Posts Tagged ‘Follow Up’

Met a potential job lead at a networking event? Met with an employer but haven’t heard back from him or her?

Should I sit and wait to hear back? Or should I be proactive?

The answer is simple…follow up! It is a delicate art that seems to be forgotten by job seekers in today’s market, but following up (in particular sending a thank you card) can go along way!

Let’s say you go to a business event and had the opportunity to chat with a few employers. Hopefully, you exchange business cards (these are a must have!), but now what do you do?

Well, there are two options:

1. Send a follow up email
2. Send a thank you note.

Sending an email is quick and easy, but you run the risk of being lost in the enormous pool of emails in the recipient’s inbox. A better route, especially if you want to stand out, is to send a hand written thank you note.  Pick up a pack of small thank you cards and have them on hand at all times. After the event or meeting, write a small thank you (a few sentences) to the contact, reiterating again that is was a pleasure to meet him or her and you appreciated them taking time to talk with you.

A small hand written thank you can go a long way and will really help you to stand out. Also, be sure to include your business card in the thank you note. You may have exchanged business cards already, but it never hurts to send it again. A hand written note shows that you care and truly appreciated them taking time out of their schedule to meet with you.

The key take away: be proactive, be different, and follow up with a hand written thank you! It goes along way and only takes a few minutes!