Thank You Letters

I'm not sure what has become of today's society, but it seems younger generations aren't as polite as older generations. Or perhaps they haven't been given the proper tools. I met with a very nice and very talented young man yesterday who showed an incredible talent for graphic design. He ran late, but I thought well, he probably got caught somewhere and didn't have cell service. I didn't believe it, but did want to give the kid the benefit of the doubt since his work was so good. Sitting at home last my night, my cell phone went off saying I had a message. Even more earth shattering (because aren't all phone calls!) was that it was said interviewee saying he was caught in traffic and was running late! Stupid technology. The kid almost had a strike against him because of a technological glitch. That being said, I am still disappointed I haven't received (nor has my Art Director who also interviewed him) a thank you letter.

I realize thank you letters are not as "cool" as they once were, but with the aforementioned technology, it is so simple. A few sentences 'thanking the person for interviewing with you, you think you would be great at the job, and look forward to hearing from them' goes a long way. Not only will you be awarded brownie points for nice manners, but a company will realize that you are serious about them, and not just after a practice interview (although, on a separate note, any interview is good practice). So if you really want to stand out among the crowd of applicants - send a thank you letter. Your prospective employer will be impressed and you might just find your self with a document of your own - an offer letter.