Follow-up & Thank You Letters
Follow-Up Letters
These types of letters are used when some aspect of the job search process has become stalled, or when you are reestablishing contact with someone. The purpose of these letters is to express your continued interest, refresh the memory of the recipient, and jumpstart the process.
- Sample Follow-up Letter After an Interview for an Internship
- Sample Follow-up Letter to a Former Professor
Thank You Letters
Thank you letters are crucial at every stage of the job search process. Most applicants won't take the time to pen a thank you letter. The purpose of these types of letters is to express appreciation: for receiving a contact name, for taking the time to do an informational interview, for being selected for an interview and, hopefully, a job! Whenever you receive a piece of information or someone's time, you should send a thank you letter.
All samples are fictitious and were created by UNM Career Services.
Networking/Prospecting Letters
These letters are similar to cover letters in that they are employed to express your interest in a position or organization. However, unlike a cover letter, there is no specific, posted position to which you are applying. Therefore, the purpose of these letters is to 1) introduce your resume and 2) network (or prospect) for potential opportunities. These letters work well when you are interested in a specific organization or industry, and a position isn't known to exist. These letters may be used when you have a specific contact name provided from a mutual contact (networking letter); or, when you don't know anyone specific within an organization (prospecting letter). This is a small nuance; the tone of both types of letters is generally the same.
