In what contexts does the student need to display this skill, now and in the future?
Thank you letters can be used to follow-up from interviews for jobs or volunteer positions, to thank someone for writing a letter of recommendation, or any number of opportunities requiring the student to meet with a professional. Thank you letters are also used in the non-professional realm to express appreciation for received birthday gifts and attendance to a party or gathering.
How can you break this skill down?
By this point, the student has designed and written a resume and cover letter. Try to incorporate any instructional methods or visual supports that were beneficial for the student when you taught those skills. Were there themes or interests you incorporated that motivated the student to engage in learning? What graphic organizers or rule cards were particularly helpful? Can they be adapted for instruction on this topic? You may find that you already have a ready-to-use set of tools for this topic! To approach the skills of thank you letters systematically, here are suggested steps:
1) Identify the parts of the thank you letter
a. Your name and contact information
b. Name and address of the person who interviewed you
c. Date (month, date, year)
d. Greeting or salutation (Ex: Dear ________ ,)
e. Body (5-7 sentences)i. Thank the interviewer (1 sentence)
ii. Tell the interviewer you enjoyed meeting him/her (1 sentence)
iii. Re-state your interest in the job (1-2 sentences)
iv. State one good reason you are a good fit for the job (1-2 sentences)
v. Give your phone number and email address (1 sentence)f. Closing (“Sincerely,”)
g. Your signature (if hand-written or type-printed)
h. Your typed full first and last name (if type-printed or emailed)
2) Identify the rules of writing and sending a thank you letter
a. Send the letter within 2 days of your interview
b. If typing and printingi. 12-point font, Times New Roman font
ii. Single-spaced
iii. Proofread, proofread, proofread!
iv. Print in black ink on white paper with no rips, tears, stains, or wrinkles
v. Fold the letter neatly and place in a clean envelope
vi. Address the envelope, apply postage, and put in the mailc. If hand-written
i. Write clearly using legible handwriting with correct spelling and grammar.
ii. Write in black or blue ink on professional stationary (not notebook paper, standard printer paper, etc.)
iii. Proofread, proofread, proofread!
iv. Fold the letter neatly and place in a clean envelope
v. Address the envelope, apply postage, and put it in the maild. If emailing
i. Type with basic text formatting (black, single-space). Do not use rich text formatting (“RTF”) options such as highlighting, colored text, or graphics
ii. Proofread, proofread, proofread!
iii. Send from your professional email address
3) Provide the student with opportunities to identify and label clearly professional versus clearly inappropriate thank you letter content and appearance through the use of samples and graphic organizers.
4) Practice writing thank you letters in the form that is appropriate to the student (typed, emailed, or handwritten). Use the form that is best suited to the student’s current strengths.
5) Practice the steps of submitting a completed thank you letter via postal mail or email in a timely manner (again, as best-suited for the student’s current strengths).
Given what the student can do presently, how will you present the task so that the student can perform steps within his capacity while learning a new step?
If the student has difficulty with handwriting, it is more appropriate to target typed and emailed thank you letters. Previous instruction on typing a cover letter might have helped establish skills on which you can build for this topic. Approach the topic by connecting the student’s previously demonstrated skills from the cover letter topic, perhaps connecting the common information within each (name, contact information, etc.). From this angle, you can introduce the similarities between the two such as using professional language and 12-point font. The purpose of the thank you letter can also be clarified by illustrating where it falls in the hiring process relative to the cover letter (e.g. ”The cover letter let the employer know you were interested and that he should interview you. The thank you letter lets him know that you are still interested and that you appreciate him interviewing you.”).
Keep in mind as you approach teaching the content of the thank you letter that you should use concrete, explicit examples to guide the student. If you say, “express your appreciation in the last line of the letter,” what does this mean to the student? Provide several written examples to illustrate what an expression of appreciation might “look like.”