imagine a post - chore interview thank you remark has gone the way of calling cards and phone book ? Think again . specially in the digital age , a handwritten content is a nice gesture , and an comfortable way to brook out in a pond of as qualified applicants . It ’s as simple as this : Be yourself , write it down , and get it in the mail , pronto . Here ’s how .
1. STOP WASTING TIME.
When it follow to thanking an interviewer or potential party boss for their meter , do n’t drag your feet . “ fritter away them a note of hand promptly does n’t seem heroic or needy — it looks concerned , ” says etiquette expertDiane Gottsman , who runsThe Protocol School of Texas , a firm that specializes in etiquette training for corporations , universities , and individuals .
Her policy ? ship a speedy e-mail later that Clarence Day , then save a handwritten note within 24 hours . “ Often , we worry about doing too much or too little , ” she says . “ And when that happens , we freeze . ” Avoid doldrums by adopting this two - pronged approach for all professional and networking interaction .
2. YES, YOU REALLY SHOULD SEND A HANDWRITTEN THANK YOU.
You might be thinking that escargot mail is so 1995 . But after your initial email ( which you ’ll send , ideally , before close of business enterprise the mean solar day of your audience ) , get ready to put pen to paper . “ It ’s just a little piece of effort , ” says Gottsman . “ But if you ’re neck - and - neck with another candidate , this could set you aside . ”
3. BUT FIRST, MAKE LIKE GRADE SCHOOL AND WRITE A ROUGH DRAFT.
Before you bust out the stationery , gather your thoughts . Feel costless to write a quick draft on the information processing system , but also take a musical composition of scrape paper and in reality spell the message out . Write slowly . compose legibly . Bonus points if you line an outline of your letter paper onto a composition of printer newspaper or a memo pad , so you ’ll see how the note will fit in the distance available .
4. KEEP THE NOTE PROMPT AND MAKE THESE THREE KEY POINTS.
give thanks the interviewer for his or her time , iterate your interest in the possibility , and soak up a connection between your experience and the role . This thank - you wo n’t be all that different from your initial email , says Gottsman : “ It ’s all right to be a little bit repetitious here . By the time the somebody receive this thank you , he or she might have met a handful of other candidates . ”
Be yourself ( your professional ego , that is ) and sincere — and do n’t be afraid to show a little emotion or exuberance . “ A hiring managing director is looking for someone who ’s competent , sure enough , but they ’re also appear for someone whowantsthis business and plans to stay awhile , ” she explains . Keep it brusque ; if you ’ve written more than six or so sentence , it ’s too long . get to the note with “ Dear ” and shut it with something simple , like “ Sincerely " or “ serious wishes . ” This is n’t the place for a “ Cheers ” or a “ digit cross ! ”
5. PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT. (SO DOES PROOFREADING.)
More potential than not , your penmanship has … lose a moment as you ’ve scram old . These days , you might hand - write ( or scribble ) only the grocery inclination . So if you need to , save that rough draft a few time to practice your spatial arrangement . Once you ’ve indite the bank note on stationery ( more on that below ) , give it a thorough chip . “ Nobody ’s going to dong you for mussy handwriting , as long as they can read it , ” Gottsman says . Will someone else be able to tell the difference between anoand ana ? Is everything spelled correctly ? If you do n’t believe yourself , flick a exposure of your note and electronic mail or text it to a trusted booster for a once - over .
6. INVEST IN SOME REAL STATIONERY.
“ It does n’t have to be expensive , ” Gottsman sound out . “ Your cardstock just require to feel high quality and look professional . ” wayward to popular belief , the identity card itself need n’t say the words “ Thank You ! ” A secure choice : Your initial or monogram , your name , or a lowly symbol or image . Keep it simple .
7. PAY ATTENTION TO EVERY DETAIL.
“ In correspondence like this , everything counts , ” Gottsman says . “ I might not imply to estimate you base on the stamp you used . But if your stamp is from , say , a holiday that took shoes weeks ago , that wo n’t go unnoticed . ” ( ditto mark if you meter the chain armor at your current office . ) concentrate on the addressee on the envelope and write the restoration address neatly , too . If you mess up up , use a new gasbag — don’t merely scrape it out . And verify the mould is n’t askew . “ These might seem like small things , but when you ’re seek to make a smashing impression , your thank you remark is part of your professional image and cachet , ” Gottsman explains . “ Just like your association , your blazer , or your portfolio . ”
This clause primitively ran in 2016 .
