Saying Thank You at the Interview Isn’t Enough

Some job seekers think that if they thank the interviewer for his or her time before leaving the interview, they don’t have to send a thank you card. This kind of thinking can and has seen the job go to the candidate that sent the interviewer a thank you card the day after the interview. It’s not simply a matter of being polite.

While it’s true that thanking the interviewer for his or her time is the main point behind sending a thank you card, it also serves to let the employer know that you’re still interested in the position one or two days later. Of course, you should specifically state in the card that you’re still very interested in the job and hope to hear back from the interviewer at his or her convenience.

Sending a Thank You Card Can Make the Difference between Getting the Job and Not Getting It

Think of the situation from the interviewer’s point of view. In most cases, there is only one job, but many qualified applicants. Even after narrowing down the list and weeding out obviously unsuitable candidates the “short list” may not be that short. How does the interviewer choose the best person for the job if several applicants all seem to have the needed qualifications and a likeable, professional attitude?

At this point, the interviewer is likely to consider the applicant that seems the most interested and motivated – the one that goes the extra mile. Sending a thank you card is often the extra mile that gets the job. It makes sense because taking the initiative and being self-motivated are qualities that many employers find desirable in employees.

Sending a thank you card after a job interview also shows the ability to follow up and the willingness to communicate. It also acknowledges the tradition of sending thank you cards as business etiquette. If the company you’re interested in working for seems extremely modern in its culture, simply pick a modern looking card. Then say something specific that you think the interviewer will respond to such as mentioning a particularly interesting detail he or she said to you about the job during the interview.

Sending a Thank You Card Gives You a Chance to Voice Your Expectations

Being sure to follow up the job interview with a thank you card gives you the opportunity to mention your expectations. After thanking the interviewer for his or her time, you can mention that you’re still very interested in the position and hope to hear back from the interviewer at his or her earliest convenience. If you’re sending the card after the first interview, you could express your hopes for a second interview by saying clearly that you hope the interviewer considers you for a second interview.

Being able to voice your expectations politely, yet in a compelling way shows excellent business communication skills. The ability to communicate well in all work situations is absolutely essential in today’s workforce in all industries and professions. Be clear and use plain, yet polite language such as “Thanks again for your time and I hope to hear back from you soon.”

Why Have a Website for Your Wedding?

When you’re engaged and have the date set for your wedding, consider having a website set up to help plan, organize and communicate your thoughts leading up to the big day. If the wedding is a destination one, the sight could include travel itineraries and weather conditions. Having a wedding website is a great way for your wedding guests from all over to connect and add their comments, share photos and receive your maps or information about the wedding and related events.

A message board or other interactive communication tools such as a blog with comments is a great feature to include on your wedding website, so look for a good web hosting company that offers these types of tools in their hosting plan. What some couples do is to include an extra card inside their wedding invitation that gives the website address so that guests can participate. The design and style of your wedding website should tie in with the décor and tone of the rest of your wedding including the look of your invitations.

Free Versus Paid Web Hosting

Look for a reliable, established web hosting company for your wedding website. If you don’t mind banner and pop up ads on your site, then a free web host could work for you. Otherwise, find a good paid web hosting service. In either case, look for an experienced, trustworthy web hosting company. Remember that you can keep your wedding website to post honeymoon photos and then use it as a family website after that.

You can blog about life as a married couple in a new home or whatever your situation is. A family website is the perfect place to post baby photos and keep family and friends informed of your life after the wedding day. Look for web hosting plans that give you room to keep adding photographs and links to other sites as well as a message board or other space for your family and friends to communicate.

Since you aren’t likely to need too many tools and special features, a free web hosting service could work out well for your wedding website if you’re okay with ads on your site, but still look for value. Back up services are important because if something happens to the host company’s website, they’ll still have your photos and information backed up. Whether you choose paid or free web hosting for your wedding website, look for excellent security to prevent computer hackers. A user name and password to access the pages is available from many web hosting companies.

What Not to Include on Your Wedding Website

Emily Post and other wedding etiquette experts note that while it is certainly acceptable to thank people that helped with your wedding on your website, this doesn’t replace sending out personalized handwritten thank you cards. Send personal, handwritten notes to your attendants and the host of your wedding shower.

Never use your wedding website to replace mailing thank you cards for gifts you received. Your thank you notes for wedding gifts should be short, but sincere and mention the gift. If you received money, you don’t have to specify the exact amount, but do say what you plan on doing with the money. If you purchase your wedding gift thank you cards when you buy the rest of your wedding stationery such as invitations, outer envelopes, reply cards, reply envelopes, place setting cards and paper for hand written notes, you’ll be prepared.