Daily Archives: December 4, 2015

Job Interview Thank You Notes: Email or Letter?

Posted: December 4, 2015 at 10:01 pm

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thankyounote

There was a time not that long ago when a job candidate would NEVER have sent a thank you note using anything other than a handwritten letter on heavy stationary. Email was considered informal, rude, tacky and disrespectful. How things have changed! Everything moves faster now including hiring decisions, which typically happen within forty-eight hours. Of course, you want your thank you note to arrive before any hiring decisions have been made. Unfortunately, that leaves snail mail out in the cold. Well…most of the time.

When To Send Email. In most cases, there’s simply not enough time to write and send a handwritten thank you note via traditional channels. While it may not be ideal, email will have to do. Compose and send your thank you email no later than 5:00PM  on the same day of your interview. Take the time to sit down at your desktop or laptop computer to avoid the errors that may crop up easily when you hunt and peck on a smartphone or tablet.

When To Mail A Letter. If you’re a stickler for tradition, then you may want to write and hand deliver a handwritten thank you note on the day of your interview. You can get it done if you write some of the content ahead of time, and then customize and personalize your thank you note right afterwards. However, that’s obviously not an easy trick to pull off. You might also want to consider first sending an email followed by a formal letter. That kind of attention to detail is sure to make a strong impression on your recruiter.

Whether you choose email or a formal letter, make sure you use your thank you note as an opportunity to enhance your consideration as a job candidate. Touch upon the highlights of your interview, revisit your strengths as a job candidate, and directly express your desire for the job. Good luck!