There are many who feel writing a thank-you note
and sending it in the mail with an actual 45 cent stamp attached is about as
outdated as the dinosaur. Well, guess what folks, it’s not. Honest.
Some feel it is not necessary to take this small step, but they are
mistaken. Now that we have established that a thank-you note is a good thing,
what is the best route to send one?
There are various schools of thought on the
subject. My personal favorite is immediately after the interview, you send an
email with the words, Thank You in the subject line. Many people get numerous
emails that blow up their cell phones, laptops, etc., on a daily basis. The
words thank-you will pleasantly get their attention. This keeps your name in front of them and
fresh on their mind. It will set you apart from the other candidates.
After you have submitted your thank-you via
email, you then send a thank-you note or card via the good old snail mail. Yes,
you read correctly. Another thank-you! Isn’t it still exciting when you get an
actual hand addressed letter in the mail?
You can buy and keep a stash of these nice little cards on hand for a
nominal amount of money. This thank-you note will arrive a few days after your
face-to-face interview and once again, they will see your name and be reminded
of your qualifications and your smiling face. This thank-you note will also
give you the opportunity to embellish on some of your finer attributes, and why
you are the best ‘fit’ for their organization. It is also one more way to ask
for the job.
Case in point: I strongly suggested to a
candidate that she sends a written thank-you note as well as a thank-you email.
Although she wasn’t convinced, she followed my suggestion. Lo and behold, she
was asked back for the second interview. When she arrived, the hiring powers that
be, actually thanked her for the note.
It may seem like a trivial thing, but sometimes
it is the small things that truly count to set you apart from the herd. Perhaps
your note will be a reminder that sits on the interviewer’s desk and could very
well be the deciding factor of who gets the job. You, that’s who. Remember, being thankful is also being
classy. That my friend, will never go out of style.
Cathy L. Sage is President of Robert Sage
Careers, LLC; an Executive Search Firm and Job Board Publisher that specializes
in the Factory-Built Structures Industries. Cathy can be reached at (727)
504-5350 or [email protected]. For more information about the company and to
visit the job board, access http://www.robertsagecareers.com.
