Sending Thank You Notes after an Interview

Sending Thank You notes after interviews - is this outdated advice or still useful?

Useful, if done properly. Let's explore the 3 W's: Who, When, What.

Who: Each person you interview with. The recruiter, HR, hiring leader, skip level/peers, panel, etc. Anyone who will impact you moving forward in the process.

When: Within 24-48 hours of the interview. Timing is important. You will want to send it while your conversations are still fresh in their minds. You may want to wait a few days if you know the interviews are wrapping up by a specific date so that you pop yourself back up in the list. 

• Example: you interview on a Monday and they advise they are finishing round 1 on Wednesday. You would then send your thank you note late Wednesday or early Thursday.

You risk not being top of mind for the next round if you send the note too late. Is there a too soon? Yes. Sending a thank you note within minutes of the interview ending. You may ask: How is that bad? Doesn't that show that you are prompt and efficient? 

• Too soon shows you more as perfunctory. It will come across as a canned, prewritten note that you fired off with little thought, customization or effort. It's OK to have a template and to follow a format. This is your chance to reinforce your candidacy, make the most of it.

What: Include follow-ups, skills, and experiences that you didn't convey during the interview. Give examples that are on-point and succinct. Is there a better or additional example for a situational or behavioral question asked that you wished you gave? Did you learn something from their questions that were not in the job description? It's also a good opportunity to express your interest in the position and company.

Let's throw in a 4th W: Why.

Why: Interviews are stressful! No matter how much you prepare for them, you can be caught off-guard by a question, style of interview, interviewer's skill or personality. You and/or the interviewer can have an off-day. The thank you letter can help you recover and put yourself back on track to move forward. Even if you felt the interview went perfectly, the thank you note can help you stand out. Write one that shows why YOU are the right candidate for this position, that shows you listened during the interview, that shows you know what the role entails, and how excited you are to move forward.

Two additional thoughts to consider:

How can you stand out if everyone is sending thank you notes? By writing in your voice with your experiences and skills to address anything that came up (or didn't come up) during the interview. The interviewers can spot a canned thank you note and ones written by AI. Unless they are hiring you to train AI, they want to hear from you and see your thoughts expressed clearly in your own words.

Should you send out a thank you note if you didn't move forward? Yes, do it when you want to be considered for another position at the company or with that leader. It's a different note as it will be very brief and won't focus on examples; you'll thank them for their time, acknowledge you weren't chosen, and reiterate your desire to work there in the future. A successful note will show grace and gratitude, not desperation.

Check out prior blog posts for more on thank you notes. 

• Wrapping Up Your Internship
• Keeping in Touch After the Internship Ends

How to plan for PTO coverage

Taking PTO (personal time off) is very important to you and the company. It affords you downtime away from work giving you time to rest, recharge, re-energize, and relax. Whether you are going away on a big vacation, staying nearby on a staycation or just hanging out at home with friends and family, be sure to take the time allotted to you. It benefits you and the company as you come back refreshed and help to stave off burn-out.

See this report from Harvard University on How Taking a Vacation Improves Your Well-Being: https://hbr.org/2023/07/how-taking-a-vacation-improves-your-well-being

OK! So now you know the importance of taking your PTO but you’re concerned about leaving your work for more than a week. What will happen to all that needs to get done? Won’t it be a big mess of missed deadlines, unanswered questions, and stalled projects when you get back? Not if you follow these simple steps in preparing for your PTO.

I. How to plan for PTO coverage:

• 4 weeks (or more) in advance, request time off from your leader.
• 3 weeks prior to PTO: Inform colleagues of your PTO dates well in advance
• Add to your email signature (optional)
• Add to the outlook calendar (your teammates, larger team, partners)
• Add to weekly meeting agendas

• 2 weeks prior to PTO: Secure coverage for your projects and portfolio. Depending on how much is expected during your PTO, you may need to find more than one colleague to cover for you. Inform your leader of your cover(s) and plan.
• 1 week prior to PTO: Make a list of all anticipated action items and follow-ups and share them with your cover. Include in this list all relevant POCs, deliverables, deadlines, and file locations. Be sure your cover(s) can access the files.
• 3 days prior to PTO: Meet with your cover(s) to review the list and answer any questions. Tag your cover into emails related to open items. Forward any must-attend meetings to your cover. Let your partners know who is covering for you.
• 2 days prior to PTO: Try to close out as many open items as you can and update your coverage list. Also make sure your project tracker is up-to-date.
• 1 day prior to PTO: Create your OOO message with coverage information and schedule it to turn on at EOD. Send your updated list (or link to it) to your covers and leader.

II. How to make an effective list:

• Utilize your project trackers to identify open projects and deliverables. 

• It is critical that you keep your project tracker up-to-date.

• Determine which items can be completed before you leave and which can wait until you’re back.

• Create a list of deliverables and projects which have to be completed while you’re out.

Include: 

• Day-to-day responsibilities that need to be delegated

• Brief description of the project or deliverable

• Status update on everything you’re working on 

• Due dates

• Points of contact for each project

• Relevant meetings

• File names & locations

• Names & email addresses of the teammates who will be covering for you

It doesn’t need to be fancy or elaborate. If you do not use a project management tool in your job, you can create a table in Word/Google Docs or Excel/Google Sheets.

III. Post-Vacation Follow-Up:

Before you head out, be sure to schedule a meeting to go over everything once you’re back.

That’s it! With a little foresight and preparation, you won’t worry about work as you’ve ensured you have coverage and that your colleagues are prepared. Enjoy your time off so you can come back refreshed and recharged. Happy vacation!

Credits: Icons created by Freepik

Skip Level Meetings - Tips for junior staff

Skip Level Meetings - Tips for Junior Staff

In this post, we will review what Skip Level meetings are, who attends them, why they are important and provide helpful actionable tips.

What are they?

Skip levels are meetings with your leader's leader and other leaders in your organization.

Who attends them?

These meetings are usually open to junior staff members within a department. Also generally available to interns. Sometimes, these are one-on-one meetings or held with a group.

Why are they important?

Skip level meetings are important for your development and visibility. These can give you an opportunity to establish a deeper connection with other leaders.

How do I get invited?

Most skip-level meetings will have a set cadence and a formal sign-up process.

Below is a quick guide for how to approach these conversations:

Be prepared!

• If this is your first time meeting this leader, have your intro ready. This is also referred to as an elevator pitch.

Be personable!

• Find common interests

Be relevant!

• Come with a couple of topics to discuss

• Have a few well-thought-out questions ready

Be present!

• Actively listen

• Take notes

• Follow-up

Here are some actionable tips:

1. Introduce yourself!

State who you are, where you work, what your role is, and what you bring to it. Tailor this based on your relationship with the leader and how much they already know about you. For more tips on how to create an elevator pitch, see this guide from Harvard:

https://careerservices.fas.harvard.edu/blog/2022/10/11/how-to-create-an-elevator-pitch-with-examples/

2. Connect!

Mention a hobby, a pet, vacation plans, favorite podcast, last movie/book you saw/read, etc. Build a rapport. Make a personal connection.

3. Discuss!

Have at least two topics ready and lead with your strongest.

Suggested topics include:

•  personal or team achievements

•  team or department goals

•  challenges (be sure to bring your thoughts and solutions)

•  company-wide initiatives

4. Listen!

Actively listen. Take notes. Be prepared to answer questions. If you don't know the answer, that's okay! Write it down and say you will get back to them – and do it!

5. Say thanks!

Thank them for their time. And speaking of time, be mindful of their time. Show up on time, don't go over the allotted time, and follow-up in a timely manner.

Other things to note:

Sometimes the leader will have a set agenda. If so, familiarize yourself with it ahead of time. Tailor your questions and topics to it. If they don't, that means they want you to drive the conversation, so the more prepared you are, the better you will come across.

If this is your first time meeting this leader do a little research. Check the company intranet to see if there's a short bio. Look them up on LinkedIn. Ask your fellow colleagues if they've met the leader. Ask your direct leader. Don't go in cold.

The success of this meeting depends on you, so make the most of it.

Credits: Icons created by Freepik

How to lessen the impact of containment restrictions (Part 1 - Others)

Movie Theaters, Broadway Plays, Vacation Travel, Operas, Ballets, Houses of Worship, Parades, Restaurants, Bars, Night Clubs, Retail Stores, Professional & Amateur Sports --- all closing or limiting attendance in an effort to contain the spread of a virus.

Also impacted by mass gathering and social distancing limits? Volunteerism.

Many charities, organizations, and individuals that rely on the kindness and efforts of volunteers are going to be hit hard. We will all need to be flexible and devise workarounds during this challenging period. While this might seem like the time to hunker down and take care of your own, please consider those that have nowhere to hunker or no-one to hunker with.

Meals programs are just one of several that are impacted. Many of you may know that I lead a meals program at my local Ronald McDonald House. 70+ volunteers of different backgrounds, abilities, and skills all come together to cook brunch or dinner for the families whose children are in an area hospital (Maria Fareri Children's Hospital, Blythedale Children's Hospital, Westchester Medical Center).

Here’s what we are doing: We’re reducing the number of cooks by 2/3 and staggering arrivals into the kitchen for each meal. We’re cooking for more people by limiting the menu items. We’re reinforcing and reminding the volunteers of good food prep and hygiene practices; gloves have always been a part of our prep due to the fragile health of the patients. Some volunteers are choosing to buy pre-made dishes from commercial kitchens and dropping those off, thereby limiting the # of new people in the house. Others are buying pantry items off the Ronald McDonald House Amazon Wish List. All are being flexible and understanding. I love the big hearts of our volunteers and I know the families appreciate this more than ever.

There’s an impact to the volunteers as well. Those of you who lead groups, will need to keep your volunteers engaged, motivated, and open to change. For the time being in our meals program, there will be a little less camaraderie in the kitchen during prep, a lot less socializing after the meal, and scant few, if any, photos of the delicious food. Families will still get fed because of the volunteers and that’s what it is all about. Be sure to recognize their flexibility and thank them.

I ask that you please take a fresh look at programs and the need in your community and see where and how you can help. The need will be greater than ever. If you’d like to bounce ideas off me, please do not hesitate to reach out.

Hashtags:

#changemanagement #flexible

#community #volunteer 

#giveback #givelocal #give

#westchester #hudsonvalley

#ronaldmcdonaldhouse #mealsthatheal #keepingfamiliesclose #mealsfromtheheart

Links:

https://www.amazon.com/registry/wishlist/1SNWB197D73GE/

Creating a Logo

LOGO - A logo (abbreviation of logotype, from Greek: λόγοςlogos "word" and τύπος typos "imprint") is a graphic mark,emblem, or symbol commonly used by commercial enterprises, organizations and even individuals to aid and promote instant public recognition. 

A recent grad school assignment was to create a logo for a fictional sports agency – Sacred Heart Sports Agency – in Adobe Illustrator using shapes, texts and objects with techniques taught in production class.  No other instruction or guidelines were given.  To best tackle this assignment, research was conducted to determine the best practices for logos. Below are the five main tenets.

Make it Simple

Milton Glaser, the legendary graphic designer best known for the "I Love New York" logo: "You want to move the viewer in a perception so that when they first look at [the logo]...they get the idea, because that act between seeing and understanding is critical."

Make it Memorable

“Symbolize and summarize,” according to Saul Bass, creator of numerous iconic logos such as Kleenex, Warner Brothers, The Girl Scouts, Quaker Oats and more, is the key to making a logo memorable.

Make it Timeless

David Airey, graphic artist and author of Logo Design Love, recommends that designers “Leave trends to the fashion industry – Trends come and go, and when you’re talking about changing a pair of jeans, or buying a new dress, that’s fine, but where your brand identity is concerned, longevity is key. Don’t follow the pack. Stand out.”

Make it Versatile

Logos need to be flexible in size and color so they can be used across a variety of media.  Patrick Winfield, graphic designer and author of the 10e20 blog, explains why he leaves the choice of color to the end: “I like to work first in black and white to ensure that the logo will look good in its simplest form. Color is very subjective and emotional. This can distract from the overall design.”

Make it Appropriate

Paul Rand, creator of iconic logos for ABC, IBM, and UPS, advises to keep the product in mind when designing:  “It is only by association with a product, a service, a business, or a corporation that a logo takes on any real meaning. It derives its meaning and usefulness from the quality of that which it symbolizes.”

In addition to the above best practices, it is vital to research your client.  Look at past logos if available.  Check out current promotional materials, their website, product/service description etc.  Inquire about mandatory elements and ask if the new logo should fit in with their other products/services or stand out on its own.  Then the arduous fun can begin!

Taking the above into consideration, eight logos were submitted for the logo design assignment.  Colors, fonts and objects were based on the school’s sports team website.  Several of the logos utilized current shapes and designs while others deviated purposely to give the fictitious sports agency its own identity.

In the end, which one(s) will be selected will be determined by the client as to which best suits their needs and represents their brand.

Transitioning from an Internship to the Workforce

You’ve had a couple of successful internships and you’re getting ready to graduate.  Congratulations!  And now, you are wondering:

How different is a ‘real’ job from an internship?

If you had a formal structured internship, a ‘real’ job won’t be much different.  You may find that more is expected of you, especially with regards to attendance, punctuality, professionalism and workload.  If you choose an internship in an industry that you are going to pursue your career in, you should be well prepared.

How do I set personal boundaries?

Here are three simple tips:

www.freepik.com/free-vector/communication-infographic_799303.htm

Value yourself and your time.  It's good to do a little extra at work but you don't want to be constantly coming in early, working through lunch or staying late.  While that might seem counter-intuitive, you want to be seen as a team-player, not a workaholic.

Communicate!  Express yourself and your needs - don't expect others to know them.  This one is a little tricky because you don't want it to seem like you want others to cater to you and your needs – rather, you want to be not taken advantage of.

Be professional.  Don't be overly familiar or over share at work.  It's great to be friendly with your leaders and coworkers but save the friend part for after work.

How do I create a Work-Life Balance?

This is a tough one and one that many people struggle with (including this author).  You want to do a good job at work, you have outside commitments (school, volunteering, etc.), you have family commitments, and you want a little time for yourself.  How to balance it all?  Start by:

Modified graphic from Freepik.com

1) Prioritizing: Make a list of what needs to get done that week and that day.
2) Compartmentalizing: While multi-tasking is good, separate work, school, and me-time to get the most out of all.

3) Organizing: Take a few minutes every morning and at night to organize your day and your space. Minds do better in uncluttered spaces and if you take time to set your day up, you'll have greater success.
4) Re-energizing: Take time for yourself. Whether it's going out with friends or by yourself or staying in and reading a book, it's important to take a mental break from school and work.

OK. How do I know if I did it right?

There is no one right way.  Choose the path that feels right to you.  Remember, your career, like life, is a journey.  Expect to make changes and adjustments as you progress; and if you don’t like the way it’s going, change the direction!   Congratulations again and good luck!

How to fill down time at your Internship

You’re a few weeks into your internship and you find yourself with nothing to do some days.  You’ve finished everything assigned to you and you’re just waiting…and waiting… And you’re wondering:

What to do when there’s nothing to do

Here are some options:

Clock vector designed by Freepik

Ask your supervisor for additional work, preferably a self-directed task that you can do during the slow periods. Approaching your supervisor for additional work shows you care about the organization. Do this if you routinely have nothing to do; for example, if you finish all your assignments a couple hours early almost every day.

Ask your fellow colleagues or interns if they need help with anything. This shows that you are a team player. Do this if it's rare that you have nothing to do; this way you aren’t over-committing your time.

Create your own work! Think of something that you can do that would be helpful to your supervisor, other interns, clients etc. Maybe it’s an organizational chart, or an onboarding document for new interns, or a resource guide etc. Filling up down time with a project you created shows tremendous initiative. Be sure to include that on your resume. Do this if your down time is sporadic as it will allow you to complete it when you have time.

Ask if you can job shadow someone else - you can learn a lot that way and it shows that you are curious and hungry for knowledge. Do this if you find yourself with blocks of down time.

If all else fails, read! Read training materials, program materials or coursework. Use your time to learn and contribute.

You should also use the time to network!  Ask for ½ hour meetings with other leaders or colleagues in another department to learn what they do.   Treat these sessions as business meetings, not as casual chats; come prepared with a notebook and questions and be prepared to talk about your internship, schooling and future plans!

Remember, you are fortunate to have this opportunity so be sure to make the most out of your internship!