Job seekers need to be polite, thoughtful, and strategic. Duh. A prompt thank you after a job interview isn’t simply smart, it’s necessary. (Trust me, your competitors are thanking the same cats with whom you’ve just interviewed. Don’t be the bonehead in the candidate pool who omits this step.)
As a job seeker, it’s also wise—in most any job today—to demonstrate to a potential employer that you have current technology and internet skills.
But should you combine the two? Should you attempt to showcase your wicked social media smarts by posting your thank you note directly to your dream employer’s wall after the interview?
Absolutely not.
I am seeing this billboard-style nonsense with increasing frequency in recent months, and I cringe every time I encounter it. You know, something like:
“Dear Daily Muse, It was so awesome spending the day at your office yesterday! I’d luv to work with you guys!”
Certainly, the “Facebook-post-and-run” method is timely and conversational. And, yes, it shows that you use social media. But it’s just wrong. Why?
1. It’s horrifically impersonal
Who are you trying to thank? The interviewer (this is who you should be trying to thank, directly) or the entire corporation and all of its thousands of followers? Seriously.
2. It reeks of humblebragging
As in, we know you want us to think this is just a genuine thank you, but as we read it we can’t help but feel like what you’re really saying is, “In your face, everyone who follows this page! I just interviewed with The Daily Muse!”
3. You can’t speak directly to the person with whom you interviewed
A post-interview thank you, done well, tells the interview in a very direct manner, “I really appreciated this opportunity. It was so nice to talk with you about [insert specific topics from the conversation here] and hear more about your background with [insert something specific and relevant that you talked about].” It also makes it clear to her that you have genuine interest in, and can add true value to, the organization (assuming you do, and you can). This simply cannot be achieved via a wall post.
4. It looks lazy
Being timely in your gratitude matters, a lot. But you can send a thoughtful email to your interviewer just as fast as you can post on her company’s Facebook wall.
If you are hell-bent on showcasing your Internet or social media savvy as part of the actual thank you, go build a quick (and genuine, and well-done) YouTube video, SlideShare presentation, or website that you forward directly to your interviewer (note: Do not post this work to the Facebook page).
Otherwise, channel your energy into a world-class email or note that you send within one day of the interview.
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