Most job seekers know after an interview, you’re supposed to send a thank-you letter to your interviewer. But the truth is: not everyone does. And, of those who do, not many of them do so sincerely.
Of course, these individuals are usually the ones who, weeks later, are left wondering why they never heard back from their interviewer.
That’s no coincidence.
It Forges an Authentic Connection
All job interviews consist of two main parties: the interviewer and the interviewee.
When you come into an interview, you’re basically seen as a commodity. Your interviewer is likely thinking about you in terms of your value to their company. Whether they like you as a person is irrelevant. Until you make it so.
By sending a thank-you note after an interview, you become a person, rather than a prospect. You add a little bit more to the relationship between the two of you – which puts you at an advantage over anyone who didn’t take the time to send a follow-up letter.
It Puts You in the Spotlight
Along with that last sentiment, sending a thank-you letter to an interviewer makes you stand out over other interviewees who simply went on their merry way. Many prospective employees fail to do this incredibly simple task – and it may end up costing them a chance to get hired.
By sending a thank-you letter to your interviewer, you remind them of your existence (which, as we said before, they may have already forgotten). And it also shows you have more than a passing interest in working with the company.
These two gentle nudges could be just what your interviewer needed to keep you at the top of their mind.
You Can Provide Additional Info
How many times have you left a job interview and thought “Ugh! I forgot to tell them about x, y, and z”? It happens.
When you follow up an interview with a thank-you note, you give your interviewer some additional information regarding your experiences and skills.
You also can use this note as a chance to ask further questions about the position or the company.
5 Reasons to Write a Thank-You Note
Every day could be improved by the writing and sending of thank-you notes. As human beings moving through the world, there are few things that do not require our attention—or our thanks. Often, thank-you notes are not only notes of gratitude. They’re an opportunity to reach out, to connect, and to recognize a kindness. Of course, they’re also meaningful expressions of thanks for moments, words, favors, and gifts. We’ve collected a few of these thank-you-note-appropriate moments below. Cultivating gratitude is a practice, and—with an uncapped pen and a stack of fresh notecards at the ready—we’re feeling more thankful already.
Someone has done you a favor.
A kind word, a compassionate gesture, an unexpected favor—all are appropriate moments for which to write a thank-you note. If someone drove you to the airport, picked up your child from school, or lent you a pair of garden shears, you can feel free to pop a stamp onto an envelope and send over a thank-you note.
You’ve received a gift.
Whether the gift is a make-ahead casserole given in a moment of need or a tied-with-a-bow birthday present, a thank-you note should be written, signed, and sent along posthaste.
You have a new set of stationery.
Sometimes the only impetus you need to write a thank-you note is the presence of a brand new set of envelopes or a lovely new pen. If you are a dedicated thank you-note writer, you probably have stationery for every situation, and sometimes that’s all the occasion you need to write a note of thanks.
It’s Wednesday.
That’s right: There’s no need for a special occasion to send a thank-you note. They don’t have to follow big gifts or grand gestures. Sometimes the urge to thank someone just appears—a bright, shining spot in an otherwise ordinary weekday.
You feel gratitude.
If you are feeling grateful, you can thank someone just for being there. Reaching out with thanks for even the smallest of gestures is meaningful. It’s a kindness to repay a kindness. So pay attention: What moments sparked your gratitude today?
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