3 ways to lose a job before you get it

When it comes to landing a new job or a big promotion, follow up
can be almost as important as the interview itself.
Well-written, thoughtful follow up letters and emails show a lot
about your character and can put you over the top. The key is
not just to write the note, but also to write a GREAT note. Here
are three things that can help you avoid an embarrassing
situation. Take your time; I’ve seen enough things go wrong
when people rush.
Here are a few landmines to avoid:
1. Being Late. I strongly recommend sending a
handwritten note the day of the interview—so the
hiring manager gets it within a day or two. It is
called “Snail Mail” for a reason, get it in the mail as
soon as you can. Being on time says a lot about
you: that you are respectful, thoughtful, and you
really want the job, which means you’ll work hard. I
then recommend following up with a brief email a
few days after that. If you wait a week or two to
send your notes it sends other messages: You are a
procrastinator and may not be great about hitting
deadlines.
2. Being Careless . Don’t get chummy or jokey, “S’up,
C-Dog?!” Make sure your handwriting is legible and
that spelling and grammar are correct. And check
everything twice. If Santa has time to check his list
twice for a billion kids, you certainly have time to
re-read your notes! My writing partner Adrian
Gostick tells a story from early in his career. He
was a senior in college and applied for his first
editing job. He explained in his follow-up letter how
he loved “words.” Weeks passed but no reply.
Perplexed, he pulled out a copy of that letter and
realized he had told the manager he loved “worlds.”
Trust me, today he proofs everything twice, or
more!
3. Being Too Self-Absorbed. Good follow-ups are
never generic, i.e., “Thanks for your time!” But
more importantly, they are more about them and
less about you. For instance your note might focus
on a key issue the hiring manager spoke about, i.e.,
“Thanks for our terrific conversation today about
the industry trends. I can see your marketing
efforts are already making a huge impact on
Acme’s image, and I’m eager to brainstorm with
you about how marketing can also drive growth
and market share. That’s been a key focus during
my career!” The specificity about their business
shows you pick up on clues, and the action-
oriented approach says you want to help solve
problems that are important to them.
You can send different but equally engaging and timely notes to
everyone you met during the interview process. And then you’ll
take a deep breath and relax. If you have avoided these three
landmines your odds are pretty good. Mess up on a few and not
so much!