20 If you have an informational interview, do not forget to acknowledge the support staff you talk to in the process. They are sometimes your most direct link to the person who has the power to hire you. Their impressions of you can make a difference. WRITE EFFECTIVE THANK YOU NOTES Each person you meet is part of your network or group who may be able to help you find job leads. Let people know how much you appreciate their help by sending a thank you note. Not only does it show appreciation, but it gives you the opportunity to highlight your skills or points that you forgot to speak about during your meeting. Other things you may do to show appreciation include: • Thanking them for their time and insight (explaining why the conversation was meaningful or valuable) • Sharing the results of the connections they offered • Sharing a resource or contact that might be useful to them (if appropriate) • Writing a thank you note even if you think you will not be able to do business with that person at that time: you never know when a contact may become important Thank you notes can be handwritten, emailed or mailed. If you send a handwritten note, be sure that the writing is clear and neat. Remember to follow up on any commitments you make in the thank you note. See below for an example of a basic thank you note. Dear Ms. Jones, It was good to meet you the other day. Thank you for the information you shared with me regarding the expansion at the cement plant. As you suggested, I forwarded my resume to the hiring manager. I expect to meet with him next week and I will let you know the outcome. Please keep me in mind if you hear of any other opportunities. Sincerely, John A. Smith John Smith SOCIAL MEDIA AND THE JOB SEARCH WHAT IS SOCIAL MEDIA? Social media platforms are web-based communication tools that allow large amounts of users to interact with one another by sharing ideas, giving feedback, leaving comments and receiving information. Social media is a very broad term and platforms that fall under this category can be used both personally and professionally Not everything you do online can be considered social media. For example, email is not considered social media. Email cannot be considered social media because large amounts of users cannot interact simultaneously. In addition, email does not have many of the common features that can be found on many social media websites, such as profile pages, news feeds and “like” buttons. WHAT IS AN ONLINE PRESENCE? Also referred to as a “digital footprint,” your online presence is the broad spectrum of the identity that you have created for yourself online, both personally and professionally. Your online presence changes each time you publish new content or interact with someone on any public domain. Essentially, your online presence is the information that can be found about you when an online search of your name is conducted.
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