The Power of Thank You

            With Thanksgiving around the corner, I wanted to discuss the power of gratitude, and the importance of saying, “Thank you” after an interview. There are two ways to go about this. You can send an e-mail or hand-write and mail a Thank You card. Here are a couple of tips on what to include:

Tips to Writing an E-Mail Thank You:

1. Like a cover letter, make sure to include the position you are looking to be hired for.

2. Add in something that you talked about in the actual interview. This is one way to help you stand out from the crowd.

3. I always recommend saying you appreciate the person’s time. Everyone loves to be thanked, and your interviewer is no exception.

4. Make sure you have someone else read the E-mail to correct typos and grammar. Fresh eyes will see something you may have missed.

5. Send within 24- 48 hours of the interview  

Bonus Points: Sending a personal E-mail to each person that interviewed you

 

Tips for a Handwritten Thank You

1. Make sure you plan out beforehand what you are going to say. Cross outs and white-out are never professional.

2. Write slowly and carefully to make your handwriting is as neat as possible (Script is preferable).

Life Hack: If you worry that your handwriting is not neat enough, have a friend write out carefully as you dictate (No one will ever know!)

3. Make sure the card itself is professional. 

  

Why you should send both:

Beware of sending only a handwritten card because the U.S. Post is not a 100% guarantee. If you send it to the wrong address or it is over a holiday weekend, the card could be delayed for quite a bit. However, I highly recommend both the e-mail AND the handwritten.
According to one recruiter, they said that in one position they went through about 300 interviews. Of the 300, about 150 sent Thank-You emails. Of those 150, about 5 sent a mailed card. Those 5 made it to the 2^nd round of interviews, even if they were not being considered. That is how much they stood out from their cards.  

~Best of Luck, and have a wonderful Thanksgiving~  

Kristi Riecker

Graduate Assistant

Hofstra Career Center