Career Advice
(featured column)
No
Thank You Could Mean No Job
by
Rosemary Haefner, CareerBuilder.com
It's one of the
simplest things you can do. Your mother told you to always say it. By expressing
it--or not--you can change a person's mood and perception of you in an instant.
Who knew two words could be so powerful?
Writing a
thank-you letter after an interview doesn't just showcase a candidate’s
manners, it can also make or break their chances of landing a job. Nearly 15
percent of hiring managers say they would not hire someone who failed to send a
thank-you letter after the interview. Thirty-two percent say they would still
consider the candidate, but would think less of him or her, according to
CareerBuilder.com's recent "How to Get in the Front Door" survey.
Although most hiring managers expect to receive a thank-you note, format
preferences differ. One-in-four hiring managers prefer to receive a thank-you
note in e-mail form only; 19 percent want the e-mail followed up with a hard
copy; 21 percent want a typed hard copy only and 23 percent prefer just a
handwritten note.
No matter which format you choose, it’s crucial to act quickly when sending a
thank-you letter to your interviewer. Twenty-six percent of hiring managers
expect to have the letter in-hand two days after the interview, and 36 percent
expect to have it within three to five days. Sending the letter quickly
reinforces your enthusiasm for the job, and helps keep you top-of-mind for the
interviewer.
Here are Some Tips to Make the Most of Your Thank-You Letter:
Stick to three paragraphs.
In the first paragraph, thank the interviewer for the opportunity. Use the
second to sell yourself by reminding the hiring manager of your qualifications.
In the third paragraph, reiterate your interest in the position.
Fill in the blanks.
Thank-you notes are a great way to add in key information you forgot in the
interview, clarify any points or try to ease any reservations the interviewer
might have expressed.
Proofread carefully.
Double-check to be sure your note is free from typos and grammatical errors.
Don't rely solely on your spell-checker.
Be specific.
Don't send out a generic correspondence. Instead, tailor your note to the
specific job and the relationship you have established with the hiring manager.
* * *
Survey Methodology The CareerBuilder survey, "How to Get in the
Front Door," was conducted from May 17 to May 27, 2005. Methodology used to
collect survey responses totaling more than 650 hiring managers for this study
involved selecting a random sample of comScore Networks panel members. These Web
Panel members were approached via an e-mail invitation, which asked them to
participate in a short online survey. The results of this survey are
statistically accurate to within +/- 3.84 percentage points (19 times out of
20).
Rosemary Haefner is CareerBuilder's Vice President of Human Resources
and Senior Career Adviser. She is an expert in recruitment trends and tactics,
job seeker behavior, workplace issues, employee attitudes and HR initiatives.
Reprinted with Permission.
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