Author: Lavie Margolin, Career Coach
People go on interviews all the time, even if they are not serious about finding a new job. A person may be working and want to see what else is out there or they may have applied for many different jobs just to see who responds. How does the employer know that you are serious about their job? When you send a thank you note after the interview. At the end of the interview, ask for the card of each person that you met with. Take the time to write a well thought out note to each individual. Emphasize the points that you discussed in the interview and reiterate what you feel would help you to stand out from the crowd. A note of about four or five lines should be sufficient. Send the thank you notes via email. This way, it will be received immediately and the interviewer can respond to you, if they so choose. I have written thank you notes and the person immediately wrote back to set up the next stages of the interview process.
Imagine you spent the time finding the perfect gift for your friend’s wedding. A few weeks after the wedding, you get the thank you note in the mail. You receive a note thanking your for your “gift” and participating in the ceremony. Seems a bit cold and generic, right? There is another situation where one is expected to write thank you notes. After an interview, it is expected that you send a note to the interviewer. If it is a generic note, the interviewer (who has likely interviewed hundreds of people over the course of their career), is likely to spot it a million miles away.
Spend the time writing a note to your interviewer that will be meaningful. The note should include the following points: A) What did you enjoy learning about the company?; B) What peaked your interest after having interviewed? and C) What else would you like to emphasize that makes you the right fit for the position (that you may not have had the chance to convey in the interview)? The right thank you note can help put you over the top for getting a job offer or moving in to the next stages in the interview process.
About the Author: Lavie Margolin is a New York-based Career Coach and the author of Lion Cub Job Search: Practical Job Search Assistance for Practical Job Seekers. To learn more, go to Lavie’s website, Lion Cub Job Search:www.Lioncubjobsearch.com