Not-So Simple Thank You

Most of us would agree that Emily Post would be appalled at the infrequency with which thank-you notes are written today ... for birthday gifts, a lovely dinner at a friend's home, a graduation or wedding present, etc. And except for maybe the dinner, e-mails don't count.

But what about job search and interviewing? Despite the fact that most candidates say they, of course, always send thank-you letters following their interviews, I'm hearing hard evidence to the contrary from those hiring authorities and recruiters with whom I have relationships. In some instances, while they may report receiving periodic thank-you notes, they're just that--short notes that add little to the candidate's overall presentation. What's up with that?

No different than the other variety of thank-you correspondence, the letter should be promptly sent, sincerely and carefully written (and, post-interviewing, should be word-processed, not handwritten), and on-point. All of that is relatively simple. Where it gets trickier--and leads to procrastination--is the oft-repeated plea from my clients: "Besides thanking [someone] for their time, I don't know what to say."

Here's some grist for the letter-writing mill: Recap several of the top points communicated in the interview that reflected a solid fit ... Follow up on a challenge expressed with the genesis of a solution (or how you'd approach crafting the remedy) ... Definitely use this communique to good advantage in addressing any points you may have forgotten or--even more importantly--possibly fumbled in the interview ... Share company- or industry-specific information that may have been touched on in your discussions ... You get the idea.

Don't let the blank page intimidate you ... but do recognize that an appropriate length can run a good four paragraphs (opening, closing, and two solid paragraphs communicating the value-add you bring).

Finally, always--always--express enthusiasm about moving to the next phase of the process (regardless of whether or not this has presented itself to be an optimal opportunity--you want the opportunity to negotiate that!). One of the biggest pet peeves I hear from recruiters is candidates who don't have energy and appear nonplussed about an opportunity.