Thank You Notes Increase Your Chance of Success

This is from a national survey of more than 2,800 U.S. employers, conducted by CareerBuilder.

• More than one-in-five (22 percent) hiring managers say they are less likely to hire a candidate if they don’t send a thank-you note after an interview;
• 86 percent say it shows a lack of follow-through;
• 56 percent say it sends the message that they aren’t really serious about the opportunity;
• 89 percent of hiring managers say it is OK to send a thank-you note in the form of an e-mail, with half saying it is actually the way they prefer to receive them;

• IT hiring managers are the most eager to receive e-mail, rather than written thank you notes;
• The majority of those in the financial services like hand-written and USPS delivered notes better, but say that e-mail is still acceptable.

Thank you notes are not just for interviews.  Invest 5 minutes to stand out from the crowd after meeting a customer, prospect, mentor or business partner.  If speed is critical (i.e., timing is an issue) such as an interview or a competitive sales situation, send an email and a hand written note.  If speed is not critical, always opt for the hand written note.

So what should be included in a thank you note? . . .  Read the full CareerBuilder post here.