This may be a dry topic, but it is so important and many job seekers are overlooking it. I cannot stress the importance of a well-crafted, meaningful thank-you note to everyone you have interacted with at the company you are currently interviewing with. Why? Because it’s your calling card that is left behind as the process progresses. With time taking so much longer to get hired (as we have shared over the last few blogs), your thank you note will remind them of your continued interest in the process.
A Thank You Note Should Be…
Let’s discuss the thank you note – what it is and what it is not. First, a thank you note is not a boilerplate template where you change the interviewer’s name and send it out. Each note must be unique. The sender must believe that this note was meant for them and only them. Any thank you note that seems to be a template is worthless. How come? Because it’s not showing that you really care about the person or the position you are currently seeking. A thank you note must echo who you are and why you want the position you are currently interviewing for. Your note should be one that is meaningful to them when the reader gets it, and they immediately recognize you in the note’s content.
When To Send A Thank You Note And Why
You want your thank you note to stand out from others if they are considering more candidates. You want your note to arrive in a timely manner. By this I mean by the next day, at the latest. If you are not where a thank you note can be sent out by the next day, mention that to your interviewer so they will not be disappointed if they do not receive one. You may think the last point is presumptuous: that the interviewer will be affected if they do not receive one. I am here to share that this is the truth. So many times, I will do a debrief with the hiring manager, and the first thing they will share is that they received a meaningful thank you note from my candidate. On the converse, if they did not get one, they bring that up quickly. The thank you note is one that the hiring managers are expecting, to say the least. Why? It proves your professionalism.
Make A Impact
The personalization you provide in your note’s content is what will make your note stand out. Always bring something up in the thank you note that you have learned from the interview experience. Make this topic relevant to you and the position that you are seeking. Choose something you learned that will make you and your note different from any others they may receive. Leave them wanting more! They should want to learn more about you, and how you can take that piece of information and build a career in that area. Maybe it’s a new platform that you are excited about. You may be offered mentorship at the junior level, which will take your career to the next level. Emphasize one or two things that stood out during the interview process, and your thank you note will do what you want it to: let the hiring manager remember you.
Conclusion
You don’t need a resume to chat with us! If you would like to discuss your options, please reach out for a confidential conversation at 760-477-1284 or email at [email protected]. He can also be reached on LinkedIn. Harlan publishes a blog every Thursday here. Subscribe to our monthly newsletter here, which is a compilation of our weekly blogs, so you never miss one. We have also been mentioned in Forbes, click HERE to read for yourself.
About Harlan Friedman, JD & Founding Member, H. Friedman Search LLC. Harlan is a thirty-year veteran Public Finance Banker turned recruiter who specializes in the placement of all levels Public Finance Bankers, Healthcare Bankers, Municipal Advisors, Compliance Officers, Issuers, and Bond Counsels.