Page 171 - Oscar Adler - Sell Yourself in Any Interview_ Use Proven Sales Techniques to Land Your Dream Job (2008)

THE INTERVIEW—BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER

Ask soft questions to get as much information as possible,
and listen carefully to the answers. Take notes. Be sure to
thank recruiters or headhunters for their time and assure
them that you will heed their advice. A willingness to learn
from your mistakes and take proactive steps toward improve-
ment will show recruiters that you are worth their time and
effort, and they will be much more likely to send you on
future interviews. Remember, your success is their success
(again, what will you do for them?).
Whatever you do, don’t give up!

Follow Up with Thank-You Letters

You must write a thank-you letter after every interview. Even
if you felt the interview was terrible, a prompt and effective
thank-you letter can alter the interviewer’s ultimate impres-
sion of you. If you met with more than one person, you
should send an individual note to each interviewer.
Even in this day and age of e-mail, a thank-you letter per-
sonally addressed to the interviewer, neatly typed, signed in
ink, and sent by regular mail can make a huge positive
impression. In some cases, however—for example, if the inter-
viewer stated that she will be making her decision within the
next day or two—it will be more important to get your thank-
you letter to her by e-mail than to observe the formalities of
a traditional letter.
A thank-you note is much more than thanking the inter-
viewer for his or her time. It is another chance for you to
emphasize the benefits you would bring to the job. Be specific.
Repeat all the things that impressed the interviewer during
the interview, and if possible, introduce a new benefit that you
may have forgotten or been unable to address. Remember,
since your meeting, your interviewer has had to attend to

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