The Thank-You Email

Previously, I promised to explain how to write an effective thank-you email following a job interview. A promise is a promise, so...

Years ago, when I was giving a presentation at the New York Public Library, a woman in the audience interrupted me. She said, "I was here yesterday and heard a presentation by another career counselor. He told us that you should never thank interviewers because that puts you in an inferior position to them." Then she asked me, "What do you think?"

I looked at the other attendees, all of whom were looking at me. I looked at the woman, who was also looking at me. I was replaying in my mind what she had said. I think everyone else was as well. Then I responded, "That has got to be the dumbest piece of advice I have ever heard!" Everyone laughed. I then continued, "Of course you are in an inferior position. You need the job and they have it. You only become equals when they offer you the job. In any event, it's rude not to thank them." We all chuckled and moved on.

Thank you for interviewing me this morning for the Marketing position. I appreciate your having taken the time. It was a pleasure meeting with you and learning about your important work, not to mention meeting the team. I truly believe I can contribute to your accomplishing your goals and look forward to the opportunity to prove myself. Sincerely,

That is a very polite thank-you message. And if you use it, I can pretty much guarantee that you will not get the job offer. Why? Because it is generic. As the saying goes, you could be applying for anything from dog catcher to president. It's just a bunch of meaningless platitudes. It will impress no one and, if it does, you don't want to work for them! So what do you write?

First, you have to send the thank-you emails the day of the interview. No excuses.

Second, each individual with whom you met must receive a personalized thank-you. And, to be Shakespearean, there's the rub. How do you personalize 3, 4, 5 emails? After all, they will be shared and compared. Your competition will probably send one email to everyone. That's how it is usually done. But you are going to differentiate yourself by sending a different email to each interviewer. But, again, how?

It's simple:

The purpose of the thank-you is not just to be polite, it is to show that you listen. You heard what was said to you in the interview and you understand each person's concerns. So ask each interviewer the following question:

If I were to get this job, how would I be able to make your life easier?

And that's it. Record their answer and make it the focus of your thank-you email. Each email will be different. Each interviewer will know that you listened to them. And you will look very good in the eyes of the hiring committee, whatever it may be.

Some things do not have to be complicated. Simple is usually best, as our friend Occam discovered while shaving! (That's a very funny joke/pun for those in the know.)

SHAMELESS COMMERCIAL PLUG (which I almost never do!): For samples of all the letters you need to write during the course of a successful job search, read my Amazon #1 Bestseller, The 21st Century Job Search. The paperback and Kindle are only $3.99. What better holiday present could there be?

ARE YOU AN EXPERT IN YOUR FIELD? THEN I INVITE YOU TO BE A GUEST ON MY PODCAST, BRUCE HURWITZ PRESENTS: MEET THE EXPERTS. FOR COMPLETE DETAILS, TO APPLY AND TO SCHEDULE AN INTERVIEW VISIT: https://hsstaffing.com/video-podcast

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Future Articles:

• Boneless and Humorless: A True Supervisory Tale for the Holidays
• How to Reenter the Job Market After a Decade Raising a Family
• The Science of a Successful Job Search
• Doggie Decision Making