The idea to write an article that spoke to the importance of post-interview thank you notes came to me after I read a response to one of our Facebook Career Blog questions. The respondent said that he/she would only send a thank you note if he/she wanted the job.
I disagreed with this approach and wanted to know what people in the know thought about it. I asked them four questions about sending thank you notes after an interview and learned that everyone agrees that it's a good idea.
There was some division about whether the thank yous should be handwritten or typed, formal letters. Dr. Rachelle J. Canter, president of RJC Associates feels it's irrelevant whether the thank you is handwritten, typed or even emailed "since most people don't bother with them." Including some piece of information from the interview is important, the experts agree, because it shows that you were listening. "Observing professional courtesies like this speaks to your maturity and social skills, great things to demonstrate to a prospective employer, especially as a recent graduate without a long track record to differentiate you from the competition," Canter said.
How much of a difference can the decision to send a thank you note make? It makes a big difference to people like Diane K. Danielson, author of "The Savvy Gal's Guide to Online Networking (or What Would Jane Austen Do?). "I remember once not hiring the best candidate because I waited three days for a thank you note and never heard from her. So I hired someone else." She went on to say, "Not everyone may remember when you thank them, but most people remember when you don't." Good manners go a long way, even when you're job hunting.
John Lay, director of career services for the New England Institute of Art relayed this story, "We had someone who had interviewed with us as a committee of five people and she sent a handwritten personal response to each person, mentioning some specific point that each person had alluded to in the interview; that was pretty compelling."
"On several occasions we have used the thank you note to break a tie between two equally qualified candidates," said Marc Scoleri, director of career services for the Art Institute of New York. "So, take the five minutes to send a handwritten note; it just might pay off," he added.
Taking the time to say thank you does make a difference because, as many of our experts pointed out, the person who interviewed you for the job you decided you didn't want, may be the same person you find yourself interviewing with for another job in the future. What's the fallacy in this logic? Simple: If you send a thank you note after interviewing for the second job, it will make up for your past negligence and give you an edge over equally qualified competitors. Does that mean it's a good idea to only send thank you notes when you really want the job you just interviewed for? The experts would say no because sending a thank you note will send a message to interviewers that you're serious about finding a job and that you appreciate the time they took to speak with you. Why should that matter to you if you didn't want the job? Networking. There might be a job somewhere else in the company and because you took the time to send a thank you note, your name got passed on as a possible candidate.
Tony Beshara, author of "Acing the Interview," and "The Job Search Solution," says whether the thank you letter is handwritten or typed, it should be short and to the point. The following is an example of how that letter should be structured:
Thank you for the time you spent with me today. Based on our converstion, you stated you were looking for:
#1 (description of skills, track record, etc.)
#2 (description of another skill, track record, etc.)
#3 (description of a third skill, track record etc.)
Let me assure you that I am qualified for you job. I am ...
(my background or experience that correlates with #1 above)
(my background or experience that correlates with #2 above)
(my background or experienice that correlates with #3 above)
I am a hard worker. I can do your job and I will be an excellent employee. You should hire me!
Sending a brief note of gratitude is always time well spent, whether you want the job or not. As our experts have shown, the person you thank today, could help you get the job you really tomorrow.
