Thanks for the References. You've got the job; now, acknowledge those who helped.
Newsday.com article by Patricia Kitchen, with extensive quotations from NYWICI member Ginny Pulos
You may be tempted to close the book on your job search once you've accepted an offer. But there's one more step. That's writing to all those who helped you along the way to let them know: what job you accepted, what you'll be doing, when you start, your new contact information and, most important, how much you appreciate their role in bringing about this good news.
Yes, it takes time and effort. And yes, most people don't do it. But that's why most people don't stand out. Yet sending such a communique tells so much about you: It shows you are gracious and appreciative, you know how things work in the employment world, you see yourself as part of a community - and you are willing to be there for them and others. Because a key part of your note or e-mail is also to invite them to call on you if you can ever assist them.
It's all about "internalizing the principle of helping others," just as you've been helped, says Ginny Pulos, president of Ginny Pulos Communications, a speech and media consulting firm in Manhattan. That's the foundation of networking, a skill that can take you far.
It's a principle that Joy Cavalieri picked up about 10 years ago when she was a student working for Evelyn Comer, head of government relations at Nassau Community College. Cavalieri observed how Comer made a point of sending notes of thanks to those who helped with various projects. "She was a very good observer," Comer says. "She has never failed to thank me."
Of course, Cavalieri says she has a lot to thank Comer for - besides mentoring and serving as a reference, Comer helped her get two jobs, including her present one as special events director for the Long Island chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
So, to whom should you send this "where I landed" note? Certainly your references, those who met with you for informational interviews, those who referred you to others or provided job leads, career center counselors, recruiters, internship supervisors who helped, and friends who stuck by you and provided moral support. Also, surprisingly enough, those employers whose jobs you turned down - as well as those who turned you down! You may not have been a match this time, but who knows about the future?
Still, Michelle Gordon, a recruiter with search firm Ajilon Finance in Hauppauge, says just a couple of years ago she and her colleagues were sometimes sent flowers, chocolates and gift baskets when they placed candidates in new jobs - as well as nice notes from those who landed by other means. While such expressions of gratitude were never the norm, they have dried up even further, she says. The irony - it was far easier to place people in that booming job market, yet "the appreciation factor seems to be diminishing." And nice as the gifts may be, it's a personal note that really counts, she says. Indeed, those candidates who have reached out to stay in touch are often those she thinks of years later when opportunities come up.
So, the question arises, if such an effort is so valuable, why don't more people do it? Pulos says she's "mystified at how people dismiss the fact you've taken time and made calls and written e-mails on their behalf."
Certainly some are so focused on their immediate needs they don't look to the future. And younger folks might dismiss the idea that they could ever be helpful to those more senior people who helped them. But Pulos says that even if you're never called on by Ms. Big, you can pass the favor along to Ms. Little, someone a step or two behind you. "You be the same conduit for others," she says.
Pulos recently attended a symposium at the United Nations moderated by a man who helped her 14 years ago when she was starting her own business. She told him how she's tried to emulate his generosity, and "he was flattered and touched."
Some people, too, may feel too driven to take the time while they're on the way up - that once they really make it big they'll be able to afford to soften the edges. But Pulos warns against this. First of all, "they don't understand the value of building relationships and what that can mean to you years down the pike. It's all about being a good citizen - deciding how you are going to live your life. And if you don't start now, then when?"
