Thank you! No, Thank you!!

For a friend's wedding shower last summer, I decided to put together a book of vintage advice and etiquette for the newly married.  If nothing else, I knew she and her "beau" would find it excellent future dinner party fodder.  Looking for inspiration, I came across an article on The Huff Post that celebrated the absurdity of a 1920s social etiquette pamphlet.  

A few highlights from Aunt Rebecca's (who?) advice included:  "Do not stare around the room or ask questions about the price of furnishings.  Neither be effusive or distant; be cordial." And for men, "Do not offer your arm in the daytime to a lady who is not your mother, wife or sister or an elderly or invalid lady.  Never salute a lady with the gesture of a hat, take off your hat."

AND she's thinking, "I use this because I married a smoker."

After reading this, as well as countless other social narratives du jour, I was convinced that not only would I make a bad wife, but surely I was not and never would be a lady.  A bit traumatized by the judgmental words of Aunt Amanda (who?) and other women religiously subscribing to the cult of domesticity, I decided to seek comfort in the less critical advice of Emily Post.  

As I read her thoughtful commentary on wedding etiquette, I found Emily's, or Mrs. Post's, insight on thank you notes, "handwritten notes are warmer and more special than other forms of thank-yous," reassuringly relevant and transcendent of time.

Never underestimate the power of "thank you."

Fast forward a hundred years...  

As a recruiter, I don't necessarily expect each candidate I meet to send a thank you note.  For those who do, the gesture certainly doesn't go unappreciated.  When, however, I am taking additional time to help on a resume, prep for an interview, or advise on a job search the expectation certainly increases.  Who wouldn't want acknowledgment for their time and professional expertise, especially if that expertise results in getting someone not only an interview, but a job?  

What I do find non-negotiable is my candidates sending hiring managers thank you notes.  This is a simple and expected courtesy.

"No thank you, no follow through, no job!"

According Career Builder, 22 percent of hiring managers are less likely to offer a job to a candidate who doesn't send a thank you note.  TheLadders job search expert Amanda Augustine further attests to this when she says, "failure to follow up can be the deciding factor in rejecting a candidate who is otherwise a great fit."  And in case there's any lingering doubt, I also have worked with a number of hiring managers who've refused to move forward with a candidate for this very reason.  I remember one simply saying, "no thank you, no follow through, no job!"

TO EMAIL OR NOT TO EMAIL
Though I strongly prefer and recommend a handwritten note, I do recognize that technology significantly has changed the way our society communicates.  Hiring managers recognized this as well, and in a recent survey 87 percent said that they consider email as an acceptable follow up to a job interview.  This certainly is good news for those whose handwriting wouldn't win any penmanship awards.  If sending an email, keep in mind that hiring managers are getting 100s of messages in their in boxes each day, and an electronic thank you just could get lost in the cyber shuffle. 

No hearts when sending to a hiring manager.

QUICK TIPS
Since most hiring managers have already made up their minds before receiving a thank you, there's no need to continue the hard sell.  Here are a few quick tips to write a winning thank you:

• Reiterate interest in a sincere yet concise way
• Stay away from the generic and show some personality - I've stood out in the past by sending my mom's beautiful and unique photo cards
• Remind a hiring manager of key qualifications
• Version content if interviewing with multiple people, as they may compare.
• Close by reiterating thanks and appreciation
• Send within 24 hours of an interview, so a hiring manager's attention is not lost  
•  Avoid sending through social media or text

The only thing little Jimmie ever wanted was to blow stuff up.

IT IS ROCKET SCIENCE!

I'm not one for cliche's but I often find myself saying, "It's not rocket science," especially when annoyed.  Well, what if it was? What would a rocket scientist's interview thank you note say?  Incorporating the tips above, I'm thinking it would read something like this:

"Hello Dr. Simonson -

Thank you for taking time to meet and discuss the Rocket Scientist opportunity today.  I greatly appreciate learning more about your work in the area of aerodynamic drag and certainly agree when you say we have come a long way since Orville and Wilbur Wright (rocket scientist humor)!

I am confident that my years of compressible flow research would be a great asset to the direction Aerospace Invaders is taking in its New Technologies department.  As a team, it also would enable us to make an immediate impact in the areas of turbulence and boundary layers that have become increasingly computational in nature.

Again, thank you for your time and consideration.  If there are any questions I can answer about my research, please let me know.  I humbly look forward to hearing next steps.

Sincerely,
Dr. Marvin Johnson"

Not the result I was hoping for...

About my friend's wedding shower gift...  Out of fear of being blamed for a quickie divorce or worse, no marriage at all, I scrapped the etiquette idea.  I settled on some beautifully monogrammed stationery and for the wedding - steak knives.  Because what vegan couple doesn't need a good set of steak knives?