Thank you notes. Could they BE any more important, I ask in my best Chandler Bing voice?

 

Have you ever received a Facebook message thanking you for a wedding gift?  What about a text? Well, I am going to be honest, it bothers me. I calculated and I've received around 6,000 thank you notes in my professional life.  I don't know if it was because I wasn't able to listen to my Sony Walkman growing up unless I sent out all my birthday thank you notes or what. However, thank you notes are extremely important to me both personally and professionally. Sending thank you notes are akin to sending your mom a Mother's Day card...you just do it and you do it because you are grateful.

 

You would be surprised how polarizing the topic of sending thank you notes is.  In this digital age, many people say that they just don't have time to send a thank you note. I am well aware it is 2021, and Christmas Cards are sometimes just selfies with a Happy Holidays text, but if you want to separate yourself from other candidates you should send a thank you note. Especially, after getting through the pandemic. Being grateful is something most of us are by just continuing to be here after the year this world has had. And there should be no excuses about lack of time because if you can play on Instagram for 5 minutes, then you can send a thank you note.  I hear the collective gasps now....yes a thank you note either by email or by hand.  I know our children aren't learning cursive anymore, however, if you decided to write one by hand, don't worry because your cursive will come back.  It's just like riding a bike, I promise.  Be prepared that when your handwriting does come back, it might look worse than your doctor's prescriptions.  But it's fine, it's the gesture remember.

 

Sending a thank you note email after an interview is paramount during your job search. And, if you really want to stand out from the rest of the candidates, I highly recommend writing one. The last time I knew how much a stamp cost, Clinton was in office and Ally McBeal was dancing with an avatar baby.  So, I buy the Forever stamps because they stay the same price which is something you can do so you always have one on hand to write that thank you note...

 

I remember when a position was between two great candidates and the hiring managers had trouble deciding between them.  Who do you think got the job and eventual promotion?  Good guess...the candidate now employee who sent us four people in the interview process four individually hand written thank you notes.

 

Author, James Allen, said, "No duty is more urgent than that of returning thanks".  Please remember that when interviewing for a job or networking to find one.  People are giving you their time, so if you show your appreciation, it will go a long way.  Now only if I could find my old Sony Walkman...I have a thank you note to write.