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The University of Illinois Alumni Career Center provides individual and group career/life transition counseling and maintains an active liaison with employers so that University of Illinois alumni have the necessary tools to conduct a successful employment and career management campaign.
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Thursday, July 22, 2010

15 Minutes Keep Candidates In The Running

We regularly get asked whether a candidate should send a thank you note. And, if they should, what format it should be in.

According to a ResumeEdge.com survey:

  • 94% said that a thank you letter would increase the applicant's chances of getting the job, or at least help him/her stay in the running, provided the applicant is otherwise qualified
  • BUT, less than 20% of applicants actually send a thank you letter after interview.

So the answer to the first question is yes, yes and yes.

Spend 15 minutes to write and send the thank you note after interviews and networking meetings. Use them to summarize the points you made previously, bring up a point you missed or stress a critical piece of information. And, thank them for their time.

The answer to the question about the format of the note is a fuzzier. Given the statistics above, my answer is always that the format doesn't matter as much as getting the letter written and sent in a timely manner.

For a more specific answer to the question, look to your industry for clues and observe how the people you interviewed with communicated with you previously. If you are interviewing in a more traditional industry, typed and mailed thank you notes may be preferred. If you are interviewing in a more creative or casual environment, emailed or handwritten are acceptable.

When I've hired, I just wanted to see a thank you note, I didn't career about the format. Thank you notes to me were evidence or etiquette, expression and writing skills.

What do you think?  We welcome your comments through the comment link below.

Posted by Julie Bartimus at 9:12:59 AM 2 comments

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Comments

Snail mail maybe out of date, but the impact of sending a handwritten note can be worth its weight in gold. Last year, I went back for a third round interview and saw mine from the second round pinned to the bulletin board in the VP's office.
Written by John Moore on 7/22/2010 7:20:46 PM
Julie--great advice. Sending a thank you note provides the company with more evidence of your interest in the role, your engagement with the person you spoke to, and most importantly, it speaks to and validates your personal brand as a professional.
Written by Kevin McDonnell on 7/22/2010 9:54:16 AM