A Declassified Internship Recruiting Survival Guide by 2015 Intern, Rachael Creger: Part #5

"The Thank You Card"

The handwritten thank you card is a lost art. We have become so dependent on technology that a quick email feels like it is good enough. I’m not a recruiter, or an interviewer making hiring decisions, but I truly believe that my handwritten thank you notes have made a difference. Like I mentioned in my second post, I left last year’s recruiting event with 3 companies in mind. And each person from those three companies got a handwritten note. After my on campus interviews, each of my interviewers also got a thank you card. There’s a lot of good templates on various websites of basic patterns to follow. Because there are so many other resources out there, I’m not going to tell you what to put in your thank you card, but I will share how to master the lost art of the handwritten thank you.

• First and foremost get some nice stationary. Blank cards, with a very basic design or ones that simply say "thank you" on the outside in a nice font. I found my favorite set of cards at Target last year. Of course office supply stores have some basic stuff as well. If you’re design savvy and have a nice printer, consider making up some nice custom cards on thick paper instead!
• Practice, practice, practice! You just spent money on nice cards, and you should be writing them in black or blue ink. Write out your entire thank you card on some loose-leaf. Then very slowly, copy your message over. If you mess up, don’t cross through it or white it out. Start over.
• Make sure you are properly addressing them. If the firm has multiple offices, make sure it is going to the one that your interviewer is actually at. Clear handwriting is key! The outside of this envelope is the first thing they’ll see. Again, if you’re design savvy or have a nice printer, make some nice labels!
• Now this part, might just be my own personal belief. But the stamp you use matters! Go to the nearest post office and buy a sheet of nice stamps. Don’t use stamps with cartoons or celebrities on it. Avoid ones with political connotations. Last year I used a nice set of stamps with bonsai trees because it matches the color scheme of most of my cards. Simple stamps with a nature image or a simplistic design are the best.

P.S. Now I said that those notes from the interview would come in handy… use that info here. Reference your previous conversations.

~ Rachael (2015 Spring & Summer Intern)