Continued from page 1
Feel free to contact me at 555-1234 should you have additional questions. I am very interested in
position.
Thank you again for your time and consideration.
Regards,
Jane Doe
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
OK. You now know impact a thank-you note can have after an employment interview. Are there other opportunities to send them?
Absolutely! The general rule is this:
After ANYONE has done you even smallest favor during job-hunt/career-design process, send individual a thank-you note.
Was a receptionist at a company you phoned while doing research exceptionally helpful? Did one of your colleagues take five minutes to help you with a cover letter? Did somebody who already does job you want to do provide you with some valuable insights? The job hunt can be frustrating. Was someone particularly encouraging?
You should send each of these individuals a brief hand-written thank-you note expressing your gratitude for their time and assistance.
To reiterate: A thank-you note goes to everyone who helps you, gives you leads, or provides advice or guidance even in most infinitesimal way. That includes friends, people at companies or organizations you’ve visited while doing your research, temp agency personnel, administrative assistants, receptionists, librarians, company employees...ANYONE!
Here are a few thank-you note guidelines:
- Address note to specific individual with which you spoke. Personalize it. Avoid an obligatory, mechanical tone. Mention something about your conversation or how individual treated you.
- Thank-you notes following an interview should be printed out on quality stationery with letterhead matching that of your résumé. Remember to sign it!
- A conservative, handwritten thank-you card is appropriate for all those friends, colleagues, and casual contacts that have helped you along way.
- Send thank-you notes very next day, at latest. If it arrives a week later, meaning is lost.
- If you e-mail a sentiment of gratitude, follow up with a thank-you note or card in mail.
Use your best judgment--these are just guidelines.
The thank-you note is critical to your getting noticed and to success of your job hunt. And because most folks either forget or just plain don't do it, you'll find yourself at a significant advantage.
Peter Hill is a Certified Professional Resume Writer and is President of Distinctive Resumes in Honolulu, Hawaii. Nationally published and recognized as an expert resume strategist, Peter helps career-minded individuals through the resume development process via consulting and composition services. He can be contacted by e-mail at distinctiveresumes@yahoo.com or though his Web site, http://www.peterhill.biz.
