Networking Etiquette 101
This is just my own networking etiquette 101...
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The thank you after the interview is over
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After the interview - if you have the hiring manager's email address - take 10 mins and send him/her (and all parties involved) a thank you for the interview and take the opportunity to let them know how excited you are about joining their team. Mailing the thank you note works, too, but you may not have enough time. Although, better late than never is my opinion.
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Thanking your networking contact
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It is my opinion that when you use your networking contacts and they help get you the interview, it's super polite to either call them or send them a thank you note after the interview - even if you don't get the job. That is how you ensure they will help you again in the future.
I do this plus go a step further and always send the people who let me use them as reference a thank you note, too. This reminds them you used them as a reference and that they may be getting a call from your potential employer. Also, because of your extra efforts, they likely will let you use them as references again in the future and hopefully give you an even better reference next time.
For example, when I was hired at my last job, I gave my networking contact a thank you card and movie tickets. This may have been overkill (and ultimately I got the job and interview on my own), but she went out of her way to put in a good word for me. I did it because I was so super appreciative of her extra efforts.
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Bottom line
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I know from experience that this works. People are always impressed with follow-up thank yous, since I can tell you for a fact, most people don't even bother!
Most importantly, make sure it's done from the heart and it's not just a to-do!
Signing Off,
ViSO Tech
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