Thank You Note After the Interview – A Key Ingredient to Getting Hired
Sending a “Thank You Note” is a Must!
Do you follow-up with a thank you note after an interview? If the answer is no, you may be jeopardizing your chance of landing the job.
A follow-up thank you note is a must.
According to Forbes, failure to follow-up after a potential employer has given you the courtesy of an interview can often be a deciding factor in rejecting a candidate who might otherwise be an excellent fit for the position. Forbes goes on to report the best way for a candidate to follow-up can often depend on the company’s culture. But a polite “thank you” following the interview is essential from a manners’ perspective as well as for giving one the ability to ask for the job.
E-mail, snail mail or text?
In most instances, it is best to email a thank you note on the same day of the interview. At the very least, be sure to send the thank you note within 24 hours of completing the interview. In fact, a survey published in Forbes found that 87 percent of HR managers believe email to be an appropriate method for expressing appreciation following a job interview.
While it might seem as though a handwritten letter would be the better choice, one runs the risk that snail mail may arrive after the hiring decision was made. Sending a personalized handwritten card is often the best choice. But, only when the decision process is slow enough to allow for the thank you note to arrive.
Under no circumstances should you send a thank you note via text. While texting has become a prevalent form of communication, it still tends to be inappropriate for business communication.
Ask for a business card.
Typically, the person to who you want to send your thank you note is the “decision maker,” or hiring manager. So, you need to have the email address or mailing address of that person to do so. This is why it is so important to ensure you never leave an interview without obtaining a business card for the hiring manager. This strategy not only expresses interest on your part, but also ensures you have the correct email address and mailing address for sending the thank you note.
What should you include in your thank you note?
When sending a thank you note, the KISS principle always applies. That is, Keep It Simple Stupid (KISS). In business communication, people are generally annoyed by long emails. So, keep it brief and to the point. It is always better for people to wonder why you did not speak rather than to wonder why you did speak. Before sending it, read through your thank you note and remove any unnecessary words and sentences.
In writing your thank you note, make sure you include a polite “thank you for the interview,” the hiring manager’s name, job title, reflection on some important information/item discussed in the interview and your contact information. And, last but not least, clearly express your interest in the job.
Ask for the job!
There is an old adage that in order to get offered a job, you must ask for it. The thank you note serves as the perfect opportunity to do just that. Utilize the thank you note to say something along the lines of “after having the opportunity to learn more about your company and the responsibilities of this position, I believe it fits perfectly with my career goals. I am looking forward to having the opportunity of working at XYZ Company.”
Keep in mind your competition will likely send similar thank you notes. Failure on your part to do the same could cause you to appear impolite. If the only thing that separates you from other candidates is the fact they sent a thank you notes and you did not, you could very well lose the chance to get hired. Additionally, it is simply the right thing to do. So, take the time to send a thank you note.
We hope you found these tips useful and that they will get you closer to finding that next career opportunity! I encourage you to provide your comments in the “Leave a Reply” box below.
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Resources:
Quast, Lisa (2013, August 26). Job Seekers: No, Interview Thank You Note Is Not Dead. Forbes. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/lisaquast/2013/08/26/job-seekers-no-the-interview-thank-you-note-is-not-dead/
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