All of your best preparation for your meetings and discussions with your networking contacts can be undone if you fail to thank those who helped you. Do not limit your thank-you letters only to those contacts whom you met with face-to-face. Instead, acknowledge the assistance of everyone in your network, not only those in a position to hire you, but anyone who provided you with the "minutest amount of assistance", according to Hansen. Why is this important? It's important for two reasons. First, your courtesy and consideration will reinforce the positive impression you made during your encounter with them. Second, following up with your contacts presents you as an organized person who pays attention to details. For these reasons, they will be more inclined to recommend you for jobs. Further, don't just send a single thank-you letter, but stay in touch with your network of contacts to keep them informed of your activities and make a special point to let them know the results of the advice they gave you. Doing this will help them to think of you when they learn of an opportunity that would be perfect for you.
Following are guidelines to use in writing thank-you letters to your contacts.
First Paragraph - Begin your thank-you letters by thanking your networking contacts for their assistance, whether this consisted of meeting with you for an information interview, providing you with other contacts, or informing you of job leads. "I appreciate the time you gave me to speak with you", "thank you for your assistance in my search for information about opportunities in public relations", or "it was a delight to meet you" are good lead-ins. Also, you may want to summarize how their advice helped you. For example, "I now have a good base of knowledge about the career of social worker", or "I was able to learn of job openings that are a good fit for my skills and interests".
Second Paragraph - In this paragraph, refer to specific advice or information that your contact provided to you. Statements such as "your suggestions about how I can obtain a job in biotechnology have helped me to refine my resume and to focus my job search", or "the information you shared with me about possibilities in engineering helped me to choose electrical engineering as my major". This serves to make your thank-you letter special by personalizing it. Also, note why you believe you would be a strong applicant for positions in this career, if your networking purpose is to obtain a job. Additionally, in this paragraph you can inform them of your next steps in your career or job search. For example, "I plan to meet representatives of non-profit agencies at the upcoming Liberal Arts Career Fair".
Third Paragraph - Again thank your contact for their time and assistance in your final paragraph. It is also a nice touch to offer to keep them posted of your progress. This accomplishes two important networking objectives. One, it makes them feel good about the time they spent with you because you seem to value the relationship. And, two, it keeps them in your network so you can call on them for future advice and information.
