In Are you e-mailing your CV right?, we showed you how to make a good first impression, before being called for your job interview.

Writing a professional follow up or thank you e-mail will make sure you stand out and your name stays fresh in the interviewer's mind. Make sure the follow up mail is written within 24 hours of your interview though, to avoid the possibility of your name being forgotten.

Opening

Check your interviewer's name and title, and be sure of the correct spelling. Get his or her card after the interview for this purpose.

Write 'Thank you' in the subject line. If you know the interviewer well, or have met several times for a discussion, use a more informal greeting ('Dear Ravi', 'Dear Sujoy'). Otherwise, the greeting should reflect the person's formal name ('Dear Mr. Sharma'). Always use Ms. for women unless specifically asked to use Mrs. or Miss.

Describe the experience

Show your appreciation for their time and mention that you enjoyed it as well. Something like 'Thanks for your time. I enjoyed the discussion' should suffice. Mention something specific that made the interview great. Use phrases like: great exchange of ideas, wonderful opportunity, good fit, etc.

Toss in a fact to demonstrate your interest. For example, 'The sales numbers for this quarter look impressive.' Highlight your top two key skills and how the potential employer may benefit from them: 'My background in industrial sales would help the product development team understand consumers better.' Or, 'I am a certified project manager and the organisation could use me as a resource to train other employees.'

Reinforce your interest

Demonstrate your positive approach and tell the prospective employer that you are looking forward to a positive response. Also state that you are willing to answer any other questions they may have. This will convey that you are definitely interested or favourably considering the possibility of an offer.

Closing

If your e-mails are addressed 'Dear Sir/Madam', close with 'Yours faithfully'. If you know the person's name, close with 'Yours sincerely'. Use the same punctuation for both, salutation and closing. If you use a colon for salutation, use one for your closing. If you use a comma for your salutation, use a comma for closing.

Include your contact information (Phone numbers and address) in your signature. Never send the 'Thank you' email as an attachment; always paste the content on the body of the letter.

A sample letter

Dear Mr. Sharma,

Thank you for your time today. I enjoyed the discussion and the opportunity to meet a highly motivated team of professionals.

I am impressed with the sales results of the company in the last quarter. I would like to reinforce that:
� My background in industrial sales would help the product development team understand consumers better.
� I am a certified project manager and the organisation could use me as a resource to train other employees in the team.

I will be happy to answer any other questions you may have.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely,

Anita Bali
(M) 9867890000
Address:�

So, follow up in style and add a knock out punch to your interview.

-- The author is a corporate trainer with a leading BPO in Delhi.

Illustration: Uttam Ghosh