Boost your chances of getting hired with one simple thing

Given what your mother always told you to do, you’d be surprised how few people do the one simple thing that can help push you closer to getting hired.

That’s right. It’s the thank-you note.

Just a quarter of entry-level job applicants typically sent a thank-you note after completing a job interview in 2017, according to iCIMS’ Class of 2018 Jobs Outlook report. iCIMS is a global talent acquisition software company.

It might seem as dated as flip phones but sending a thank-you letter is critical, said Vicki Salemi, a career expert at Monster.com in New York.

“There is no reason in this day and age why you’re not sending a thank-you note,” Salemi says. Do it immediately when you get home or within 24 hours.

It’s a big part of the interview process.

“The hiring manager expects one, and it’s peculiar if you don’t send it,” Salemi said. Just imagine the hiring manager has interviews with three other candidates. They all send thank-you notes, and you don’t.

Will you lose the job because of it? “It’s one of those nice touches that you absolutely should do,” Salemi says.

Entry-level applicants sometimes write too casually. Salemi said she’s seen follow-up emails written as if the job applicant was text messaging a friend.