No Applause Needed, Just a Thank You

My advice - and plea - as a former recruiter/HR professional is simple. Please send a thank you note after you interview! Really, I mean it. It sounds so simple but so many candidates today simply ignore this little nicety.

When I started interviewing many years ago, I found it to be quite common for candidates to send me handwritten (yes, I said handwritten) notes of thanks. I just expected it. But as the years went on, I found my inbox less frequented by these nice notes. I did start getting more email thank you's, which while at first I wasn't as excited about it, I came to expect and appreciate them.

Well, in the past five years, even email notes of thanks are hard to come by. I don't know if there is an underground movement (that I obviously haven't heard about) telling people not to send thank you notes. If you are familiar with this movement, I ask you to revolt. Because, really, it's a nice thing to do and professionally, I think, it speaks volumes.

You don't need to have fancy stationary - although please, keep it professional. And really, the message only needs to be a few lines. Thank you for meeting with me ... I enjoyed it ... I like your company ... I would be a good fit for this job ... you get the picture. My first choice is still a handwritten note, but with the speed of business today, sometimes an email the day of the interview is a good thing. (If you are going to email a thank you, make sure you do it within 24 hours of the interview). And make sure you send a note of thanks to each person you interviewed with - no one likes being left out.

Momentum

Momentum. The technical term of momentum has something to do with velocity and mass....which is pretty Greek to me. As a self-professed job search guru, I like to define momentum as the energy - and commitment - behind a job search.

I often say, looking for a job is like a job, and for that reason alone, many people lose momentum as they look for a new position. But as you lose momentum, you lose focus and you ultimately lose the drive to find a job that you love. So my advice to you...find a way to keep your job search momentum going.

I know, easier said than done, but there are ways you can keep your job search energy up - even with limited time. When I talk to people about their job search, I usually start out by asking how many jobs they have applied for in the past three months. Often, the answer is I don't know...or it's a rough estimation that's usually much higher than the actual number. A simple way to get and maintain momentum in a job search is to keep track of what you are doing and set goals. The goal part depends upon your situation. If you are unemployed and need a job as soon as possible, then you should set a goal of sending out 20 - 30 'contacts' a week. (A contact is sending your resume to a company, a friend, a neighbor, etc.). So now that you have set your goal, the key to keeping your momentum is keeping track of your activity each week and reaching your goal. Once you can see - on paper - your efforts for the week and that you are achieving what you set out to do, you will feel energized and your search will have the momentum it needs to stay on track.

For a different scenario... say you are only considering the possibility of a new job - you're not 'actively' looking. Well, you should still set yourself a goal. Maybe that's reaching out to former colleagues or contacts in a professional group - one contact a week. Or set a goal of sending your resume to three companies a week. Whatever you decide is needed for you, put it on paper, and stick with it! That will give even a 'not-so-active' job search focus and momentum.

Momentum is a good thing. It helps to keep us focused and ultimately helps us move in the right direction.

a Hello and Cautionary Tale

This is my introduction to the blogging world - as a writer, that is. When I started my company last year, I discovered the great world of blogging - and all the interesting and useful information you could find out in cyberspace. I soon began reading my favorite two or three blogs a day, and found myself fascinated by the authors' ability to continually put themselves out there...and in the process offer some really helpful advice.

So that is the goal of this blog...to help those looking for a job, or perhaps just offer some food for thought for those thinking about taking the leap. I will try to offer insights and tidbits that give you a fresh perspective for your job search.

So for my first entry, I thought I would start with some simple advice (and I think it's pretty fitting for my first blog entry)...watch your professional blogging presence!

I'm certainly not the first person to write about this, but I think it's worth mentioning again. I am continuously surprised at job searchers' naivete in regards to this age of information exposure. Yes, people will Google you before an interview. I know from experience - not from my own, but from others. Most HR folks would never admit to Googling job candidates- and really, most don't. However, your future boss and potential cubicle neighbor might not be able to resist the temptation.

I often found myself walking to an interview and listening to the hiring manager say, "Well, I found some interesting hits about this person through Google." While I would internally groan, and advise in my professional voice to keep an open mind, and focus on the skills required for the job, etc., I knew the supervisor would be thinking about what they e-discovered any way. And really, I couldn't blame them.

Now, I'm not saying you can't blog, or if you do, you have to limit your true voice. My advice is to just watch out for the big things - messages of hate, violence, excessive cursing, inappropriate photographs...I think you get my drift. And really, call me old fashioned, but I think that's good advice for all bloggers - not just those looking for a job.

So when I say be mindful of your professional blogging presence....what I really mean is, your overall blogging presence and web presence. Whatever you say, post, link or comment on - even if it's strictly personal - becomes a professional presence when you are looking for a job. (And I think it goes without saying that this includes MySpace, FaceBook, etc). So if your resume is floating out there, and you're lining up interviews, please do this for me...think before you post.