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Post interview thank you notes are key!
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
After a nerve-racking three-hour interview with the company president and two other division managers, you’re cautiously optimistic about your chances of landing this great new job!
As you drive home, your mind is racing as you think about what you’ll say in your thank you note. The fact that you’re thinking about a thank you note so soon after the interview is a good thing. If you played your cards right in the interview, you will have obtained a business card from each person with whom you interviewed, so that you have current contact information.
In addition to expressing your appreciation for their time meeting with you, a thank you note is a great vehicle for reiterating your interest in the job, clarifying an issue that you feel uneasy about from the interview, or sharing an idea you had on the way home that you wish you’d thought of during the actual interview.
Timing is everything with a thank you note. You want write it immediately, so that the interview conversations are fresh, and so that there is no delay in properly thanking the company officials.
Professional opinions may differ slightly on thank you note protocol, but in my mind, you can’t go wrong sending with a quick email to each interviewer within 24 hours of your meeting. At the same time, you should sit down and compose a handwritten thank you note to each interviewer and drop it in US mail that day.
Some will advise typing out a thank you note instead of the handwritten note. I say that’s a judgment call. If you know that your handwriting is poor, perhaps a typed letter is more appropriate. But, there’s something very personal about a handwritten note that many people like. Think about it: In your current job, how many handwritten notes do you receive? Probably few, if any and it is likely your impression is quite positive when you do receive one.
Either way, you should use quality, professional stationery like resume paper, or a neutral colored note card (avoid flower prints, cartoons and other cutesy note cards and stationery). If you’re unsure about what to use, visit your local printer or a stationery store and ask a clerk to recommend something appropriate.
Not sending a thank you note is a fatal job search mistake and you should send one each and every time you have an interview without exception. Even if you have decided that it’s not a job you’d be willing to accept, you should still send the thank you note. A new position for which you’re better suited could open up at that same company next week, so don’t risk burning bridges.
The bottom line is that if two candidates are equal in every way and one sends a thank you note and the other doesn’t, who do you think will get the job offer?
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