It's well-known career advice that you should send a thank-you note after a job interview.After her final interview for a senior program manager job at design software company Figma in 2021, Jean Kang did that — and a bit more. In her thank-you email, Kang says she also attached a PDF of what she called her 90-day onboarding plan, mapping out what she'd achieve in the first 30, 60 and 90 days if she got the role."Nobody expected me or asked me to put it together," says the 33-year-old San Francisco resident. It was a way to proactively show them that if they hired her, "This is what you're going to get."Kang drew from what she'd learned in prior interview rounds to build her roadmap. In that way, the document also showed Kang could do the job with "minimal guidance," she says: "They don't need to handhold me."Kang says these questions helped her build her outline, which she believes helped her land the $165,000 job offer:Why are they hiring for this role?What are they looking for? What would my impact in this role look like?How can I show them I'm the best fit?What would I be doing in this role that I can demonstrate right now?She reverse-engineered from there, she says, to draft goals like "develop key relationships" in the first 30 days, "understand key business priorities" in 60 and "align on project plans" in 90. She also outlined more specific steps she'd take to achieve these goals. These included tasks like meeting colleagues in product support, sales, workforce management and leadership; understanding business objectives and priorities for the fiscal year; and learning about the enterprise support model.As the cherry on top, Kang used Figma's design tools to add personalized touches like stickers to the document to show she'd made "every extra effort" and to give the hiring team a sense of her personality. It worked.While she isn't 100% sure the onboarding plan is what sealed the deal, she says she has "a gut feeling" it helped influence the hiring decision. A few days after she sent it, Kang says she got a call saying the team had given her "glowing reviews" and wanted to offer her the role.Career experts say sending a thank-you note after an interview is always a good idea.ZipRecruiter CEO Ian Siegel told CNBC Make It in March 2023 that it could be "the thing that gives you the edge" over another candidate. Siegel suggests going even a step beyond a barebones thank-you, like Kang did, to pitch an idea for a project or explain how you're well-equipped to fill a skills gap at the company.Likewise, former Google executive Jenny Wood says it's worthwhile to include with your thank-you note three or four sentences elaborating on how you'd move the company forward or tackle problems they need solved. This "shows that you're going above and beyond" and that "you care deeply about the business, the content, the objectives," Wood told Make It in March 2025.As for Kang, she also began creating content, career coaching, and offering services to help people land high-paying program management roles like hers. She left Figma in 2024 to pursue this side hustle full time. Her advice for job seekers, especially in a crowded job market, is to put yourself in the hiring manager's shoes; consider how to make the decision easier for them and how you can stand out as a candidate. Making the onboarding plan took some time and research, Kang says, but "that extra level of effort shows that you want this." It can also give a hiring team confidence, she adds, that when it comes to landing and succeeding in the job, "you know exactly what you need to do."Want to get ahead at work? Then you need to learn how to make effective small talk. In CNBC's new online course, How To Talk To People At Work, expert instructors share practical strategies to help you use everyday conversations to gain visibility, build meaningful relationships and accelerate your career growth. Sign up today!