The Thank You Note That Will Land You Your Dream Job

The Thank You Note, a job seeker practice that has held up throughout the years as an expected courtesy following an interview, is a strategic tool you can use in your job search. How do you do The Thank You Note?

Recently, a candidate we placed sent our recruiters a thank you note which, as the candidate put it, was simply “something silly [she] made.” Upon opening the envelopes, each recruiter was happily surprised to find their own, unique thank you note inside.

These thank you notes (above) clearly took quite a bit of time.  They feature a woman on the cover with pearls, embellished purses and glittery blouses. On the inside is a thoughtful note of gratitude, a little more personalization, and heartfelt sincerity.  She even called one of our recruiters, Bernice Miller, her “Fairy Job Mother.” If you read our blogs regularly, you know how much we appreciate a good play on words!

We love these thank you notes because they showcase yet another of the candidate’s many talents.  The cards are reflective of her personality and style.  They clearly took time and effort, and what a wonderful feeling it is to know that someone spent time and energy into creating something that was especially for you.  Each of the handwritten notes contained different reasons for gratitude to each of the recruiters; they were personal. 

While the creative route may not be for everyone, the important takeaway from these notes is that they were personal, the content was genuine.  If mailing a note feels like too much effort, simply keep a piece of stationary and a stamp in your bag, and mail the note right after the interview so you don’t forget.  Send a singing telegram thank you—just kidding, but you get the idea.  Regardless of whether this candidate gets the job or not, she will be remembered, and in a job market where everyone is a resume, memorability can tip the scales in your favor, big time.

Sure, a thank you email is perfectly acceptable.  The hiring manager will see it in their inbox and think, Joe Mow sent me a thank you note, that’s nice.  But that doesn’t leave  a very lasting impression, does it?

Thank you notes can be unbelievably effective tools to remain at the forefront of a candidacy race.  “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are,” and success is sure to come.