Ed's Thank-You Note Quiz
Do you need to get a thank-you clue or are you an etiquette expert? Take this quiz to find out if you need to brush up on your thank-you note know-how.
1. When you’re done with an interview, you:
A—Wait and see if they hire you.
B—Send the editor a box of chocolates to show how much you want the job.
C—E-mail her and tell her how nice it was to meet her, and that you’re looking forward to working on the edit test.
D—Write a nice, handwritten thank-you card and drop it in the mail that day or the next morning.
CORRECT ANSWER: C, D, or both. “People notice thank-you notes,” says one executive editor at a women’s magazine. “If I don’t get one, it seems weird.” Most editors say it doesn’t matter if you send an e-mail or a written card. You can even do both, if you say something different in each of them (send a “Thanks for meeting with me” e-mail right after the interview, and then later, in your note, mention a topic you discussed at the interview). But don’t go overboard. “If you send a present, it creates a weird power dynamic,” says another top editor. And don’t make your note go on for pages—five or six sentences are enough.
2. In your note, you make sure to:
A—Include a sentence or two about how much you loved the December green gift guide, and forward her a link to a cool article that she might be interested in for the upcoming green campaign she discussed in the interview.
B—Mention how when you Googled her, you discovered that you’re totally neighbors with her younger brother, and you can’t believe she wrote her college thesis on Gloria Steinem—she’s your hero, too!
C—Tell her how much you really, really need the job because you’ve been unemployed for three months and it’s getting depressing.
D—Ask for a timeline of when she plans to hire because you’ve got some more interviews coming up.
CORRECT ANSWER: A. While all the editors polled agreed that it’s a plus to mention something you spoke about that you have in common, you’re not “going the extra mile” if you do follow-up research on the hiring editor, herself. That falls into the realm of stalking. Also, steer clear of sounding pathetic. “You want us to want to spend time with you, not to feel bad for you!” reminds one Web editor.
3. If you’re sending a paper card, you use:
A—A homemade card you decoupaged yourself.
B—Simple stationery from Papyrus.
C—A cute, but tasteful, card with pretty colors or patterns
D—One of your current magazine’s note cards—may as well take advantage of the free stuff!
CORRECT ANSWER: All of them—except D. Surprisingly, the type of thank-you note you send may depend on the job you’re applying for. “Written notes seem too formal to me,” says one editor of a culture Web site. “Besides, I’ll probably have chosen someone before the note arrives.” If you’re applying for a traditional print job, though, your handwritten note will stand out in a mailbox filled with press releases. Most editors love them because they provide tangible evidence that you’ve taken time to think about the position.
4. You start your note off with:
A—Dear Hiring Editor
B—Dear [editor’s first name]
C—Dear Ms. [editor’s last name]
D—Hey!
CORRECT ANSWER: B—usually. If you established a good rapport with the editor, then use his or her first name. But if you’re writing a note to the HR person you also met (and you should!), to the editor-in-chief, or another high-ranking person, a formal Ms. or Mr. might be more appropriate. Never use Hiring Editor, which makes it sound like you don’t even know who you spoke with!
5. You send your thank-you note:
A—Right after the interview
B—Send it? You write it before, then pull it out as you finish up the interview. How impressive is THAT?
C—A few days after
D—When you haven’t heard from the editor for a while. (Hey, a note might influence her to give you the job!)
CORRECT ANSWER: A. Not only will the interview be fresh in your (and their) mind, but being prompt also drives home how much you want the job. Just don’t be too eager. Handing the editor a note as soon as the interview’s over doesn’t show initiative—it only proves that you don’t care enough to reflect on the interview after it’s taken place. And while sending a thank-you won’t necessarily save a less-than-stellar interview, it may make a hiring editor decide to call you for a second interview, says an articles editor for a national women’s magazine.
