I am always shocked by the number of people who DO NOT write “Thank You” notes after a job interview! Unfortunately Job Interviewing 101 has not adequately stressed the importance of writing a thank you note as part of the interviewing process. Our society has become so casual that a hand written thank you note might as well be an item on the Antique Roadshow. A job applicant often spends endless hours preparing for an interview and then leaves out the one important detail that could land the position, the thank you note.

Here is my advice on the “Thank You”. WRITE ONE!  According to the Emily Post Institute, a leader in appropriate etiquette, a hand written thank you note creates an indelible impression on a prospective employer. Our current popular forms of business communication (email, fax, text, phone) have an impermanent quality about them. They can be blocked, intercepted or lost and never reach the intended recipient. More importantly email, text and phone messages can be deleted. Remember the old cliché… out of site, out of mind. However, a legible, hand written thank you note on appropriate card stock is so rare, that the employer is bound to take notice.

Remember, the thank you note is not only a way to thank the interviewer for his/her time, but it is also another OPPORTUNITY for you to SELL YOURSELF. Often times, candidates forget something important they want to share about themselves during an interview because they are nervous. The thank you note gives you one final opportunity to share why you are a good fit for the position and how you can bring value to the organization.

The next time you interview for a position don’t forget to write a thank you note. Thank you’s never go out of style and they always create a lasting impression.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 6th, 2009 at 5:46 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.