After A Job Interview: What To Do To Follow Up
If you write a letter to say "Thank you for the interview," should you use the person's first name since I usually do so in the interview?
It's an interesting professional etiquette question that depends as much on the age and status difference between the interviewer and the candidate as it does on the interviewer being addressed and how they prefer to be addressed. Let's review the fundamental element of interview address and then apply it to a thank you or follow-up email.
Unless otherwise specified, use Mr. or Ms. when addressing interviewers. You should never let your personal tastes come into play during a job interview. While opting to address an interviewer by their first name without being advised to do so could make you feel more equal briefly, it won't increase your chances of landing the job.
For interviews, consider the following common standards:
If other workers use a personal form of address, that does not mean that you should too.
When speaking to a senior individual in private, it is OK to use their first name; but, once additional people are present, you should use the more formal Mr. or Ms.
Unless otherwise advised, always use Mr. or Ms. when there is a big age difference.
Use only your first name if required.
If you're unsure, ask.
Using a more formal address not only communicates your respect for a prospective boss but also your knowledge and understanding with the company's clients.
Follow-up letters to say thanks
It's possible that the follow-up and thank-you letter requirements for interviews won't always apply. The closer you are in age, experience, and status to the interviewer, the more likely it is that you will be encouraged to use first names, but this does not always imply that you should do so in the follow-up letter. In fact, returning to the formal and polite address can help you score more points.
Use Mr./Ms. in a thank you or follow-up email and using your last name only serves as a hint that you are polite in professional situations. It will always be seen as a sign of your moral character and your knowledge of business etiquette, two things a smart applicant will like to project.
You can never go wrong using the recipient's last name in the introduction of an interview thank-you letter, unless you are really close in age and status to the recipient and the meeting went particularly well.
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