Saturday, March 23, 2013

Interview Tip of the Day -- Thank You Notes

In our fast paced society, certain niceties have fallen by the wayside.  In the past, manners were utmost in people's mind and a person was judged by how they behave.  In our society (especially in the workplace), you are judged by your productivity.  What we lost ranges from men holding doors open for women to people saying thank you.  Also, candidates may or may not send thank you notes.  That is a shame.

For those of you who do send thank you notes, well done.  For those who do not, you are missing a golden opportunity.  I know people who will hold it against the candidate if they do not thank the interviewer for the opportunity to meet with them.  It may sound old fashion to thank someone for an interview but the person who fails to send this simple note may be jeopardizing his or her opportunity.

Think of it this way, there is very little downside risk in sending a thank you note but tremendous upside opportunity if you do.

Once you decided to send a thank you note, I would suggest that you send the interviewer an email within 24 hours of the meeting.  So remember to get the business card or at least the email address of everyone you meet.  There is no need to send a handwritten note as some would argue.

In our your thank you note, you should cover three topics.  First, say thank you.  Second, state your desire for the job and third, highlight the positive attributes you mentioned in your interview.  That's all.

Good hunting!

1 comment:

  1. Nowadays the US is becoming so communist that I'm certain the idea of thanking a potential employer for giving you a chance at a position would be considered "slave behavior" or something ridiculous. Because you know, you're the brave, bold employee, the employer should be thanking you! Give me a break. Soon we'll have people saying they shouldn't even have to provide a resume because hiring someone based on their skillset is [something]ist. Just wait, it's only a matter of time.

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