Do you tend to remember stories instead of facts?I know I do. Most of us do, because we are people who love stories — movies, tv shows, books, gossip, family lore, and all the rest of the ways one can tell a narrative. Even jokes are stories, if you think about it! I don’t know the fancy reasons why this is so, but it probably has something to do with being able to identify with the story teller or a character in the story. This love of story plays out in your career in several ways:
Your brand is a synopsis of your story; a general overview of who you are
Your references are anecdotes of your story; testimonials from people with memories about you
Your resume is a capsulation of the highlights of your career story; the highlights that affect a potential job opening
It’s a good idea to remember that people usually will think in terms of story. That person interviewing you has sifted through a lot of resumes to choose the best character to introduce in their next chapter. They will try to figure out if your story, who you are, and how you will fit into the ongoing narrative of their enterprise. When you sent that thank you letter after the interview, you remind them of that story.
Not all story is going to be profitable for your career — gossip, backbiting, etc. are not things you want people to remember about you. The way you act and speak today will become the story people remember about you tomorrow. You can change parts of the story they remember by apologies and reforming, but it is really better when you realize that the narrative of your career and life is being written by you every day.
One Reason Why A Thank You Letter Is Still A Good Idea
Did you have to write thank you letters at Christmas and birthdays when you were a kid?Did you groan and moan piteously while your mom stood over you, threatening dire things if Grandma didn’t get that note in the next few months? Do I do this to my own children, too? Of course! Most of us have had to write a note thanking someone for a gift or a service they appreciate, and if you have been the recipient of a thank you letter on paper, you know the feeling you have about that writer. It is impressive in today’s email world, and most people don’t do it. It’s the right thing to do. In the hiring world, there are many faces seen and forgotten as applicants crowd into the arena vying for a job. One of the most impressive ways to do an interview follow up for maximum success is the old-fashioned thank you letter. On paper. To hold in your hand and look at again. In one simple act, that of observing a professional courtesy, you have given the interviewer a reason to remember you positively. I am assuming the thank you letter is one that meets professional standards, is well-written, concise, and mentions specific favorable points in the interview. It will be a tangible reminder of your assets for the position if it reflects your good points and comes in the week following the interview. There is a place for an email thank you letter, and your research on the company will help you determine its appropriateness. Most of the time, though, the “real thing” is going to be the best thing. If you do decide the email thank you letter is preferred, all the rules about professionalism apply! This is no place for typos or formatting errors, so make sure your final impression is an excellent impression when following up that job interview.
This is part of the package when writing your resume, the final piece of the cover letter-resume-thank you letter trifecta. Don’t ignore it!
When you receive a gift, you send a thank you letter. So why wouldn’t you send a thank you letter during a job search? Sending a thank you letter is a particularly important part of your job search, so you need to take the time to write a nice letter. Because you don’t need to send a thank you for every job prospect you look into, we offer the following guidelines to help you decipher when you should send a thank you letter and when you don’t need to.
If you have already gotten the job, you do not need to send a letter. You will be seeing the employer in person and you will be able to thank them then, which will mean more to your employer than a letter.
If you have given the company your resume but never heard back (even after following up), then you do not need to send a thank you letter. If the employer didn’t bother to contact you, then why would you take time to thank them for something they didn’t even do?
If you have been contacted, but not given an interview, then you should definitely send a thank you letter. They made the effort to contact you even though you were not the right fit. You should thank them for their consideration.
If you have been given an interview but have not received a job offer, then you should absolutely send a thank you letter. They have put just as much effort in as you have at this point, and you should thank them for their consideration and effort.
Sending an appropriate thank you letter will help to ensure that employers remember you and hopefully think of you if future positions open up. There is nothing bad that can come from sending a sincere thank you letter.
I’ve been asked many, many times, “Do I really need to send a Thank You letter to the employer?” and the answer is always, “Yes! Yes! Yes!”
Okay, so I am a bit uptight about Thank You letters. I know that–especially after a wedding or birthday. But do we need to do it after an interview? Does the employer really care? Does it really make a difference? YES!
When in the job search process, a little bit of manners goes a long way. A Thank You letter can literally boost your chances of beating out other candidates, according to a new study on HR.BLR.com, a human resources website.
In a recent online poll taken, a question was posed to HR managers “Are you more likely to hire someone who has sent you a post-interview thank you note?” 61 percent answered either “yes” or “perhaps”, where 39 percent said “no” or “probably not”.
With fierce competition out there these days, HR professionals are looking at more and more criteria to help them decide on the best possible candidate. The right thank you letter can give a hiring manager additional insight on your intelligence, manners, and written verbal communication skills, as well as your desire for the job. Guess it’s time to dust off the box of thank you notes.
Studies repeatedly show that candidates who follow up the interview with a thank you always get chosen before their peers. Sending a customized thank you note gives you an edge. It helps remind the interviewer who you are. Many recruiters of Fortune 500 companies admit that some candidates get lost in the shuffle, only to rediscover them when receiving a thank you note.
A thank you note reiterates your strong points. It reminds them why they should hire YOU.
Here are a few tips about writing a thank you note:
1- Proofread. Double check and make sure that not only is your thank you error-free, but that you are sending it to the right employer!
2- Restate Your Strong Points. Hiring managers state that a thank you note is “literally the last chance candidates have to sell themselves to an employer”. Remind them why you are the best candidate.
3- Impress Them With Your Listening Skills. State something in the letter that relates to the conversations you had at the interview. Show them you really were listening to them, not daydreaming about what the benefits and compensations are going to be.
4- Thank Everyone. If 3 people interviewed you, then they each get a thank you. Not only will they be impressed, but they may show it to each other in an attempt to get the others to want to hire you, too. Just remember to customize each letter. A letter that is not well-thought-out (or the same to each) can only hurt you. If you are stumped on what to write, just think about the topics you discussed during the interviews.
It only takes about 2 minutes and a stamp to make a lasting impression.
The Importance of the Thank You Letter I’ve been asked many, many times, “Do I really need to send a Thank You letter to the employer?”… and the answer is always, “Yes! Yes! Yes!”.
Okay, so I am a bit anal about Thank You’s. I know that. I get pretty irritated if I don’t get one after spending gobs of money for showers, weddings, birthdays, etc. It takes about 1 minute to write a thank you note. It’s a nice way of saying, “Thank you for spending one of your precious days/nights off work with me/us and driving almost 3 hours round trip to get here.– it means a lot”. But do we need to do it after an interview? Does the employer really care? Does it really make a difference?
YES!
Studies repeatedly show that candidates who follow up the interview with a thank you always gets chosen before their peers. Sending a customized thank you note gives you an edge. It helps remind the interviewer who you are. Many recruiters of Fortune 500 companies admit that some candidates get lost in the shuffle, only to rediscover them when receiving a thank you note.
A thank you note reiterates your strong points. It reminds them why they should hire YOU. Here are a few tips about writing a thank you note:
1- Proofread. Double check and make sure that not only is your thank you error-free, but that you are sending it to the right employer!
2- Restate Your Strong Points. Hiring managers state that a thank you note is “literally the last chance candidates have to sell themselves to an employer”. Remind them why you are the best candidate.
3- Impress Them With Your Listening Skills. State something in the letter that relates to the conversations you had at the interview. Show them you really were listening to them, not daydreaming about what the benefits and compensations are going to be.
4- Thank Everyone. If 3 people interviewed you, then they each get a thank you. Not only will they be impressed, but they may show it to each other in an attempt to get the others to want to hire you, too. Just remember to customize each letter. A letter that is not well-thought-out (or the same to each) can only hurt you. If you are stumped on what to write, just think about the topics you discussed during the interviews.
It only takes about 2 minutes and a stamp to make a lasting impression.
