Teacher Education Thank You Letter Guide

Congratulations!  You have successfully made it through the interview!  Now what?  Interviews are not over when you leave the actual interview, you must follow-up!   

Listed below are the components to write an effective thank you letter.  If you have questions about writing a thank you letter or would like your letter to be reviewed, please contact Career Services.    To download a copy of the Thank You Letter Guide, click here. 

Purpose
Format
Sample Thank You Letter

Following an interview, ALWAYS write the interviewer a thank you letter.  This letter should be sent within 2 business days to express your appreciation for the interview.  The purpose of the letter is to:

1. Show appreciation for the employer's interest in you and the opportunity to interview. 
2. Reiterate your enthusiasm/interest in the position and in the school/district.
3. Remind the employer about your qualifications for the position. If you thought of something you forgot to mention in the interview, mention it in your thank-you letter.
4. Demonstrate that you have good manners and know to write a thank-you letter.
5. Follow up with any information the employer may have asked you to provide after the interview.

Format

• Thank-you letters can be typed, handwritten or e-mailed.
• Typed letters are the most formal, whereas handwritten are more personal. 
• E-mail is appropriate when that has been your means of contact with the person you want to thank, if your contact has expressed a preference for e-mail or if there is a tight timeline in which the interviewer will make the hiring decision. 
• The format of the letter is not as important as is the fact that you take the time to write a proper thank you note.  

Sample Thank You Letter

Dear Ms. Smith,

Thank you so much for the opportunity to interview with you for the 4th grade teaching position at Heritage Elementary School.  I found our meeting both enjoyable and informative.

After meeting with you, I am even more excited about this potential opportunity.  My education at St. Norbert College and experience working with children make me a good fit for the 4th grade teacher position.  In addition to my enthusiasm, I will bring to this position my ability to quickly establish rapport with students, strong classroom management skills, bilingual skills in English and Spanish and a strong work ethic.  Through my experience student teaching abroad in Mexico I gained a strong appreciation of diversity, which I hope to instill in my students in the classroom.  I believe my three years of experience working in a daycare center has given me the confidence and ability to manage my own classroom.  As we discussed, I am also interested in becoming involved as an advisor for extracurricular activities.

Thank you again for taking the time to interview me today.  I would welcome the opportunity to become a staff member at Heritage Elementary School and believe I would be a strong contributing member to your staff.  Please contact me if you have additional questions.   I look forward to hearing from you soon. 

Sincerely,


Natalie L. Knight