{"id":1389,"date":"2013-04-16T13:20:13","date_gmt":"2013-04-16T17:20:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/?p=1389"},"modified":"2013-05-27T13:16:09","modified_gmt":"2013-05-27T17:16:09","slug":"thank-you-notes-ace-in-hand","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/?p=1389","title":{"rendered":"Thank You Notes = Ace in Hand"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Julie Watson, Head Editor, INALJ Pennsylvania<\/a>
\n<\/i><\/p>\n

Think thank you notes are just for your grandmother? <\/b>
\nThink again. According to a 2011 CareerBuilder survey, 22 % of hiring managers say that thank you notes matter. Why do they matter? Neglecting to thank your interviewers shows a lack of follow-through and sends the message that you don\u2019t really want the job.<\/p>\n

Not sure who to thank? <\/b>
\nPeople like to be appreciated, so don\u2019t be shy. You\u2019ll meet lots of people on interview day. If you a conversation with someone, you should thank him. Often the hiring decision is influenced by many people and you want to make an impression on everyone.<\/p>\n

Not sure where to begin? <\/b>
\nIn general, your letter should include the following elements:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Greeting \u2013 Show that you understand the culture of the organization by addressing the person appropriately. Was the Library Director introduced to you as Dr. Babcock? Then address her that way in your greeting. If it was a casual place where everyone was on a first-name basis, you should feel comfortable address the reference librarian by his first name. You want to show that you\u2019ll fit in, but use your best judgment. If you\u2019re not sure, err on the side of formality.<\/li>\n
  2. Express your gratitude \u2013 People took time out of their busy schedules to meet with you, and you should thank them for that. Did certain people do extras for you like pick you up from the airport or give you directions to the library? Thank them for that as well.<\/li>\n
  3. Express your continued interest in position \u2013 You showed your interest in the job when you applied and interviewed, but are you still interested? They may not have gotten a clear sense during the interview, so make sure they know. Tell them which of their projects you are excited about and how you can be asset to them.<\/li>\n
  4. Address your weaknesses \u2013 Correct any mistakes you made during the interview. Did you leave something out? Now\u2019s your chance to mention it. Inevitably you will think of a better way you could have answered a question or remember something you left out. Briefly try to clarify.<\/li>\n
  5. Ask for the job! \u2013 Well maybe not flat out, but consider concluding by telling the person why you\u2019d really like to work with her and for the organization.<\/li>\n
  6. Be graceful \u2013 Thank the person again at the end of the note.<\/li>\n
  7. Regards \u2013 Stick with tradition and use Regards, Sincerely, Yours Truly, All the Best, etc.<\/li>\n
  8. Signature \u2013 Let the formality or casualness of you sign-off match the greeting.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Wondering if email is appropriate? <\/b>
    \nWell\u2026that depends. Time is of the essence. By now you should have an idea of their timeline. (If they don\u2019t tell you their timeline by the end of interview, ask before you leave). If you need to get your thanks expressed ASAP, email is the way to go. Send each person an individual email and vary what you say — they might compare!<\/p>\n

    If you have a little time, send your note through the postal mail. Act fast though and get it out within 24 hours of your interview. You can handwrite it on good quality cardstock or type a professional business letter. Personally, I think a handwritten note adds a personal touch, but you may prefer to be more businesslike and type a letter.<\/p>\n

    Also consider the nature of job you interviewed for, if it involves a lot of technology skills, email may be the best way to go. No matter what method you choose, proofread, and proofread again!<\/p>\n

    More Than One-in-Five Hiring Managers Say…<\/a> \u2013 2011 Career Builder Survey
    \n    Nothing says “Hire Mire” like “Thank You”<\/a> – Infographic from CareerBuilder.com
    \n    Your Last Impression: Saying Thank You after Your Interview<\/a> \u2013 by Larissa Gordon via LIScareer
    \n    Listen: In Wired World, Handwritten ‘Thank You’ Still Tops <\/a>\u2013 from NPR\u2019s All Things Considered
    \n    Five Helpful Thank-You Note Samples (and Reminders) for Job-Seeker<\/a>s \u2013 by Kelly Blazek on MentorPatch
    \n    Sample Thank You Letter<\/a> \u2013 University of Pennsylvania Career Services
    \n    Sample Thank You Letter <\/a>\u2013 Monster.com<\/p>\n

    Julie is also leading a discussion on this topic at my LinkedIn page<\/a><\/i><\/p>\n

    Originally published on 1\/17\/12<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    by Julie Watson, Head Editor, INALJ Pennsylvania Think thank you notes are just for your grandmother? Think again. According to a 2011 CareerBuilder survey, 22 % of hiring managers say that thank you notes matter. Why do they matter? Neglecting to thank your interviewers shows a lack of follow-through and sends the message that you…<\/p>\n

    Read more \u2192<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[145],"tags":[69,3654,218,221,219,222,220],"class_list":["post-1389","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-articles","tag-article","tag-inalj-pennsylvania","tag-julie-watson","tag-notes","tag-thank-you","tag-thank-you-notes","tag-thank-yous"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1WoMK-mp","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1389","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1389"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1389\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1389"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1389"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1389"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}