The anatomy of a perfect thank-you note
So, you’re hoping to land that perfect Disney Professional Internship or Disney role, and you were able to land a meet-and-greet or maybe even an interview for the position. You’ve tweaked your résumé, worked on your interview answers, picked out the perfect outfit, gone through the meet-and-greet or interview, and now you’re done, right? Wrong! I’ll admit – you’ve done the hard parts – but following up with a thoughtful thank-you note shows just how interested you are in the person you spoke with and what they had to say, and it demonstrates that you are able to be appreciative of people’s time. But what exactly do you put into this thank-you note? And how do you make it sound personable and sincere? Don’t worry – we’ve got you covered with these tips for writing the perfect thank-you note.
The greeting
The way you open your note should be cheerful and simple! “Dear, _____” or “Hi,_____” should suffice for your opener, and then you’ll want to follow that up with a sentiment about how much you appreciated them taking time to speak with you. For example, you could say, “Dear, _____. Thanks so much for sitting down with me today to chat about your Disney experience and the Disney Professional Internship role on your team.” The opener is the easy part – the next section of the note is where you’ll really start to talk about the role or what you discussed, and it’s also where you leave that lasting impression!
The memory-maker
I like to call this the memory-maker part of the note, because it’s the section that helps them remember the conversation you had, and it’s your chance to really dazzle them! This is where you’ll want to explain what you found most interesting about the other person’s experiences or the role, and why they resonated with you. Say you’re interested in going into an education-focused role one day and the other person has a long history of training and development. You could say, “I loved hearing about your Disney career and your experiences in training and development. It is my hope to one day support a training team at Disney, so hearing your Disney journey was very inspiring and helpful!”
Conversely, if you’re sending a thank-you note post-interview, this is your chance to show why you’d be perfect for the role. For example, if there was a skill or an experience you wanted to mention in the interview but did not get a chance, now’s the time to show it off! Something like, “I’m excited about the coding aspects of the role; I have experience with coding my university’s website with software such as Ruby and JavaScript, and I think my skills could be a great addition to the team.” Remember, this is your chance to leave a little bit more of your amazing personality behind!
The closer
While short and sweet, the end of your note is incredibly important. In this section, you’ll want to reiterate how excited and grateful you were to meet with them, and thank them again for their time. It also doesn’t hurt to try and make a personal connection here (ex: “Enjoy your upcoming vacation!”). Even though this is the end of your note and you’re home free after this, you’ll want to be careful not to be too casual. Try to end with a friendly but still professional tone.
And voila! There you have it – the makings of a professional, friendly and memorable thank-you note. Whether you send your note through snail mail or over the more popular method of email, be sure to send it in a timely manner after your meeting. The person you meet-and-greet with will appreciate your authentic and personal thoughts, and you’ll be top of mind for future opportunities!
