Thank you. Thank you, very much.

You’ve found the job of your dreams, crafted a stand-out resume, made it through a phone interview to a real live, personal interview. You rock the interview! You are on cloud nine all the way home. In your mind, you are the interviewer’s first choice. Now….the waiting game. WRONG! Do not just sit back and wait to hear from the company.

Follow up with a thank-you email. Yes, I know you hated when your mom made you write thank-you notes to your great aunts for the $5 they mailed you each birthday, but trust me….it is important in a job search.

Ideally, your email should be sent within 24 hours of your meeting. It should sent during business hours, never at 2 a.m. after cocktails with your friends. A mere “Thank you for your time.” will not suffice. You want your email to bring to mind the fabulous candidate that you are; creating a lasting impression. The goal is to remind the interviewer of all you offer, over and above, any other candidates he may have met with since meeting you.

The most effective thank-you note will recall for the interviewer, the best parts of your meeting and conversation. Dr. Deborah Good, a professor at the University of Pittsburgh Katz School of Business, says there are six important traits in an ideal follow-up letter:

If you are still wondering if it is “necessary” to send a thank-you email, consider that it will highlight your professionalism and by doing so, most recruiters will then extend the same level of professionalism to you in return. You will be more likely to hear back, one way or the other, when the company makes its final choice, and not be ghosted like a bad blind date.

Need another set of eyes to review your follow-up email before sending? Just drop me a line, I am happy to help.

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