Importance of the Thank-You Note in the Job Search

I have had a few students ask me about the ‘mysterious thank-you note’ after the career fair or interviews. Over the past few months, I have done some reading on various opinions that are out there. Thought that I would share (not that I am an expert) my point of view. I included some good links to Monster articles which may be valuable to those that will read them.

There are several reasons for the thank-you note, making sure to send a good one will help take advantage of its full potential.

1) Show the company that following the interview, you are still interested.

2) Show that you were paying attention, and interested in the company.

3) Negate any concerns about yourself that were raised during an interview.

4) Ask for a continuance in the hiring process.

5) Show your value to them.

Here is an example of a simple thank-you after a first interview that meets the goals of a thank-you note:

I wanted to thank you for the opportunity to interview regarding the position of with .

I found the work of very interesting, and I hope that the skills that I bring would be valuable. I hope that we can continue the process with additional interviews.

If there is any additional information that I can provide regarding myself, skills, or availability, please contact me.

After a 2^nd interview, the thank you note should be much more detailed. The goals are still the same really. Be sure to get contact information from all of those that you interview with. It may be that the person who needs to get another good impression of you may be the one that you forgot to get an e-mail address for.

Mickey, Minnie, & Donald,

I wanted to thank all of you for your time yesterday. I felt that our discussions provided a clearer picture of the opportunities that exist with .

Another attraction to the position for me is the fact that there is so much variety in working with a customized product. The aspect of variety in the job is important to me, and is another reason that I believe the position is a good fit for me.

I know that I would be able to quickly learn the ABC software, and be able to put it to work for the customers that are served. With additional reading on the website, I can see that there are many ways that ABC software can be implemented for the customers of . I am certain that finding individualized ways to implement ABC software for improved organizational efficiency will be one of the ways that I can succeed with the company as a .

Just remember that the key is to show the company how you are going to be valuable to them. Associating your good skills with the needs of the position will also show that you understand this value. Be honest too, if you are not feeling that your skills and abilities are a fit, then the position probably is not. These associations should come naturally.

If there are other interview sessions, it would be appropriate to thank those involved in the process.

More Reading on Thank-You notes:

http://content.monster.com/articles/3481/16541/1/home.aspx “Follow the Interview with a Thank-You Note”

http://content.monster.com/articles/3481/17560/1/home.aspx “The Power of a Simple Thank-You Note”

http://content.monster.com/articles/3481/18485/1/home.aspx “Write Winning Thank-You Letters”