Employability Series: Should I Send a Thank You Note?

What’s the first thing you should do after a job interview? Mop the sweat off your brow? Call your mom? Do a happy dance?

All of those things might be something you do after an interview but the next thing you should do is sit down to write a thank you note. It may seem a little formal, but sending a thank you note and doing so in a timely fashion is a great step in your own career management and can help set you apart from the rest of the candidates. Hiring experts agree that thank you notes are a simple way to get noticed.

“It’s a nice touch, because people don’t do it that often anymore, to be honest. I’ve seen over the last seven years after doing a lot face-to-face interviews, that that is something that just doesn’t happen,” said Steve Talbott, Talent Acquisition Manager at Enterprise Holding, Inc. at last summer’s Employability Summit hosted by Bryant & Stratton College Online.

Thank you notes provide the opportunity to show respect for the interviewer’s time and gratitude for being considered. In a time when customer service skills are highly rated employability skills in new hires across many industries this level of thoughtfulness can demonstrate why you might make a good employee. They are also a great way to remind interviewers who you are, as they may be interviewing dozens of applicants.

By taking the time to mention something specific you talked about during the interview and listing why you are qualified for the position, you will likely help the interviewer recall other details about you. In this way thank you notes can help make the good impression you made during the interview last. So, make sure you stock up on blank thank you notes – yes, handwritten, snail mail notes are preferred – and stamps so you can be ready to roll as soon as your interview is done. The rules of sending a thank you note:

• Be timely – send the thank you note within 24 hours of the interview.
• Be personal – customize the note by referencing something of interest the interviewer mentioned during your meeting
• Be (a little) self-promotional – take the time to reiterate your strengths and why you will be a good addition to the company
• Be excited – mention again why you are interested in the position
• Be concise – this doesn’t have to be a lengthy letter, a couple of paragraphs will suffice

Even if you are no longer interested in the position, you should still send a thank you note. Somewhere down the line you could run into this person again and a thank you note now could be the opening you need in the future. Bryant & Stratton College Online is dedicated to helping students improve their employability skills and become job ready. Through outcomes-based education and career training, Bryant & Stratton College Online helps students learn the technical skills as well as the soft skills they’ll need to be successful in a career.

If you are interested in learning more about the online degree programs at Bryant & Stratton College Online, please call 1.888.447.3528 to speak with an admissions representative.