Thank
You and Follow up Communications.
See how your follow-up can help parlay you into an offer.
Remember
that your work is not done once you finish the interview.
You can’t sit back and wait for the job offer, so consider
these key rules and strategies for following-up your job interviews.
Ask at the end of the interview when the employer expects
to make the hiring decision. Obtain the correct titles and
names of all the people who interviewed you. (Ideally, do
get each person’s business card.)
Be proactive and consider follow-up a strategic part of your
job search process. Follow-up can give you just the edge you
need to get the job offer over others who interviewed for
the position. Use follow-up techniques to continue to show
your enthusiasm and desire for the position, but don’t
make it seem as though you are desperate. Nearly every career
book advises job seekers to send thank-you letters after being
interviewed, but how many do? I bet NONE
;
Please
refer to our [Sample
Thank You Letter ]In the aggregate, only
about 5 percent of those looking for jobs perform this simple
yet crucial ritual. Thus, it's time to address some of the
frequently asked questions about thank-you letters.
Doesn't it come off as wimpy or even desperate to send a thank-you
letter?
Won't
the employer think I'm sucking up?
No. It's a very rare employer who isn't
pleased to get a thank-you letter. Most consider it just common
courtesy, a way to differentiate you from the pack, proof
that you're really interested in the position, and a way to
keep your name in front of them.
Will a thank-you note make or break my chances of getting
a job?
Well, probably not in most cases, but it could. Why take the
chance? One of my former students told me that after he was
hired for his first job out of college, his boss told him
that he had wavered between my student and another finalist
for the position. But then the boss got a thank-you letter
from my student, and it made all the difference. Because of
that simple gesture, my student got the job.
Should it be a typed business letter or a handwritten social
note?
Studies show it doesn't matter. The important thing is doing
it. Tailor your letter to the culture of the company and the
relationship you established with the person who interviewed
you. If you feel the interviewer and the company call for
a formal business letter, send that. If your rapport with
the interviewer dictate a more personal touch, send a handwritten
note.
What about an e-mailed thank you? It shows
that you have a bit of courtesy.....
Career experts are not in total agreement about the propriety
of e-mailing a thank you, but again, the company's culture
should guide you. If people in the company use e-mail heavily,
your e-mailed thank you will seem right in step. It's also
a fast solution if you know the company will be making its
hiring decision quickly. Even if e-mail fits in with the company
culture, however, it's a good idea to follow up your e-mailed
thank you with a hard-copy version.
|
