Importance of Sending a “thank you” note/email after a job or informational interview
Yes, moms (and dads) are usually right. It may seem “old school” when they tell you to send a thank you after a job or informational interview. But, sometimes “old school” still what works.
A recent Career Builder survey showed that about 57% of applicants do not send thank you cards/emails. In the survey, 22% of employers said they were less likely to hire a candidate who did not send a thank you note. And, 16% of employers said flat out they would NOT hire someone who did not send a thank you note.
Email or Snail Mail?
Time is of the essence in the hiring process, so make sure to send at least an email thank you within 24 hours of your interview or meeting. I like for people to send a quick email thank you and to write that a formal thank you will follow (i.e. a handwritten card). And, if you’ve applied for a job on Capitol Hill, snail mail is usually “scrubbed” somewhere outside of D.C. before it can be delivered there, so email is the best way to express one’s thanks after interviewing for Hill jobs.
What Should a “thank you” include?
Make sure to thank the person you met with and to re-state your interest in the job. You can include things you forgot to mention in your interview as well. Send separate emails and/or cards to the people you met with (no one likes the chain email thank you).
Good luck to you!
Margaret “Mag” Gottlieb is the Career Director at the Graduate School of Political Management at the George Washington University. Connect with Mag on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/margaret-gottlieb-1457753/ or via email at mag@gwu.edu.
