Be Grateful
I’m in a unique spot now because I’m still very young and “green” in my career. Although I’ve worked since I was 14, my “professional” career has only spanned over the last 4–5 years. While by no means am I any kind of expert, one of the main skills that I’ve practiced and deployed in my career is the act of showing gratitude. I’m amazed at how such small gestures of thanks can mean so much to so many, and how, whether or not the intention, it can open doors for your career down the road. Here are just a few “tips” to showing gratitude and how they can pay off:
- Be Sincere. We’re in an age now where everything and everyone moves so fast, that our attention can be pulled in so many directions. Letting someone know that you are genuinely grateful lets them know that they brought value to someone else, which as we know can be one of the most rewarding feelings we experience.
- Write a Thank You “Note”. While I myself am still an advocate of the short, handwritten note, I recognize (and sometimes utilize) many other ways of showing someone gratitude. As mentioned earlier, time and technology have brought us to an era where we are constantly moving, and often times taking the 4–6 minutes per note per person simply isn’t scalable, especially if you interact with dozens or hundreds of people daily. Today, a simple “like” or “heart” can show someone that you recognize what they’ve done, and often times that subtle gesture can open the door to a great connection sometime in the future.
- Make Your Thank You Personal. Generally, people have a pretty good nose for sniffing out when someone is giving them an “off-the-shelf” or scripted thank you. Circling back to my point of sincerity, it helps in your thank you to cite something specific or unique to your interaction with that individual. An extra sentence or two about your shared love of travel, or excitement about your team in the playoffs makes your act of gratitude that much more personal (and also provides more information to the individual, which they can use in the future).
It’s important to remember that expressing gratitude lets others know that your time spent together meant something. And for the young (and even veteran) job-seeking candidates on the hunt, a Thank You note can one day be the difference between you and the guy.
Thank you for reading,
GA
