As an active job candidate, you have several chances to impress your prospective employer. A sharp resume with a customized cover letter will lay your groundwork. The interview itself will provide many chances to showcase how and why you are the perfect match for the position. But you can do even more.
Related: What To Say In A Thank You Card Besides ‘Thank You’
A unique “thank you” letter or email can reinforce the strong impression you already made. But, you might wonder, are hiring managers really going to appreciate a thank you letter? The answer is, some might not, some will, and some might even expect a thank you note.
Now, in my world everything is about increasing my clients’ chances to land that job, and if there is even only a small chance that a thank you note will increase their chances, I will consider it a “must."
Not Any Thank You Note Will Do
Now, we know that a comprehensive and thorough job campaign requires a follow-up thank you note. However, don’t be tempted to write a generic and wishy washy thank you note in which you write fluff like “how excited you are about the position” or “how you believe to be a good fit."
A stellar thank you note will seamlessly link to the previous interview conversation and gives you the chance to reiterate and elaborate some specifics discussed. This way you can demonstrate that you are an active listener who is capable of learning and addressing the company’s needs.
Be as specific as you can. Did the hiring manager mention a new software implementation or the opening of a new office downtown? If so, address these issues and show how you can be of help with the new software implementation or opening the new downtown location.
You also have to make sure that you do not drift into a suppliant tone at any time. The hiring manager will not choose you for your politeness but for your showcased competency.
Avoid Drawing Attention In A Negative Way
Occasionally, you might have discussed certain weaknesses in your profile for the specific position during the interview (you might be short on industry specific work experience or lack a certain certification, etc…). Do not make the mistake here to draw attention to these weaknesses in your thank you note. Just like in your resume and cover letter, you will want to emphasize your strengths and downplay your weaknesses.
Think about a slick car salesman for a minute. What will he say at the end of his sales talk:
“You had mentioned that the mileage is somewhat high, but I am confident that the car will nevertheless be a good fit for your needs.”
OR
“With 650 horsepower and turbo All-Wheel-Drive, there is no competitor in its class for heavy duty off-road trucks."
I am sure we all know the answer here.
The Timing Of The Thank You Note
Another important factor for a successful thank you note is timing. Most hiring mangers these days are likely to expect a quick feedback. I, therefore, usually recommend sending a thank you note within 24 hours after the actual interview.
This way you can also be sure that the hiring manager’s memory of you is still fresh and vivid.
Are you still not sure about your thank you note? Feel free to drop me a line and I will be happy to get back to you! I also provide free resume checks. Simply contact me via my website: www.windhof-communications.com
Tim Windhof is a published and enthusiastic Resume Writer and Career Coach who is fascinated by helping people take their careers to the next level. Tim is a resume expert and educator for the American Writers and Artists, Inc. and their Resume Writer Training program. Tim has written interview-yielding resumes for clients from the US, Canada, India, Australia, Germany, Austria, and the Netherlands.
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by a CAREEREALISM-approved expert. You can learn more about expert posts here.Photo Credit: Shutterstock
Is your job search turning into a grind with no end in sight? It may be time to take a step back and reevaluate your entire approach.
In cold weather climates, the beginning of spring is a time to clean the house and get organized—a practice known as spring cleaning. Through the years, spring cleaning has taken on a larger meaning with people using the time to organize and declutter things in their lives.
For professionals on the job hunt, a little spring cleaning (metaphorically speaking) could be a great way to reinvigorate your job search. Here are a few strategies your job search spring cleaning should include.
Reevaluate Your Job Search Approach
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Make a list of the last handful of jobs you applied for and see if you can identify any positive or negative trends. Consider things like:
How did I learn about this job?
How did I apply for the job?
Did I earn an interview?
What was the ultimate result?
A lot can be learned about your job search approach just by answering these questions and identifying patterns. For example:
Negative Trends
You discovered five jobs through job boards, applied to all of them via the job boards, and never heard back from any of them.
The common pattern here is applying through job boards. This isn't to say that job boards don't serve a purpose in the job search process, but they have their limitations, and you can't run your job search entirely off of them. When you apply through a job board, there's a good chance that your materials will never get past the applicant tracking system (ATS) and never be seen by an actual person.
One simple fix is to research who the hiring manager or recruiter is that posted the position and email your materials to them directly.
The more efficient fix would be to take a proactive approach by putting together a bucket list of companies that you want to work for and start making connections on LinkedIn with people who work at those companies. You may already know some people who work there or have connections that can refer you to some individuals.
This is a great way to network your way onto a company's radar.
Positive Trends
You applied to three jobs via referral, were invited to two job interviews, and made it through multiple rounds of interviews for one of the jobs before being passed over for someone with a little more experience.
The pattern here is that getting referred to a job by a professional acquaintance is a great way to land a job interview. This indicates that you're leveraging your network well and you should continue to focus on your networking efforts.
The next step is to review the interview process and determine what went well and what needs to be improved. Sometimes the interviewer will provide feedback, and that feedback can be valuable. However, not everyone is comfortable with giving feedback.
Chances are you probably have a good idea about areas of improvement and the skills you need to gain. Put together a plan for addressing those shortfalls.
The good news in making it deep into any interview process is that it indicates that the company likes you as a potential employee (even if the timing just wasn't right) and the experience could be a roadmap to a job with that company at a later date, or another similar opportunity elsewhere.
Give Your Resume & Cover Letter Some Much-Needed Attention
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Are you continuously sending similar resumes and cover letters to each job opening with only minor adjustments? If so, your strategy needs some serious spring cleaning.
The reason why it's so important to tailor your resume is that throughout your career, you acquire numerous skills, but the job you're applying for may only be focusing on 6-8 of those skills. In that case, those skills must rise to the top of the resume with quantifiable examples of how you successfully used those skills at previous jobs.
Remember, recruiters go through hundreds of resumes. They need to be able to tell from a quick glance whether or not you're a potential candidate for the position.
While updating your resume, you could also spruce up your LinkedIn profile by highlighting the skill sets that you want to be noticed for by recruiters.
As for writing a good cover letter, the key to success is writing a disruptive cover letter. When you write a disruptive cover letter, you're basically telling a story. The story should focus on how you connect with the particular company and job position. The story could also focus on your personal journey, and how you got to where you currently are in your career.
If your resumes and cover letters aren't unique, now is the time to clean things up and get on track.
Build Your Personal Brand
Just because you're looking for work doesn't mean that you don't have anything to offer. Use previous career experiences and passions to build your personal brand.
Ask yourself, "How do I want other professionals to view me?"
Pick an area of expertise and start sharing your knowledge and experience with your professional network by pushing out content on your LinkedIn and social media accounts. Good content can include blogs, social media posts, and videos.
By sharing content about your experiences and passions, you slowly build your personal brand, and others will start to notice. The content could lead to good discussions with others in your network. It could also lead to reconnecting with connections that you haven't spoken to in years, or making new connections.
You never know when one of these connections could turn into a job lead or referral. The trick is to get on people's radars. So, when you're cleaning up your job search, be sure to build a plan for personal branding.
Maintain Healthy Habits During Your Job Search
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Your job search is important, but it's even more important to know when to pull back and focus on personal health and spending time with family and friends.
There are actually things that you can do for your own enjoyment that could help your job search in the long run, such as:
Grab coffee with a friend - It's good to engage in light conversation with friends during challenging times. And if your job search does come up, remember that most people have been through it themselves and you never know when a friend may provide you with a good idea or lead on a job.
Volunteer - Volunteering is a great way to get involved in the community and help others. In addition, if you develop a little bit of a career gap while looking for a job, you can always talk about how you filled that time volunteering, if you're asked about it during a job interview.
Continue to focus on other passions - Are you a fitness nut? Blogger? Crafter? Continue to do the things that bring you happiness. And if you're in a position to profit from your passion through a freelance job or side hustle, even better!
Spring is the perfect time to clean up and improve your job search so you can land the job you want. If you're struggling to find a job, follow the tips above to reinvigorate your job search—and watch your career blossom!
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This article was originally published at an earlier date.
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