It's Sunday.  An appropriate day to discuss gratitude. 

A tweet caught my eye last month  Tips for Job Hunters: Thank You Notes.   Following the link I found writing a thank you note was #88 on the list.  What?  If you are actively job hunting, move that up to #3.

1. Make an appointment for a research or hiring interview.
2. Go to interview.
3. Write thank you note. 

If someone helped you get that interview, write them a thank you note, too.  Was the receptionist or administrative assistant courteous? Did they give you some good info on the company?  Write them a thank you note.  Supervisors often ask support personnel for their opinion of a candidate.  You want their goodwill, too.

Was I surprised that writing a thank you note rated so low on a Tip list?  Not really.  Last April, I sent out 26 copies of What Color Is Your Parachute for Teens, as thank you presents to people who had helped with my research, let me quote them or who were authors of books I had listed in the second edition.  Just 5 or 19% sent a thank you note.  Most of the recipients were career practitioners.  The lack of gratitude from this quarter is totally unacceptable.  These people know how to write one and advise others to do so. 

Okay, while some of the book's recipients hadn't asked for a copy, others had. But really, sending a thank you note via email is perfectly acceptable in business.  And, it takes what, 20 seconds to write a short email? 

(Note: If your grandparents gave you something for your birthday, a hand written note of thanks will warm their hearts much more than an email one will.  However, I must report that my 87 year old mom is thrilled with thank you emails from any of her three adult grandchildren.)

While not happy with my profession, those who did sent thank you notes have been put on a special list.  I will do anything I can to help these five people with their careers.  See how much goodwill gratitude can buy? 

If you are job hunting or changing careers, you need all the goodwill you can get.  Professional career practitioners need goodwill, too.  Especially those who are independent career counselors or coaches.  These are hard times for them too.  Most of the 15 million people unemployed, or the other 15 million who are underemployed, either don't have the money or don't think they need a private career coach.  Goodwill or good karma, career practitioners need plenty of both.

Sadly, the rate of thank you notes I received reflects what people do during their job or career information search.  One in five, or 20% of job hunters write thank you notes, despite the fact that being in the minority makes them stand out.  Each person on this earth has two finite resources, money and time.  If someone is generous enough to give you some of either, their generousness deserves a written thank you.

If you don't know how to write a job search related thank you note or what to write, do an Internet search. There are dozens of articles or websites that will show you how.

If you don't like the gratitude angle, think about Thank You Notes as a marketing tool.  A thank you note enables you to say, reiterate or emphasize something about your qualifications for the job.  Your name is read one more time.  The interviewer's last contact with you is your gratitude for the experience of the interview.  What a way to stand out.

For those who still don't see what gratitude has to do with successful job search or career change, consider this:  One of the most basic spiritual principles is that if you are not grateful for what the universe has already given you, it's unlikely the universe is going to answer your calls for more.  The poorest person in this country has more advantages than most people in other countries.  Feeling low about your prospects? Start and end your day with a list of what in your life you are grateful for.  Gratitude is like teflon; your blues have less to hold on to. Gratitude can re-energize you. Each day you are more grateful you get closer to achieving your goals.

Gratitude is like sour-dough starter.  Given the right environment, it grows in strength all on its own.