend to pursue, but wish to thank your interviewer for seeing you.
These are the circumstances that occa-
sion writing and sending a Thank-You
Letter, and effective jobhunters never
overlook them. In fact, you should active-
ly seek opportunities to send Thank-You
notes. The reason is simple: people like to
be appreciated. Doing something for
someone else involves going out of our
way, and we feel (rightly) that we deserve
acknowledgment for it. If we give nothing
more than our time, we’ve given a great
deal, as time is, invariably, in short supply
in the business world. When you satisfy
this need to be appreciated, you help ce-
ment a positive image of yourself in your
reader’s mind—one that will serve you
well should you ever approach this per-

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likely to have additional contact with your reader, but successful networking de-
pends upon it. Do not miss an opportunity to send a thank-you note—you may be
repaid with unexpected surprises later on!
At its most basic, a Thank-You Letter is an expression of feelings. These let-
ters should be short and, contrary to popular belief, they are easy to write as long
as you state your message simply. Your primary goal is to thank someone for her
time, assistance, or support. You should have no secondary goal; if you do, it’s like-
ly that the letter you should be writing is a Follow-Up Letter (see Chapter 6) or a
Make Something Happen Letter (see Chapter 8).
STEP 1: STATE THE OCCASION
Open your letter by referring to the occasion that inspired it. Tell the reader why
you’re writing. Be clear, direct, brief. A few examples follow; you’ll find plenty
more in every sample letter in this chapter.
Sample Openings
■
Thank you for your time and advice.
■
Thank you for seeing me yesterday.
■
Your time and advice are most appreciated, and I thank you for meet-
ing with me earlier this week.
■

write:
Meeting Ms. Farrell was invaluable to me. She shared with me her view of the
future of endocrine therapy research, which in turn, led me to refine my job-
search strategy. As a result of our meeting, I will be contacting Stan Whitmore,
an acquaintance of Ms. Farrell’s, who directs product development for Pfizer
Inc.’s pharmaceutical division.
Not only is it a courtesy to inform your colleague of the results of the referral, it’s
good networking. With the knowledge that you have properly handled the refer-
ral—and that Ms. Farrell found you impressive enough to further refer you to a
colleague of hers—your friend will likely be willing to provide additional assis-
tance in the future. (It should go without saying that the next letter you write will
be to Ms. Farrell.)
If you choose not to go into this level of detail—for example, if the results
were less than you expected—state your feelings instead of providing informa-
tion. In this case, the rule is always: say—don’t describe—how you feel. Whether
you’re mildly grateful, very grateful, eternally grateful, or not at all grateful, this
can be accomplished in very few words. Give the necessary information and
STOP.
Your Thank-You Letters should always be brief, direct, and written with a
positive tone of voice. Because they are short and easy to write, there’s no excuse
to avoid sending a Thank-You Letter. So don’t pass on this chance to network! Use
the sample letters provided on the following pages to guide you as you compose
your own.
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LETTER 7-1: THANK YOU FOR TIME AND CONTACT
211
Ms. Irene Bernstein
Creative Director
Bruner and Bernstein Advertising

Delaware Job Corps
1223 Christiana Way
Wilmington, DE 09876
Dear Mr. Dreshniv:
Thank you for passing along my resume to William Ford.
Mr. Ford has contacted me and we plan to meet on Tuesday, March 5. Our brief
telephone conversation assures me that he will be a valuable resource in my
job search.
I will call you next week to let you know the details of our meeting.
I appreciate your efforts on my behalf.
Sincerely,
Brain John Winakur
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