DEAR READERS: This week’s topic is follow-up thank-you notes. Email or snail mail? Short and concise or more detailed explaining why you want the job? Those are questions several interviewees I know have asked lately, and here is what one expert advises:
“Handwritten thank-you notes used to be a nice touch, but in today’s global market, where individuals travel, work virtually and are constantly on the move, an email is the better way to go,” says Dawn Graham, Ph.D., a career switch coach, Wharton lecturer, and host of the popular “Career Talk” show on Sirius XM Radio.
As Graham notes, email is more prompt than snail mail — and it is unlikely to get lost en route as long as you have the correct email addresses for the interviewers you’re thanking.
Those things are important, especially if decisions about next steps in the hiring process are being made in the next day or two, she adds.
“The thank you is also an opportunity to reconnect with your contact and further sell your candidacy,” Graham says. “Skip the generic wording, and use the opportunity to stand out among the competition. In just a sentence or two, you can bring up a point that was discussed during your meeting and reiterate how your experience will drive results. You may even relay a relevant qualification that you forgot to discuss in the interview.”
The bottom line?
“Be concise, stick to a targeted paragraph, and use this follow up communication to build an advantage,” Graham says.