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Thank You Emails

Interview Thank You Note Tips for IT Consultants

Most IT consultants hunting for new IT jobs know a lot about how to polish resumes and ace interviews.  However, it’s almost as important for IT contractors to do something they rarely do: write excellent thank you notes after interviews. Here are some pointers that will help you write thank you notes that wow IT recruiters, IT staffing firms, and hiring managers.

Write a timely thank you note, but take your time writing it.  Whether you send the thank you note yourself, or your technical recruiters or IT recruiting agencies send them for you, make sure the note is free of errors and thoughtful.  It will make a far worse impression to just dash a note off for the sake of doing so—no matter how good the interview may have gone.

Don’t cross any boundaries. Being overly friendly or familiar in your note will make the hiring managers uncomfortable and your IT staffing agencies upset with you.  Remember to remain professional in the note.

Make sure the note highlights not only why you’d be a great candidate, but also shows that you paid attention and learned more about the company.  Making the note all about your own candidacy will make you look like less than a team player.

How to Write Thank You Notes that Get IT Jobs

All IT recruiters and IT staffing firms are adamant that IT contractors write thank you notes to interviewers and IT managers.  However, a shocking number of IT consultants don’t do it.  While it’s hard to say why some IT professionals would choose not to use this huge advantage in their search for IT jobs, but one reason may be that they’re unsure how to write effective thank you notes.  Here are some tips that will transform your thank you notes.

1. Use them to head off any concerns: If you detected any concerns from your interviewer(s) you can use your thank you note as a way to address them.  Avoid coming off as defensive, but simply acknowledging the concern and giving a response to it will go a long way.

2. Reiterate why you’re a great fit: You can give your interviewer a strong impression of why you’d be a great candidate in your thank you note.  Explicitly list relevant skills experience, and past achievements. Drive home your point one more time, but this time, do it in writing!

3. Share resources: If you spoke about an article, a business solution, etc, use your thank you note to share it.  This is a moment to show off your resourcefulness, your research skills, and thoroughness.

 

First Impressions in the IT Staffing Industry

IT recruiters use first impressions to determine their potential candidates for open IT jobs.  Most IT staffing firms first engage in a phone screen to find applicants who can best communicate their skills and experience.  If the phone interview goes well, the next steps are a submittal and possibly an in person interview.  This interview is the candidate’s opportunity to show his potential, so use these tips to make an outstanding first impression among hiring managers and IT recruiting companies.

Prior to Meeting

Research both technical recruiting companies as well as managers conducting the interview through company sites and LinkedIn.  Take notes and think of questions to impress managers.  Set aside two neatly pressed outfits for your interview.  Always go for more dressy, preferably a suit, when you are uncertain of how casual the meeting may be.  Determine the commute length to the destination of the meeting.  Aim to arrive at least fifteen minutes early to prepare yourself and gather your thoughts.  If running late, always give a heads up and estimated time of arrival.

The Meeting

When you arrive to the meeting, review your notes and jot down any last minute questions.  Try relaxation tips such as taking a walk or listening to calming music prior to the meeting to ease nerves.  Do not think too much or you may begin to worry.  If necessary, call your IT recruiter for last minute tips.

Body language is just as important as the things you say.  Extend a handshake, but be mindful of cultures and traditions if you are in an unfamiliar setting or area.   Remain calm, focus, and think through your responses.  Maintain eye contact and a genuine smile while avoiding nervous habits. Keep the flow of the conversation relevant and positive with an upbeat tone.

After the Meeting

After the meeting, follow up with cordial thank you messages totechnical recruiters and the interviewers within twenty four hours.  Reiterate key points of the meeting and address any outstanding issues.  If you have any questions, do not hesitate to mention them.

First impressions are crucial in business.  Having the required skills is half the battle, convincing the hiring manager you are the right fit for the IT job seals the deal.

You interviewed for that IT job, now what do you do?

Getting that IT job interview is the first step of many.  You need to keep your name fresh with the interviewer(s) to make sure they remember you.  Sometimes there is a big gap of time between getting the interview and getting the job.  Here are a few things our IT recruiters recommend going through the interview process.

1. Business Cards

Before you leave that in-person interview, ask for the hiring managers business card.  Remembering the names of the people who interviewed you, as well as their proper spelling and contact information, is important.

2. Thank You Card

As we mentioned in previous blog posts, IT recruiters believe that a thank you card is one step you should not miss.  It gives you a chance to answer some of the technical questions you were not able to answer during the meeting as well as reinforces your interest in the role.  By going just a bit above and beyond, you can leapfrog other equally qualified candidates who did not do this.  Thank the interviewers for their time.

3. Social Media Networks

Do not go and update your status on Facebook or twitter about how well you interviewed with Company X or write anything that could hurt your chances of landing that IT job. Clients working with IT staffing agencies are known to check up on your social media networks.

Follow these steps and it will help you get that next IT job!

How to approach phone interviews

IT recruiters understand that hiring managers are typically very busy and do not want to commit to a face-to-face interview unless he or she knows the candidate is a solid prospective candidate.  Especially in the information technology industry, where resumes often list a plethora of technologies, it typically takes some digging to find out if the candidate truly has an in-depth understanding of each.  Therefore, many IT recruitment companies are pushing clients to begin the IT job interview process with a phone interview.  As professionals become more and more busy in the work forces, this is becoming a popular first step with any IT job hiring process.

There are some drawbacks with phone interviews.  For one, obviously there is no face-to-face interaction.  The hiring manger is not able to gauge a person’s reaction to comments or questions.  Additionally, they cannot analyze a person’s professionalism (dress, etc).   Finally, it adds another layer to a potential lengthy hiring process.

However, overall, IT recruiting firms are finding that clients are moving in this direction and prefer starting with phone screens versus personal IT job interviews.  Therefore, our IT recruiters have come up with a list of tips for candidates starting the interview process with a phone screen:

  1. Research the company thoroughly.  Make sure you understand what they do, write down any questions that you might have.  Print out the job description and study it thoroughly so you understand what they’re looking for.
  2. Look the IT manager’s profile up on Linkedin so you have some insight into his or her background.
  3. Be polite, talk slowly (but not obnoxiously so) and clearly.
  4. Call the manager by his or her full name unless they tell you otherwise (don’t assume they go by Mike” if their name is “Michael”).
  5. Try to take the call from a landline.  Even in today’s cellular era, mobile phones can be unreliable.  IT recruiters or hiring managers could become frustrated if there are static, delays or dropped calls.  This could have an impact on whether you move to the next phase of the IT job interview process.
  6. Print your resume.  Make sure to keep your resume near you on print or on your computer screen.  If you choose to use your computer, make sure to shut down any programs such as AIM or Facebook so as not to distract you from the conversation.
  7. Take notes.  IT recruiters always recommend you write everything down so nothing is forgotten.  If you pass the phone screen, they are very likely to ask you similar questions or comment on some of the answers you gave.
  8. Sell yourself.  Explain why you are the right fit for this role.
  9. End the conversation with an inquiry about next steps.  IT recruiters always recommend that you find out a timeline in which you’ll hear back, or whether there is a time in which you can follow up directly.
  10. Send a brief “Thank You” email to the manager for his or her time.  Reiterate your interest in the IT job.

Phone screens are important to keeping you in the game when hiring managers are narrowing down on candidates for IT jobs.  If you still feel uncomfortable with phone interviews, give one of our IT recruiters a call.

How to write a thank you note after an IT job interview

You have just interviewed for that perfect IT job.  Now what do you do? Send a thank you note.  Typically, you should send a thank you note to every person you meet with.  It not only thanks the interviewer(s) for their time, it also reinforces your interest in the position.  If you interviewed through a technical recruiting company, then send the thank you note to your IT recruiter.

Here are some tips that our IT staffing company offers for writing Thank You notes:

  1. Like it or not, email is the standard form of communication these days.  It not only is efficient, it pretty much guarantees delivery (with proof of delivery).  However, a personal note shows that you go above and beyond, so don’t shy away from writing a note.  Check your handwriting.  If you have illegible handwriting, make sure you type the note so that the interviewer will be able to read what you have to say.
  2. Spell Check.  Spelling or grammatical errors will damage your credibility.  Also make sure you spell each recipient’s name correctly!
  3. Take notes during the interview. Reference some of the topics/items that you discussed in the IT job interview.
  4. Reiterate your experience.  Remind the interviewer why you are a good fit for the IT job.
  5. Send the thank you note the same day – no exceptions!