Thank-you notes

Print out recommendation forms and distribute to those who will be Riling them out. Include your resume or other form of information about yourself to help those completing the recommendations. An addressed envelope with proper postage, as well as a deadline reminder, are also necessary. Send out thank you notes to those who have completed recommendations for you. 

Write well-written thank-you notes after your in-person meetings with potential employers... 

According to the director of marketing at Paper Direct, "You want your resume to stand out, but you also want your documents to look professional and be easily readable. Sometimes that s a contradiction. No matter what type of paper and ink color you select, it s vital that your resume, cover letters, thank-you notes, and envelopes all match. Part of being professional is being coordinated."... 

Do ask for a sample before ordering paper for your resume and cover letters from a mail order or Internet-based company. When placing your order, include matching envelopes and matching note cards (for your thank-you notes), so that everything looks consistent. 

A resume package consists of your resume, cover letter, envelope, and any additional documents you eventually supply to a potential employer, such as a list of references or a thank-you note, in hopes of landing an interview. This chapter emphasizes that using matching papers, envelopes, ink colors, typestyles, and fonts for each document in your resume package is essential for many reasons. 

Traditional business correspondence can follow several basic formats, any of which are acceptable for a cover letter. With the possible exception of the thank-you note, all correspondence should be typed or created on a computer, as opposed to being handwritten. Exhibit 6-1 shows one example, and Exhibit 6-2 lists useful tips and guidelines for creating professional-looking cover letters. 

To complement your resume and distinguish you from other applicants, have personal business cards printed with your contact information. These personal business cards should be included whenever you send a resume package and also with your thank-you notes. 

Immediately after every job interview, send the interviewer (or the person/people you met with) a personalized thank-you note to show your appreciation for taking the time to see you. Even if an employer wants to hire you, it s common for interviewers to hold out on making a job offer to see if an applicant sends a thank-you note in a timely manner. 

No matter how busy and stressed you are about the job-search process, and even if you re 100% convinced that after participating in an interview that you re not getting hired, take a few minutes to write and send a personalized thank-you note within 24 hours after your interview. Sending a thank-you note is just one way you can set yourself apart from the competition, while demonstrating that you have strong follow-up skills and are a true professional. 

A thank-you note can either be typed, using a formal business letter format, and then printed on the same paper you used for your resume and cover letter, or you could handwrite your personalized message on a note card. If you handwrite the note, use a black or blue pen, and write extremely neatly. You can also send an e-mail. 

When writing a thank-you note, follow these general guidelines ... 

Intennewers aren t the only people who should receive thank-you notes. Anyone who provided you career guidance or assistance should also be shown gratitude. Thanking people for their support will encourage them to assist you again in the future. 

The following are some basic steps to follow when writing and sending thank-you notes ... 

Send individual and personalized thank-you notes, within 24 hours of your interview, to everyone you met with when visiting a potential employer. Send separate notes containing different messages to each person you met with. 

Address your thank-you note susing the recipient s full name and title. Make sure you spell the person s name correctly. 

Type, e-mail, or hand-write your note on personal stationery. If you choose to type your note, follow a standard business letter format. A much more personal alternative is to hand-write your thank you note on a professional-looking note card, which can be purchased at any stationery, greeting card, or office-supply store. The card should be white or cream colored with minimal ornamentation. Nowacki added, "The personal touch will add a lot to further a positive impression and help to separate you from your competition."... 

Do not mention issues under negotiation, such as salary, benefits, concerns, work schedule, etc. These subjects are not appropriate for a thank-you note. 

Just as your resume and cover letters are valuable job-search tools, think of the thank-you note as an extremely important followup tool, which has the potential of helping you to land the job. 

Even if an employer likes an applicant, I know that many human resources professionals actually wait to see if they receive a thank-you note from an applicant before making a job offer. They also check the postmark to see how quickly after the interview the note was sent."... 

Creating and Suhmitting Your Resume Package from Cover Letters to Thank-You Notes... 

Once you pinpoint that specific type of job, your resume and cover letter will play major roles in helping you land it. The key to success in every job search is preparation. Unfortunately, there are no shortcuts in the job-search process. You need to make the commitment to do the necessary research, track down the best job opportunities (using every method available to you), and then use your various sales tools (your resume, cover letter, thank-you notes, letters of recommendation, your personality, etc.) to do everything within your power to go after and land the best possible job. 

As a first alternative to these cumbersome tablets, the Chinese painted their words on silk fabric with brashes. But silk was very expensive. A thousand silkworms working day in and day out were needed to produce the silk for a simple "thank you" note. 

Ask the representative for their business card and send them a thank you note within 24 hours after the ride along. 

Writing letters, e-mails, cards, thank-you notes, postcards, instructions, directions, invitations, opinions, and personal essays... 

Send a thank-you note to John Elia. (You may write or e-mail this note. In any case, it s helpful to get John s e-mail address for future correspondence.)... 

After every call, you should write a thank-you note to the person you ve just spoken to. Formalizing your thanks on paper is not an empty, leftover practice from the Victorian era it is a perfectly healthy convention that is alive and well. 

It doesn t matter if you handwrite or type your note, or send an e-mail message. A thank-you note will show your contact that you genuinely appreciated the information he or she gave you. It will show that you are polite and professional. And, as a reminder of your interest in that field, your note may go a long way toward influencing your contact to provide you with more information, names, and so on. 

If the person you spoke to over the phone gave you the names of other people to contact—and you got in touch with them— write a second note, thanking the person for giving you the contacts and reporting on the outcome of your conversations. This is an elegant way to close the loop—and it speaks volumes for you. Following up on leads shows initiative, but sending a thank-you note each time one of those leads pays off is an indicator of uncommon courtesy. 

Sometimes we talk with people and we just click. Recent grads can find mentors during the job-search process. If you ve met someone with whom you d like to maintain a professional relationship, you can ask, "Given my background, would you be willing to make an introduction on my behalf " or "Would you mind if I kept you up to date on my job search " And again, remember to send a follow-up thank-you note. 

The next step to take after you come home from an inferview is fo write a thank-you note. Be aware that notes of this kind are meant to be more than polite. In fact, they are powerful selling tools, so write them carefully. Your thank-you note should show appreciation for the time the interviewer took with you and reinforce that you are the ideal candidate. 

Even though some people might believe that writing a thank-you note is optional, it is not. As the formal conclusion to an interview, a... 

Although it is generally agreed that a thank-you note should be short, opinions differ as to whether it should be handwritten or typed. It is safe to say, however, that if a company is conservative, the best bet would be to write your thanks by hand on a small, plain, good-quality note card (5" x 3/ "). On the other hand, you can type your thanks on good-quality, standard size (8/ " x 11") stationery. Some job candidates use the same paper and style of heading they used for their resumes and cover letters. (In this instance, the thank-you note is considered the final addition to the resume package they ve already submitted.) The format is less important than the time frame, however. A thank-you note should be mailed no later than a day after an interview. 

Don t underestimate the power of a thank-you note. When two equally qualified candidates are under consideration, deciding whom to choose often comes down to who is the most courteous. Make sure that person is you. 

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