You may have heard it said that the most
beautiful one word in any language is your
Name.
And the most beautiful two words? They might
be Thank You.
Because, as the American psychologist and
philosopher William James once said: "The
deepest principle in human nature is the
craving to be appreciated."
When you thank someone, like a friend who
gave you a job lead or a hiring manager
after an interview, for example, you help
satisfy that person's need to be
appreciated. Not only is it an ego boost for
them, it can propel you faster toward
employment, too.
And it all begins with two words: Thank you.
Here are four ways to harness the power of
"Thank you" to shorten your job search.
1) Thank More People
Of course you know to mail a thank-you note
to hiring managers after every job
interview. But that's the bare minimum. You
can spread more goodwill -- and start more
positive conversations about you -- by
writing and saying, "Thank you," to every
person you met while visiting a potential
employer, including the receptionist.
If you can't get business cards from every
one, at least get their name. Then, call the
receptionist when you get home (or from your
cell phone in the parking lot!) and ask for
help in spelling names. You'll avoid
mistakes while generating a terrific
post-interview impression by making that
phone call.
But don't limit your thank-you notes to just
after interviews. Mail them to anyone who
does you a good turn during your job search:
friends, relatives, neighbors, past
co-workers, et al. If you mail at least one
thank-you note per day, you're on the right
track.
In his excellent book, You, Inc., Harry
Beckwith writes: "Handwritten thank-you
notes feel like gifts because you took the
time to find the paper and envelope, write
the note, affix the stamp, and gift-wrap
your note in its package."
Why not mail more thank-you "gifts" to those
who assist your job search? You'll surely
get even more help in return.
2) Email? No Thanks
A brief word about sending thank-you notes
by email -- don't.
A thank-you email has about as much
emotional staying power as an emailed
Christmas card or birthday greeting -- you
read it, you delete it, you forget it. All
in less than 30 seconds.
Instead of taking time to send your best
regards when you mail a short note, you're
copping out and saying, "You're not
important to me," when you email.
Solution? Write and mail your thank-you
letters on real paper using real stamps.
Really.
3) Say the Right Thing
So that you have no excuses, here's exactly
what to say in your next thank-you note,
written in your best printing or
handwriting:
Dear Mr. Smith:
Thank you very much for taking the time to
meet with me this morning.
I want you to know that I am extremely
interested in the position of INSERT JOB
TITLE we discussed. Based on the needs for
insert BRIEF JOB description you outlined in
our talk, I am sure that my skills in INSERT
2-3 SKILLS can help you in this area.
In any event, I want to thank you for your
time and consideration. It was a pleasure to
meet you and INSERT ALL OTHER NAMES.
Sincerely,
Your First and Last Name
4) Thank Fast
Here's a proven way to make a hit with
employers.
Bring a box of thank-you notes with stamps
to your next interview. After you finish, go
to the car and write your notes in the
parking lot. Drop them in the nearest
mailbox and voila! Your letters will arrive
first thing the next morning and carry
maximum impact, because you wrote them with
the interview still fresh in your mind.
Now. Does the thought of handwriting and
mailing thank-you notes make you a bit
uncomfortable? Good! The only way to grow is
to get out of your comfort zone.
And here's the kicker. In my experience
counseling job seekers since 1996, I have
yet to meet one person who faithfully mailed
thank-you notes and also struggled long-term
to find a job. That's how powerful thank-you
notes are. Try mailing 10 this week and
prove it for yourself!
Kevin Donlin is President of Guaranteed
Resumes and creator of GetHiredNow.TV. Since
1996, he has provided job search assistance
to more than 10,000 people. Author of "51
Ways to Find a Job Fast -- Guaranteed,"
Kevin has been interviewed by USA Today, The
Wall Street Journal, CBS Radio and others.
His latest product, The Instant Job Search
System, is available at
www.gresumes.com/instant.
