You just walked out of that long-awaited interview, you rocked the difficult questions, and asked even better ones, but unfortunately your work is not done. I know that the last thing you want to do is walk out of an interview and hand-write a thank you note to someone from Human Resources; no one enjoys doing this. Well, it is time to change your view on the dreaded thank you note. We are going to look at the thank you note as an opportunity to set yourself apart from your competition, because that is what the job search is, a competition.
Think about it, you have a blank card and you can write anything you want on it. This is your last opportunity to win over your interviewer and you are going to rock it.
Here are the essentials of a thank you note:
Do not send an email! If you want to look lazy, then send a thank you note by email. You will not get the job.
Focus on how you can make an impact The company you are interviewing for wants someone to step in and play an integral role in the operations, so express in the note how you are going to accomplish this. If you can’t think of anything, then this job is probably not the right fit.
Be an outlier Your interviewer will receive an enormous amount of thank you notes, so you must separate yourself. Definitely thank her for her time and the opportunity, but also add something that makes you different. This interviewer is not going to remember every aspect of your conversation, so be sure to reiterate how and why you are a perfect fit for the position. Also, if you remember anything specific about the interviewer, such as his/her College then mention it. People love for things to be centered on themselves.
Perfection If you misspell a word or write the wrong phrase, please do not cross through it and continue. Get a fresh card and start-over. Yes, it is horrible and incredibly time-consuming, but think of this thank you note as an investment in your future. Do not let your brief moment of laziness effect yours.
By putting the right amount of time and energy into your thank you note, you will have a much greater chance of getting a second interview, which is really the ultimate goal of the thank you note.
—
Brendan Wales is a co-founder of StarvingFreelancers,com, a site dedicated to bringing together talent and opportunity. He studied Finance at the University of Georgia and enjoys working with small-businesses. Two of his favorite authors are Jack Kerouac and Ayn Rand. Wales’ goal in life is to wake up in the morning and be excited about going to work.
