Thank You

(Photo: Felixco, Inc.)

When was the last time you followed up an interview with a thank you note? I recently read an article posted on PsychCentral.com on the effects of saying “thank you”. Here’s what they found:

“In a study 69 participants were asked to provide feedback to a fictitious student called ‘Eric’ on his cover letter for a job application. After sending their feedback, half of them got a thankful reply from Eric and the other half a neutral reply. Those who were thanked by Eric were more willing to provide further assistance. Indeed the effect of ‘thank you’ was quite substantial: while only 32% of participants receiving the neutral email helped with the second letter, when Eric expressed his gratitude, this went up to 66%.” (PsychCentral.com)

I love to tell the true story of how I landed my first transitional job out of the military with a thank you note. Long story short – I was the only candidate to send a note. The hiring manager said that the choice was between me and another candidate, but my thank you note sealed the deal.

Why Write

A thank you note gives you the opportunity to express sincere appreciation for the interviewer’s time and attention – which shows you can recognized and follow basic social cues. These short notes also give you an opportunity to remind your interviewers of how well your skills are suited for the job. You can also use thank you notes to address issues you may have overlooked during the interview.

What To Write

Here’s a an example of a simple thank you note that I use. I encourage you to draft your own or shop around – the internet is full of templates – make sure the letter is suited for your industry and the job before sending:

Dear,

Thank you for the opportunity to interview for the Human Resources Manager position with XYZ Co. Inc. I am very interested in the position as I know my 12+ years experience in employee training and development will be extremely vital to helping XYZ Co. Inc. meet it’s strategic HR goals. I look forward to hearing from you, please feel free to contact me at your convenience.

Kind regards,

Robert Humes

How To Deliver

A colleague of mine shared a disaster story about when a time one of his clients pre-addressed her thank you notes. On her way into the building for her interview she spotted a mailbox and tossed the letters in the box. What she didn’t know was that one of the panel members was out the day of her interview – when the panel member returned to find the mis-addressed letter she shared the blunder with the rest of the panel….you can guess what came next. Lesson learned – address your notes post-interview.

Other notes on delivery notes:

– Keep blank thank you notes in your car to hand write your messages after interviews
– Send/Postmark within 24 hours
– Emails are okay if that has been the consistent means of communication

Target Your Job Search

Often times I run across job seekers who are frustrated with the lack of response from employers. These folks have grown desperate with their unemployment and apply to every job they find. This only compounds the frustration because often times the job seeker is using the same resume and cover letter for manufacturing jobs as they are for retail jobs. The un-targeted job search is like a large crewless sailboat out on the choppy seas – wherever the wind blows so goes the ship. Here are some sure fire ways to get the most our of the time you spend on you job search.

Set A Purpose

What kind of jobs are you qualified for? What do you really want to do? Will you need training to get there?

Answering these simple questions will help you develop a “theme” for your job search. Instead of spending valuable time jumping from desperate app to panicked resume, prioritize your search by targeting industries or professions. For example, if you want a job in HR – purpose yourself to get one – don’t spend another day filling out an application for a receptionist job (unless of course such a position places you in the HR industry). Visit careeronestop.org and research the career you want. Find out the minimum qualifications for employment and set yourself on a course to obtaining those skills and abilities. Most importantly – keep reading.

Be Realistic

Most of us, if given the right opportunities and time could become doctors. Of course that doesn’t mean that any of us could perform open heart surgery right now. When we aim too far from center we often find ourselves with increased stressed. Consider a rubber-band, stretched just slightly it bounces back with ease and retains much of its natural form. Stretch that same rubber-band three feet or more and it will become limp, never again retaining its original state – if it doesn’t snap in the process. Realistic job searching is efficient job searching – at it’s core it seeks to find and apply only to those positions where you meet 85% or more of the minimum qualifications.

Network.

Notice the punctuation. Networking is probably the most vital element to finding a job in this employment environment. Many of the jobs out there don’t make it to Craig’s List or eBay Classifieds, the hiring manager is given the opportunity to make a decision without a competitive process and the company never gets to hear about how great your skills and abilities would meet their needs. Networking helps you create a buzz about your skills and, when done right, has the potential to put you directly inn front of hiring managers and recruiters.

Try targeting. It works, and so will you if you put these tips to use in your job search.

Photo courtesy of pakorn via www.freedigitalphotos .net