We understand the importance of a thank you letter, email or note immediately following the interview. But, there is another more critical use of the "thank you". It is more than a post interview staple. In fact, this idea came from a cherished colleague with many years experience in higher education. This is someone with honors, awards and recognitions that I can't even fathom at this stage in my career. Did I peak your curiosity? Did I build the level of tension required for you to read on?
How about when you leave a job? This is when the thank you note, email or letter is most important. It is your notification that you are moving on, that a door or window has opened; you are taking the fork in the road. What better way to show appreciation for the relationship and keep the connection open for the future. It is your opportunity to let that person know that you may reach back for a reference, expert advice or mentoring.
I would imagine the next question might be, "who do I thank?" That is a great question and I might have to ask my cherished colleague the protocol and get back to you on a later post. But, I chose to thank those individuals that were directly responsible for the success of my team. I wanted to thank those day to day contacts that I relied on to get my work completed on time and on budget. I wanted to thank those individuals that gave me other opportunities to improve and grow professionally. I wanted to thank those individuals that made my workspace clean and safe and comfortable. I know that might sound weird but think about the person that empties the trash, shampoos the carpet, gave you a lift to the conference or in my case, when I broke my ankle made special accommodations to get me and my wheelchair to my desk each day on time and back out again at the end of my work day. I wanted to thank that person too.
Can you be too thankful? I doubt it. Can you ever be too rich? Never! If you have many, many people to thank when you transition from one position to another; you are rich in relationships, rich in connections, rich in opportunity and rich in the knowledge that the "thank you" is a powerful career tool. Never discount the thank you.
