Do you consider that post-interview thank-you note to potential employers a dull formality?
In this competitive job market, it’s high time you got over it. With multiple job seekers clamoring for every executive position, you only have a few opportunities to distinguish yourself, and the right follow-up is key.
Here are a few pointers for making the most of this opportunity:
1. Stand out by seizing the moment.
“Having been in the employment placement industry for 23 years, I’ve found that only around 10 percent to 20 percent of candidates actually send a thank-you note after an interview,” writes recruiter Harry Urschel on the Career Rocketeer blog. “And of those, fewer still send one after each interview at a company.” Urschel argues that it isn’t always the closest match to the job description who garners the offer, but the person who seems to want the job the most and can express that desire with flair.
2. Send a value-add.
Just thanking the interviewer for her time won’t set you apart from the crowd. What can you do to show you gained insights from the meeting? “Do not write a thank-you letter or an e-mail that just restates your qualifications,” TheLadders columnist Don Straits writes: “Instead, provide something unique that dramatically sets you apart from others. Here’s how: Focus on a topic discussed in your interview, and then provide your prospective boss with additional information on that topic.” The interview is a golden opportunity to learn what’s top of mind for your prospective employer; do the diligence afterwards to find some intelligence that can help him with those goals and challenges.
2. Give it the human touch.
In her blog, From the Recruiter’s Desk, Lindsey Olsen, a partner and recruiter with Paradigm Staffing, sings the praises of a hand-written thank-you note — again, with a specific point or two that shows you’re already addressing the company’s needs. “A well-written and personalized thank-you note lets the company know you are a serious candidate and someone who excited about the opportunity,” Olsen writes. “An interviewer should never have a doubt about your interest level in the position.”
TheLadders columnist Dean Tracy concurs and suggests you put yourself in the hiring manager’s shoes. “Your human touch is manifest when you reach out to thank someone in the form of a hand-written card,” Tracy writes. “As leaders at some point in our career, we have put the invoice to the side while we quickly open the envelope that looks like it might be a card or an invitation. The same is true of the hiring manager or people of influence in your last interview. You must send a hand-written thank-you card.”
