Last week I had a great interview with a female executive and it was a great experience for both of us. The candidate truly brought energy, enthusiasm and passion for her work to the interview. I was pulling for this candidate but she ended up a little short on the experience side and she did not move forward in the competitive vetting process for the executive position.
I was, however, very impressed with her and I told her I would continue to keep her on my radar for the next job opportunity that she may be a fit for.
A few days later I received a written thank you note from the candidate and it read,
“Dear Sal, I wanted to properly thank you for taking the time to interview me yesterday. You come across as someone very genuine and passionate about their work. As such, I felt very at ease when speaking to you about my career and experiences. If nothing else, this process has allowed me to see that I am indeed on the right path for my career. I really enjoyed chatting with you, and I hope you’ll keep me in mind for future endeavors, should this opportunity not work out!”
Wow. Great follow-up and written note. It made me think of two things: 1) the candidate is the real deal as an excellent person and professional and 2) she took the time and energy to thank me. That counts for something and it tells me she is a quality person and someone I want to do business with.
Take the time to thank people in writing after interviews. It says everything about your personal brand.
