It’s a phrase ingrained in us as tykes: “thank you.” Gratitude endears you to others, and it’s never wrong to acknowledge another’s effort on your behalf. Expressing thanks is doubly important when you’re asking something of another – such as in the case of networking or interviewing for a job.
In the age of immediacy, when contacts can be reached instantly by email or social media, penning a handwritten thank you note can seem old fashioned. But hiring authorities love this follow-up! Write customized letters, referencing items discussed in the interview and reiterating why you’d be a good fit for the organization. Don’t cut corners here. If you’re merely tweaking details from a generic template, it will sound impersonal and slapdash.
Here are some quick tips for making the thank you note work in your favor.
- Write one right away. Strike while the iron’s hot, as they say. Put pen to paper while the details of the meeting are fresh on your mind and while you’re still fresh on the interviewer’s mind.
- Spread the love. Write a thank you to everyone you’ve interviewed with rather than addressing one letter to several contacts. And do your research to make sure you’re spelling names correctly.
- Sign legibly. Use your first and last name. The point of a thoughtful follow-up is lost if the recipient can’t tell who sent the note.
- Be specific. If you’ve taken notes during the interview, draw from them when you sit down to write.
- Choose an appropriate sign-off. Nothing too familiar, such as “love,” or stuffy, such as “sincerely.” Opt for something more along the lines of “regards,” or “thank you.”
- Read it again before dropping it in the mail. As with your resume and cover letter, any typos or grammatical slip-ups will reflect badly on you.
