Gratitude Can Go Long Way In Helping You Get the Job

Lisa Ryan recently interviewed a candidate for a corporate communications position. To her surprise, after walking the person to the elevator, she returned to her office to find she had already received an e-mailed thank-you note from the prospect.

By KRIS MAHER
Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

The candidate’s brief response — which Ms. Ryan suspected was sent using a hand-held device before he even hit the lobby — was impressively speedy. But it also struck her as rote, lacking any meaningful reflection on the meeting. In the end, the candidate wasn’t hired, at least in part because of that note, she says.

Ms. Ryan, a senior vice president and managing director for recruiter Heyman Associates Inc., of New York, says other factors were at work. Still, she says, "I don’t think people realize how important and what a major factor your thank-you note can have in the hiring process. You want to put some substance into your thank-you note."

Sending a thoughtful thank-you letter to a hiring manager after an interview costs no more than the price of a stamp and a little time. Sending a well-worded e-mail costs even less. But the rewards can be great if your token of appreciation helps you land a position or, in the event the job doesn’t come through, start a relationship with a fresh contact. Many managers hang on to such missives for files of future prospects.

Why, then, do so few candidates even bother to send thank-you letters?

"People tend to focus on getting the interview; then they focus on answering questions," says Ron Krannich, author of "201 Dynamite Job Search Letters." He estimates that only 10% to 15% of interviewees send notes.

Yet thank-you letters allow you to express yourself in ways you can’t on a resume, or might not during an interview, due to nervousness. If the interview has gone well, there is a little more room for informality. In a few short paragraphs, you can convey your enthusiasm for an opening, your social graces and even something of your personality. "The thank-you letter is the ultimate kind of follow-up mechanism," Mr. Krannich says.

The first question that confronts most job seekers is whether to send an e-mail or a hard copy. Career experts say the choice depends on the circumstances. In more technical fields, a handcrafted note could appear behind the times, says Ann C. Humphries, founder of Eticon Inc., a Columbia, S.C., business-etiquette consulting company. "They would look at it as ‘manual,’ and they would say we need ‘digital,’ " Ms. Humphries says.

Even so, in most cases she recommends paper, which allows a candidate to stand out in an era dominated by e-mail. She advises clients to develop a "stationery wardrobe," analogous to a business wardrobe, and to mind the smallest details, such as affixing a stamp on the envelope. "A metered envelope doesn’t look as good," she cautions.

She also recommends writing a draft on paper before sending it electronically, because the informality of e-mail often leads to sloppiness. "The process of putting it on paper sometimes forces the discipline of making sure the tone is right," she says.

Limit your letter to a few paragraphs, expressing thanks, and reinforcing your strengths and enthusiasm for a position. Personal touches — and even humor — can be powerful ways to build rapport with a hiring manager. Avoid overfamiliarity and have someone read your letter over to check the tone. Above all, the letter is a chance to showcase your business-communication skills. "You don’t want to be too aggressive," Mr. Krannich says. "You want to make sure it’s very employer-centered."Make sure the letter is flawless in grammar and usage. You can go overboard obsessing over what quality of paper to choose, but even a typo can negate a positive impression. In most cases, it’s appropriate to type a thank you. The letter should be free of coffee stains, white out, cross-outs and smudges. Blemishes signal a lack of care.

Misspellings and grammar gaffes are the betes noires of thank-you letters. Be sure, also, to get the full, correctly spelled name and proper title of the person you’re addressing.

Much as it seems like entering a minefield, however, a good thank-you letter can make a positive impression and nudge the hiring process along, says Judit E. Price, a principal of Berke & Price Associates, a Chelmsford, Mass., career-counseling firm. She advises clients to state in a thank-you letter that they will follow up with a hiring manager. "You have to show that you’re proactive," she says. "Don’t wait for the hiring manager to call you." Just knowing a candidate will be calling can force a manager to make an evaluation.

Timing counts. Send a "thank you" out on the same day of an interview, so that a hiring manager receives it within a day or two. According to Ms. Ryan, if you wait too long, a hiring manager is apt to wonder, "How come they’re thinking of me now?"

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