{"id":2252,"date":"2011-06-23T07:11:40","date_gmt":"2011-06-23T11:11:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/?p=2252"},"modified":"2025-10-22T05:39:07","modified_gmt":"2025-10-22T09:39:07","slug":"interviews-the-power-of-thank-you-notes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/interviews-the-power-of-thank-you-notes\/","title":{"rendered":"Interviews: The Power of Thank You Notes"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a> Old-fashioned good manners are surprisingly powerful these days. Maybe because so many people lack them.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re in a job search, or even contemplating one, here\u2019s a piece of advice to position yourself above your competition:<\/p>\n

Buy a few boxes of quality thank notes and plenty of postage stamps, and start using them regularly.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

That\u2019s right.<\/em> Get into the habit of sending hand-written thank you\u2019s to just about anyone you interact with in your job search \u2013 everyone involved in interviews<\/a>, people in your network who provide introductions, employers and colleagues who write recommendations, etc.<\/p>\n

With an estimated mere 5% of job seekers sending thank you\u2019s after interviews, the impact for those who take advantage of this little-used strategy can be significant.<\/p>\n

Clients have told me that thank-you notes were the deciding factor in landing a new job. The decision was down to the wire. My clients sent thank you\u2019s, the others didn\u2019t. The people hiring them said they were so impressed by the effort that it tipped the scales in my clients\u2019 favor.<\/p>\n

Emailed thank you\u2019s are okay, and sometimes the only option if timing is a factor, but they just don\u2019t have the impact a snail-mailed one does. Think about how you feel when you get a thank you note<\/a> in the mail, for whatever reason. You\u2019re impressed that this person took the time and consideration to sit down, pen some thoughts, and pop it in the mail, aren\u2019t you?<\/p>\n

If you consistently carry through the brand message you established in the interview or interaction, your thank you\u2019s will remind and reinforce the reader of your promise of value.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what a well-written, personalized thank you note accomplishes following an interview:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n