Writing a "Thank You" note is an inexpensive way to get ahead and can only help you in your job search. So, Why Not?! Here are some tips for successful Thank You notes.
Card, E-mail, or Letter?If you had your interview face-to-face, take the time to write a hand-written Thank you card. A face-to-face interview provides an added element of person-ability to the hiring process and you should maintain that through your Thank You cards. The biggest thing to watch out for is verbage - make sure your words are spelled correctly and that there are no funky sentences. Make sure your cards are simple, professional, and relevant. Please, Do NOT buy pink, scented, damask-print Thank You cards with an embossed dragonfly on the front. Sleek, Professional, Impressive - that's what you're going for. I would suggest purchasing THESE (pictured) because they have all of the aforementioned traits and they are also usable for any profession.
However, if your handwriting is atrocious or you have a lot to say, then writing a Thank you letter is a better alternative for you. A letter will also maintain that awesome sense of person-ability and show off more of your administrative and technical talents. If you are going to write a letter, make sure it is formatted perfectly and that there are absolutely no spelling or grammatical errors. Try to use the same type of paper that you printed your resume on, unless you chose something awful. Use resume-grade, light colored paper. They also make envelopes to match.
If you had a long-distance interview over the phone, or the company you are applying to is very technological, then an email would probably be more appropriate. E-mail should, most definitely, be more of a last resort because it takes away from the sense of person-ability. If you have decided to write an email, again, make sure it is perfectly formatted and that there are no spelling or grammatical errors. Also, if you have an email signature set up that has some sort of inspirational quote in it or a funky font, don't use it. Remember, Sleek, Professional, Impressive. You should, also, consider following an e-mail with a short Thank You card sent in the mail.
Practice first!
Write, re-engineer, and then re-write your message until it is perfect. If you are writing a handwritten note, practicing will help you remember your message as you write, and help you see if you are going to need to employ the use of a ruler because you suck and can't write in straight lines (yes, I am referring to me).
Write your Thank You note AFTER your Interview
Each letter to individual needs to be personalized and considerate. One of the biggest mistakes candidates make (when they do write thank yous) is that they write a mechanical-sounding, generic Thank You note and send it off to everyone. Don't do that! If you have interviewed with a panel of executives, they talk to each other (duh!) and will certainly notice if all the thank you notes are the same. Even for an individual, a mechanical-sounding thank you note will be more of a turn-off than advocating for your employment. You want to get a job, don't you?! Each note needs to reflect your interview and be personalized for each person you are sending them to.
Something else important to note is that Thank you's should be put in the mail within 24 hours after the conclusion of your interview. If you take too long, the decision could already be made by the time your show of gratitude is received, not to mention that receiving a thank you after a few weeks is not as impressive as receiving it promptly. The US Postal Service takes up to seven days to deliver a letter within the United States, depending on how far it's going. If you are in the same town, the letter could arrive at the recipient the next day. Now, that's impressive!
Format and Content
It is important to write a separate Thank You to each person that you interacted with during your interview. You need to be able to spell their name correctly. The internet is a great resource and I have often "stalked" my interviewers on Social Networking sites like LinkedIn and Facebook to find out how to spell their names. Do this before your interview! It will help you with pronunciation during your interview and help to expedite the "Thank you" process afterwards.
You should always begin and end a Thank you Note with a expression of gratitude. For example, begin with "I appreciate the time you took to meet with me regarding the <such-and-such> position" and end with "Again, thank you very much for your time and consideration."
After your introductory statement of gratitude, make a point about something (or two somethings) that you talked about during your interview. For example, if you interviewed for a management position, you could say something like "I believe that my superior communication skills and ability to motivate others will certainly help <Blah blah blah> company maintain its strong growth strategies". This would also be a good point to discuss, clarify, or add to anything you may have said or wanted to say in your interview. For things that you SHOULD NOT SAY in a thank you note, please check out this webpage.
After you touch on the past interview, focus on the future employment by reiterating your interest in the position. State the specific job title and why you're interested. For example, say something like "Our interview today reinforced my desire to be part of the <company> team."
Once you express your continuing interest, give them the option to contact you with any questions. For example, "If you have an further questions, please feel free to contact me by phone at (555) 555-5555 or by email at email@domainname.com."
This is where your concluding expression of gratitude comes in and you can follow it with something like "I look forward to hearing from you soon."
Sincerely,
FANCY HAND-WRITTEN SIGNATURE
Printed (typed or hand-written) First and Last Name
The End Product
In the end, your thank you note will look a little something like this (handwritten note format):
Dear Mr. Smith,
I appreciate the time you took to speak with me today regarding the Customer Service Representative position with ABC Company. I believe that my outstanding product knowledge and communication skills will help increase sales and promote the company's vision of growth. Our interview today certainly reinforced my desire to be a part of ABC Company's elite sales and service team.
If there is any other information that I can provide, please feel free to contact me by phone at (555) 555-5555 or by email at email@domainname.com.
Thank you very much for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Sincerely,
Awesome Applicant
Awesome Applicant
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