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Thank you! Now that the interview is over.

So you did well in the interview. You’re driving back home hopeful, but nervous. “Did I answer that correctly?” “Will so-and-so really give me a great reference?”

There is something that you can do to stand out in the crowd: Send a “Thank you” card.

Here are a few simple rules for making sure that you ace this part of the job-hunting process:

Buy professional looking thank you cards. – You can get them almost everywhere. Avoid flowers, kittens and any kind of character. Sending your “Thank you” card with Hello Kitty on it to anyone but Sanrio is going to get it, and your resume, tossed in the trash.

Practice your hand-writing. – Hand write your message. Do not let someone else do it for you. If you are a big burly guy who interviewed for a security job and the thank you card arrives with loopy letters and hearts over the “i”s, they’re going to know that you didn’t take the time to write your letter yourself.

Make it concise.  – Something like,

“Dear Ms. Wright,

Thank you for taking the time to talk to me today. It is my hope that you will select me for the open security position. I look forward to working with you soon.

                                                                                                Sincerely yours,

                                                                                                Joseph P. Security”

Now is not the time to sell yourself again. Don’t repeat how qualified you are or how nice they were. Just thanks, a reminder of the position you were interviewing for and a look forward. Sign it with the name that is on your resume, even if you go by a different name the rest of time.

Make sure your grammar and spelling are perfect. – Now is not the time to screw up a good resume and a great interview by sending them a note that looks like a five year old composed it. Check and double check. Have someone read it for you. Make sure it’s perfect. There are even websites where you can pay someone to write a note for you.

Mail it out that afternoon or the next morning. – If you have waited two days, it’s too late.

Send one to everyone. – If you spoke with three different interviewers, send a card to each one. Assume that if you interviewed with three different people, they are going to get together to discuss you and everyone else they talked to. If only one of them remembers you, your chances of being hired go through the roof.

Your parents taught you to say it all the time: Thank you! Now, you might be able to turn those two simple words into a job.

Good luck and happy hunting.

By| Bob Peryea