We all know how important it is to be thankful for others and what they do for us – but how well do we express it? It is important for us to say thank you in our personal lives, as well as in business. I reflect on my 87 year old grandfather, who still writes at least 1 thank you letter a day, even to the clerk who was especially nice! And not only that – he sends a letter to their boss telling them what a great job they did! Why do I think that is SO amazing? I think probably because it is NOT a very common occurrence, even in my own life.
What is expected in a career search regarding a thank you?
- It is important to send a thank you acknowledgement shortly after an interview. This can be in the form of a written letter or an email.
- This letter can be considered a networking tool because of the importance it has for follow-up and the favorable image you will leave to the perspective company.
Generally, a thank you letter has three basic parts:
- You can start by thanking the interviewer for taking the time to talk with you and include the date that the interview took place.
- We encourage you to let the organization know about your interest by pointing out what interested you and personalize it by referring to the topics that particularly stood out to you.
- At the end, give another word of appreciation, offer to provide them more information if they need it and that you look forward to hearing from them.
It is important that you resist the temptation to sell yourself by reiterating your resume strengths – just keep it short and to the point.