Most of us remember as kids having to sit down after a birthday party or Christmas and write thank you notes. After the third or fourth, it could only be described as painful tedium. If only we had the fill-in-the-blank thank you note cards that kids can send today!
But it was a good exercise in gratitude and manners, qualities that can set you apart in the search for a job. In fact, the importance of saying thank you after a job interview can hardly be overstated. Consider these reasons why it’s so valuable:
It shows good social skills. This is the most basic reason why thank you notes are so important after an interview. No one wants to work with an ungrateful lug—simple as that. A thank you note lets the potential employer know that you care about social niceties, critical when dealing with clients and coworkers.
It’s an opportunity to reiterate your experience and skills. Gently sell yourself again! Explain that the interview confirmed your belief that your talent can benefit the company, and briefly state how.
It’s a chance to highlight elements of your conversation. Make mention of something that you learned during the interview. It will show that you were paying attention. Bonus points if you can draw a connection between what you learned and how you can contribute.
It’s a way to reiterate expected next steps. As you sign off, confirm the established timeline for a response from the interviewer and restate any plans you discussed during the interview.
It’s a means of keeping the communication lines open. Continue the conversation. Offer to provide further information about your experience or examples of your work and invite future questions.
The importance of saying thank you goes beyond the expectation. A well-crafted thank you note can be a valuable tool to swing the potential employer’s thoughts back around to you. That’s why we include this as a part of our career and interview coaching services at Merrfeld. It’s more than two small words—it’s a big opportunity not to be missed!
Saying thank you after an interview is key. Learn how from Merrfeld.com. Photo by Stuart Miles, freedigitalphotos.net.
