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Always Send a Thank You Note After a Job Interview

Always Send a Thank You Note After a Job Interview
Credit: Pexels

A few years ago I started sending “Nice to Meet You!” emails to people after they had given me a card at a networking event. Sending a note gets their email added to my inbox so I can find it weeks or years later, but I’ve also always thought it was also just a classy move. Sending an email says that you appreciate the person taking the time to talk to you and would like to stay connected to them going forward.

Another solid idea: Always send a Thank You note after an interview.

I feel like someone in college told me that you should always send a thank you note after an interview. It’s something I’ve always done, and as it turns out doing so might be what put me in front of others in the past.

This week Business Insider ran a story by the executive managing editor of the website, Jessica Liebman, who has hired hundreds of people during her tenure. She says that if someone doesn’t send a thank you note after an interview she just won’t hire them.

According to Liebman, sending a note indicates that someone wants the job and that they not only have good manners but after also resourceful enough to find the email address for the interviewer, something they likely weren’t given.

She goes on to note that sending a thank you note doesn’t mean they’ll end up being a successful hire, but it has been a good barrier to entry for her over the years, and likely many other hiring managers out there.

So, what do you put in a thank you note?

These don’t need to be a long missive, in fact, they shouldn’t be. In a thank you note you simply want to send a short note 24-48 hours after your interview thanking the person for taking the time to talk to you and briefly reminding them why you think you’d be a good fit for the job.

Just like sending a thank you note after someone sends you a wedding gift or does you a huge favor, it’s just a polite thing to do. And in the case of after an interview, it helps an interview remember you, shows you’re interested in the job, and conveys that you’ll likely be a positive addition to the team. That means you’re much more likely to get called in for that second interview.