Silent gratitude isn’t much use to anyone. (Stern)
If you aren’t remembered, your interview was a waste. Someone else will get the job. Someone else will get the promotion. Someone else will get the reward. If you aren’t remembered, why even show up?
Think of your interview from the hiring manager’s perspective. He is going to interview ten people. Three of them will totally screw up the interview. There’s no way he’ll hire them. That leaves 7 people who could do the job
The hiring manager finishes the last interview of the day and starts slogging through his email. Two emails are from people he interviewed. They said, “Thank you.”
Managers are never thanked for anything. He takes his list of interviews and circles both names. Then he goes through the list and circles the names of two more people who impressed him. He puts the list down and catches up on his email.
The next days are spent catching up on all the work he put off in order to do the interviews. Two days after the interviews he receives one letter that intrigues him. It is a paper “Thank you.” It is from one of the people who sent an email “Thank you.”
Managers are never thanked for anything. That person who sent an email and a paper thank you is invited in for a second interview along with one other person.
Do you want to be remembered favorably? Get the email and ground mail address of everyone you interview with. Send them a thank you note. Don’t have the addresses? Call the company and ask the receptionist. Forgot the name? Call the human resource department and ask who it was you interviewed with.
Send an email thank you immediately after your interview. Send a paper thank you the same day. A short thank you is fine. Say, “Thank you for interviewing me. I look forward to working with you. I was very impressed.” You’ll remind the interviewers who you are immediately with the email. You remind them again two or three days later when your paper letter arrives.
My guess is if 10 people are interviewed, those two notes will double your chances of getting the job. It’s worth your time.
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Something To Do Today
Have you interviewed this week? Send an email and paper thank you.