Can you ever thank someone too much for giving you an opportunity for a new job, an interview, or a call back? Many people love to hear “thank you” or receive a card for helping someone, but sometimes you can forget to say it during your job search.
Here are three important reasons to show gratitude in all parts of your job search:
It sets you apart from others who don’t. You’ve heard it before, but I’ll say it again: Most people don’t follow-up or say thank you in each part of the hiring process. Many believe that they will come off as annoying to the manager if they send an e-mail or card after a phone or in-person interview.
It doesn’t take much time or energy. A simple, handwritten thank you note only takes a few minutes to write—same with an e-mail. As long as you’ve prepared yourself for following-up by getting all of the contact information during the interview, thanking them should be a quick, painless way to remind them you were grateful for the opportunity.
You can remind them why you’re a great candidate. When you follow-up to say thank you, you have another opportunity to remind the manager what a great candidate you are. In your follow-up, you can mention something you had in common with the hiring manager, a small piece of news that you think they might find interesting based on your conversation, or another piece of experience you didn’t touch on that makes you a great fit for their company.Here are a few tips about showing gratitude during your job search:
• Always thank each individual that was part of the process. This includes the person who coordinated the interview along with the hiring manager.
• Handwritten notes can go a long way – but if urgency is key, an e-mail works great, too.
• Don’t forget to be grateful during the interview in addition to afterwards. How do you do that? Smile, thank them for their time, express genuine interest in their company and be courteous.
What do you think? Are there other ways you’ve said thank you during your job search?
Guest Expert:
Heather R. Huhman is a career expert and founder & president of Come Recommended, a career and workplace education and consulting firm specializing in young professionals. She is also the author of #ENTRYLEVELtweet: Taking Your Career from Classroom to Cubicle (2010), national entry-level careers columnist for Examiner.com and blogs about career advice at HeatherHuhman.com. Follow her on Twitter at @heatherhuhman.
