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You just walked out of that long-awaited interview, you rocked the difficult questions, and asked even better ones, but unfortunately your work is not done. I know that the last thing you want to do is walk out of an interview and hand-write a thank you note to someone from Human Resources; no one enjoys doing this. Well, it is time to change your view on the dreaded thank you note. We are going to look at the thank you note as an opportunity to set yourself apart from your competition, because that is what the job search is, a competition.
Think about it, you have a blank card and you can write anything you want on it. This is your last opportunity to win over your interviewer and you are going to rock it.
Here are the essentials of a thank you note:
Do not send an email! If you want to look lazy, then send a thank you note by email. You will not get the job.
Focus on how you can make an impact The company you are interviewing for wants someone to step in and play an integral role in the operations, so express in the note how you are going to accomplish this. If you can’t think of anything, then this job is probably not the right fit.
Be an outlier Your interviewer will receive an enormous amount of thank you notes, so you must separate yourself. Definitely thank her for her time and the opportunity, but also add something that makes you different. This interviewer is not going to remember every aspect of your conversation, so be sure to reiterate how and why you are a perfect fit for the position. Also, if you remember anything specific about the interviewer, such as his/her College then mention it. People love for things to be centered on themselves.
Perfection If you misspell a word or write the wrong phrase, please do not cross through it and continue. Get a fresh card and start-over. Yes, it is horrible and incredibly time-consuming, but think of this thank you note as an investment in your future. Do not let your brief moment of laziness effect yours.
By putting the right amount of time and energy into your thank you note, you will have a much greater chance of getting a second interview, which is really the ultimate goal of the thank you note.
—
Brendan Wales is a co-founder of StarvingFreelancers,com, a site dedicated to bringing together talent and opportunity. He studied Finance at the University of Georgia and enjoys working with small-businesses. Two of his favorite authors are Jack Kerouac and Ayn Rand. Wales’ goal in life is to wake up in the morning and be excited about going to work.
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Comments
08.27.09
I agree with almost everything except for the e-mail part. Not every recruiter/hiring manager/HR person values a hand written thank you note over an emailed one.
For instance, I work for a company that is heavily into "green" issues. It is clear not just from the rhetoric we use on our website and other written materials, but also from the causes the company supports and the ways we've chosen to spend money (solar panels, for instance) that we feel strongly about sustainability; that includes cutting down on the amount of paper we use. We reiterate in interviews that we are committed to green business practices, e.g. we talk about incentives we have for employees to make their individual jobs/departments more environmentally friendly.
So, an applicant who sends me a hand written thank you note demonstrates to me that they haven't been paying attention to what the company is all about. It won't kill their chances, but it's not going to make them stand out in the way they think it will. An applicant who emails may be lazy, as you suggest, or they could be paying attention to what is important to my company.
08.27.09
To piggyback on The Real Anonymous, the implication that an e-mailed thank you note is "not going to get you a job" is not at all true. That is unless you believe like I do that thank you notes don't get anyone a job. The best they do is confirm a decision already made.
08.27.09
I apologize for the use of a definite statement, usually not a fan of that. I do agree on both points thought that the use of a hand written note can depends on the circumstances. It always looks great, takes more time to not only get it and write it but snail mail as well. Emails are definitely green, faster and more efficient, so it really depends on the person and company.
08.27.09
@Trace- I love that you used a definite statement. It shows passion in your beliefs. Taylor Mali on speaking with conviction: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCNIBV87wV4
In response to the OP: I agree with you about 'closing the deal.' I've written a few thank you emails with no success, so I'll try snail mail on the next one. Couldn't hurt.
08.27.09
So the your interviewer is reviewing the candidates communication skills, google searched them, read their blog, evaluated interpersonal skills, eduction, previous jobs, technical skills, extracurricular involvement and is just waiting for one more data point to move the candidate's r squared another 0.01. So they factor in the Thank you note! Yes, more data for those mythical candidates who are exactly the same down to the same level of polish on their shoes but one wrote a handwritten thank you note with a real ink on thick mongramed stationary while the other sent an email! Hurray for mongramed stationary!
And I just thought a thank you note was to, you know, express appreciation and say thanks.
08.27.09
I think snail mail is most likely to be read, whereas email inboxes are overloading and people generally want to get in and get out of a message there - they don't want superfluous thanks and pitches.
I think the best route is sincerity and originality. Don't just say "thanks", convey your passion, enthusiasm, and uniqueness. At least with a card, you have their attention, albeit briefly, to make an impact.
I wouldn't oversell or make a hard sell and make claims about what you're going to do for the company. Rather, try to hit a nerve and emotional pull, and tell a story. Echo back on something, whether from something they said in the interview (not what college they went to - seems out of place unless you went there too), or some prior experience related to the job you're applying for. Craft it like a story for a writing class. It's sad, but writing, good writing that is, seems to be a lost/dead art, despite all the attention paid to it in college.
08.27.09
I have also heard differences from hiring managers regarding the email/snail mail thank you card...like any aspect of applying to a job, it is subject to the personal preferences of HR. A manager once told me she still had a thank you card someone sent her a few years ago?! Guess it shows the impact it made.
@Dead Hedge you bring up good points. It does seem kind of odd that a thank you card could compete with a potential candidate's qualifications or have any merit whatsoever. However, maybe it doesn't really sway the hiring managers one way or another, just gives them a glimpse into your personal side and gives them one last thing to confirm their decision. That reiterates the importance of making it personal and not just some generic note you slopped together. I doubt many managers reject/accept candidates based on cover letters (although i could be wrong!)
@Ryan I liked your point about telling a story. I always like the "When you mentioned A in our meeting, it reminded me of B..." segue.
08.28.09
I wonder if there are any hiring managers on this site who might respond to this, I've wondered quite a bit at how much/little a thank you note matters.
@Dead Hedge & Cassie - I'm not sure that the thank you note should be seen as only moving r^2 0.01. Following through with a thank you note shows conscientiousness (i.e. follow through, attention to details, etc.) which is one of the most important things to look for in a potential employee (shameless plug: http://www.scientificmanagementblog.com/?p=7). I've searched on Ebsco Business and Google Scholar, but, alas, I can't find any data on how important a thank you note is.
08.28.09
I would like to ask one question and anyone can respond.
Who would you rather hire for your company? The person who took the time to hand write a thank you note or the one that emailed you one.
With all else equal, I think it is a pretty easy choice. Obviously there are people that are phenomenal applicants and deserve the job regardless, but for the readers of Brand-yourself.com and Brazen Careerist I am trying to give them the motivation to gain an advantage that is for the taking.
Even if the thank you notes impact is minimal, that little bit of effort may be the determinant that will set the applicant apart from the rest.
08.30.09
Hmm, I am going to chime in and agree with the comments about e-mail. As said above me, I think it is important to factor in how you have been communicating with the organization up to this point--if e-mail has been the primary method of communication, a thank you note sent via e-mail is absolutely okay.
But, I think it is most important to remember to thank them--too many candidates forget this step. Your advice on being an outlier and perfection is spot on.
I'd love to hear the thoughts of someone in HR, too.
08.31.09
Thanks for chiming in Holly, hat is definitely a valid point. While you're debating whether to write a hand written thank you note or just email them, DON'T forget!
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