Becca writes:
I interviewed with a panel of 7 people for entrance into a radiology program. I have the name of the director of the program but not the other names of those in the panel. The panel interviewed me all at the same time. Is it acceptable to send one letter and address it as Dear Mr. Ray and interview panel? I’m afraid it is not feasible to get the names of the panel since they are students within the program. I interviewed on Monday and would like to send the letter today. I would appreciate any suggestions you might have.
The Career Doctor responds:
The most important thing you — and any person — can do after an interview is to send a thank-you letter or note. It’s something that takes very little of your time and can make a very big impact, especially if most others (as it typically the case) do not send thank you letters.
In a job-interviewing situation, I would always do everything I could to get the names of all the panel members. I am one of those people who is very bad at remembering names when people introduce themselves, especially when I am in a stressful situation like a job interview. Typically, you can call the organization and request the names from the panel. In your situation, I would contact the director’s administrative assistant and get the names of the students on the panel.
Are you also sure that the director is a “Mr.” and not a “Dr.”? Misspellings of people’s names, or using the incorrect titles, can be a major blow to any attempt at gaining an advantage by writing the letter in the first place.
If you cannot get the names of the students, then simply address the letter to the director, but in the first paragraph, mention that you want to express your thanks to the entire panel of students.
To get more detailed advice about thank-you letters — and see some great samples — read this article published on Quintessential Careers: FAQs About Thank You Letters.
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