Our wise receptionist, Georgia Enty, stopped me Friday morning to show me something she’s never seen before: Three hand-written envelopes containing thank-you notes. They were hand-delivered to the reception desk by an applicant who was interviewed by three colleagues on the previous afternoon.
I don’t think hand-delivery is as important as a hand-written note. Unfortunately, email is faster and more efficient for all concerned. But it was clear from Georgia’s reaction that this applicant’s extra effort caught her attention. She presented the envelopes to each of the three staffers as they passed through the lobby, and all commented on the unusual, memorable gesture.
Tips for memorable thank you notes are contained in an earlier post by executive recruiter Maryanne Rainone of Heyman Associates.
I enjoy writing hand-written thank you notes because not only is it a kind gesture, but it is also nice to switch from a keyboard to an actual pen. As president of our public relations club at Southeastern University, I always obtain the mailing addresses of our guest speakers and encourage our club members to write hand-written thank you notes. I believe they are very important because you are putting effort into saying thank you in appreciation for the effort our speakers make by speaking to college students. Living email after email can drag sometimes and who doesn’t enjoy receiving mail that is not a bill? Potential employers must be really impressed when they receive a hand-written thank you note, so write on!