The best piece of career advice I ever got was to follow up after an interview with a handwritten thank you note.
Did you know that according to an Accountemps survey, 80% of hiring managers find thank you notes helpful when reviewing candidates, but only 24% of candidates bother to send them?
Whether it’s a handwritten note or a nicely written email, a thank you letter helps hiring managers remember you long after the interview.
So, what’s the best strategy? To answer that question simply: both!
First, evaluate a few things. If this is the first round of interviews and you’ll likely undergo another step, an email is the most effective. If the interview is virtual or over the phone, an email should be utilized as well. With many hiring managers not in the office, they likely won’t receive anything in the mail or dropped off at the office.
If you’re in the last step however and the interview was in person, a handwritten note should be utilized. If your handwriting is illegible, though, a typed note might be better.
The reason I suggest something handwritten is because no one does it. Absolutely no one. You are bound to stand out and score a few creativity points as well.
In addition to that, evaluate how many work emails you receive daily alone. If the answer is a lot, just imagine how many a hiring manager must get in a day. While email can be effective, it is likely to get lost in the stack.
To save some time, consider drafting something up right after the interview and dropping it off with the receptionist. This is a lot quicker than traditional snail mail. If you’d like to take some time to write it out and know they’ll be making a decision in a few days, snail mail works just fine.
No matter what, a thank you note is a must. What you write is just as important.
A thank you note should include:
A thank you to the interviewer for the opportunity to meet with their company
A reiteration of why you feel the job will be a good fit, i.e. explaining how it matches your previous experience doing x,y, and z in previous positions
A highlight or two of the interview such as a conversation you enjoyed having or something you enjoyed learning about the company/role
Finally, express your interest in the company and position one last time and how you’re looking forward to hearing back
Overall, a thank you note should cover each topic without being long winded. My general rule of thumb is that it should fit the length of a thank you card.
Whether it’s handwritten or over email, make sure you are properly formatting your note with a header, body, and signature at the bottom.
If you don’t have the contact information for who you interviewed with, try looking it up online or on LinkedIn. As a last resort, you can ask the recruiter you’ve been in contact with for the position. Utilize LinkedIn to ensure you spell their name correctly, as well.
Send your thank you note within 24 hours of the interview so that you are fresh in the interviewer’s mind. If too many days go by, they likely will have forgotten details already.
The job market is tough out there right now. By utilizing every trick up your sleeve, you bring yourself that much closer to accepting a position.
This article is my own and does not necessarily represent the views or opinions of TEKsystems.
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