The Search --> Following Through

Don't Forget to Say "Thank You"

Sending a thank you note to your interviewers is not only polite, it also allows you to reinforce the positive impression you made during your interview or correct any misunderstandings that may have occurred. Furthermore, it emphasizes your enthusiasm for the position you are seeking. It is another way to put your name in front of the hiring authority and to set yourself apart from the other candidates under consideration.

While it is best to send a thank you within a couple of days after your interview, a letter arriving a week or so later can be a useful tool to remind the recipient of your meeting, especially if you have not heard any feedback. On the other hand, if the interviewing process is moving along so quickly that you are scheduled for further meetings before you have had a chance to send a thank you, it can become moot. In the event you learn that the firm has declined to pursue your candidacy, it is good form to send a thank you anyway, perhaps requesting that you be kept in mind for future openings.

There is a difference of opinion whether thank you notes should be handwritten or typed, or even if e-mail is appropriate. Proponents of the handwritten note suggest businesslike note cards with just your name, initials, or "thank you" embossed or printed on the front-no cute pictures! Or, use monarch-sized stationery (7.25 x 10.5 inches). A typed thank you should be on personal or plain stationery, not on your current firm's letterhead. Proponents of the typed letter argue that a thank you for an interview is business correspondence, and should be treated accordingly. But, if your handwriting is not perfectly legible, by all means type it. E-mail may be more appropriate for a dot.com organization, or one where individual e-mail addresses are printed on the business cards. In any event, make sure that grammar and spelling are correct, especially the names of the interviewers and the company. Collect business cards at each interview, or call the secretary to confirm spelling, if necessary. A sloppy, error-filled thank you could lose you the job rather than enhance your chances of getting an offer.

The basic components of a thank you note include the following:

An opening paragraph in which you express you appreciation for the time spent, tour of the facilities, lunch, etc.
Middle paragraph(s) which reinforce(s) your understanding of the requirements of the position being sought and the needs of the company or firm, emphasizes your qualifications, relates any relevant experiences or successes in your past, clarifies or corrects any misunderstandings, makes any additional points not made in the interview, answers any questions left open, provides further information regarding the points discussed, etc. Mention specifics from the interview, and make the letter personal. This lets the reader know that you were attentive during your meeting and may serve to remind them of who you are, especially if the firm has been actively interviewing a number of candidates over a period of time for the position. If you have thought of other insightful questions you wish to ask, or have done further research or heard breaking industry news, address those issues here.
The closing paragraph should reiterate your interest and enthusiasm for the position and your desire to be a part of the team. You can either state that you look forward to discussing the opportunity further, will follow up at a previously agreed upon time, or hope to hear from them soon. If you already have another offer in hand, inform them of this fact and your timeline for making a decision.
If you are not interested in pursuing the job, a thank you letter still is in good form. Just use the first and last paragraphs, stating that you have decided to pursue another opportunity. Do not criticize the interviewer or company in any way. It is a small world, and you do not want anything to come back and haunt you.
You may enclose a clipping or cartoon (in good taste) which was relevant to the discussion in the interview. However, do not send a gift. It is overreaching and can make the recipient feel uncomfortable. Also, do not do anything gimmicky, such as sending a shoe "to get your foot in the door", or balloons, or a singing telegram. (Don't laugh; it has been done!)

If you interviewed with more than one person, you may send individual letters to each, but personalize them by mentioning something discussed with each particular interviewer. The letters may be compared, and a form letter is not the way to make a good impression. You may choose to send a letter only to the person with the most authority or the one with whom you spent the most time or most closely bonded, including a statement that you "appreciated the time spent by" or "enjoyed meeting" (mentioning all the names), and asking the recipient to please extend your thanks to all of them. If the recruitment administrator spent significant time coordinating your visit, showing you around, and making introductions, you may want to thank him or her, as well.

In this extremely active hiring market, many recruiters, candidates, and employers differ in their opinion as to whether a thank you note really is necessary. While a prompt thank you shows good etiquette, follow-through and attention to detail, in addition to enthusiasm and desire for the position, for those firms that are scrambling to fill all their openings, a letter may be superfluous. Furthermore, a recruitment administrator who is drowning under a sea of resumes or a busy attorney may not welcome even more correspondence to open, circulate, and file. However, in most cases a piece of "friendly" mail is refreshing and appreciated. At minimum, it shows that you have good manners which would reflect well upon the firm in relation to clients should they choose to hire you. If the firm is having a difficult time selecting one candidate in a close race, it might make a positive difference.

A recent survey regarding interview manners conducted by Vault.com found that more than half of the job seekers responding said they sent thank you letters all or almost all of the time following an interview, and a similar number believed that those letters could be very important in getting the job. On the other hand, 22% of interviewers said that a thank you note did not mean anything to them in the hiring process, but 36% of prospective employers responded that a thank you note "always helps" candidates in the hiring process. Given that over a third of the employers surveyed viewed thank you notes positively, and the only way they can hurt you is if they are filled with poor grammar or misspellings, our recommendation is: don't forget to say "thank you"!

The Search --> Following Through Don't Forget to Say "Thank You" Sending a thank you note to your interviewers is not only polite, it also allows you to reinforce the positive impression you made during your interview or correct any misunderstandings that may have occurred. Furthermore, it emphasizes your enthusiasm for the position you are seeking. It is another way to put your name in front of the hiring authority and to set yourself apart from the other candidates under consideration. While it is best to send a thank you within a couple of days after your interview, a letter arriving a week or so later can be a useful tool to remind the recipient of your meeting, especially if you have not heard any feedback. On the other hand, if the interviewing process is moving along so quickly that you are scheduled for further meetings before you have had a chance to send a thank you, it can become moot. In the event you learn that the firm has declined to pursue your candidacy, it is good form to send a thank you anyway, perhaps requesting that you be kept in mind for future openings. There is a difference of opinion whether thank you notes should be handwritten or typed, or even if e-mail is appropriate. Proponents of the handwritten note suggest businesslike note cards with just your name, initials, or "thank you" embossed or printed on the front-no cute pictures! Or, use monarch-sized stationery (7.25 x 10.5 inches). A typed thank you should be on personal or plain stationery, not on your current firm's letterhead. Proponents of the typed letter argue that a thank you for an interview is business correspondence, and should be treated accordingly. But, if your handwriting is not perfectly legible, by all means type it. E-mail may be more appropriate for a dot.com organization, or one where individual e-mail addresses are printed on the business cards. In any event, make sure that grammar and spelling are correct, especially the names of the interviewers and the company. Collect business cards at each interview, or call the secretary to confirm spelling, if necessary. A sloppy, error-filled thank you could lose you the job rather than enhance your chances of getting an offer. The basic components of a thank you note include the following: An opening paragraph in which you express you appreciation for the time spent, tour of the facilities, lunch, etc. Middle paragraph(s) which reinforce(s) your understanding of the requirements of the position being sought and the needs of the company or firm, emphasizes your qualifications, relates any relevant experiences or successes in your past, clarifies or corrects any misunderstandings, makes any additional points not made in the interview, answers any questions left open, provides further information regarding the points discussed, etc. Mention specifics from the interview, and make the letter personal. This lets the reader know that you were attentive during your meeting and may serve to remind them of who you are, especially if the firm has been actively interviewing a number of candidates over a period of time for the position. If you have thought of other insightful questions you wish to ask, or have done further research or heard breaking industry news, address those issues here. The closing paragraph should reiterate your interest and enthusiasm for the position and your desire to be a part of the team. You can either state that you look forward to discussing the opportunity further, will follow up at a previously agreed upon time, or hope to hear from them soon. If you already have another offer in hand, inform them of this fact and your timeline for making a decision. If you are not interested in pursuing the job, a thank you letter still is in good form. Just use the first and last paragraphs, stating that you have decided to pursue another opportunity. Do not criticize the interviewer or company in any way. It is a small world, and you do not want anything to come back and haunt you. You may enclose a clipping or cartoon (in good taste) which was relevant to the discussion in the interview. However, do not send a gift. It is overreaching and can make the recipient feel uncomfortable. Also, do not do anything gimmicky, such as sending a shoe "to get your foot in the door", or balloons, or a singing telegram. (Don't laugh; it has been done!) If you interviewed with more than one person, you may send individual letters to each, but personalize them by mentioning something discussed with each particular interviewer. The letters may be compared, and a form letter is not the way to make a good impression. You may choose to send a letter only to the person with the most authority or the one with whom you spent the most time or most closely bonded, including a statement that you "appreciated the time spent by" or "enjoyed meeting" (mentioning all the names), and asking the recipient to please extend your thanks to all of them. If the recruitment administrator spent significant time coordinating your visit, showing you around, and making introductions, you may want to thank him or her, as well. In this extremely active hiring market, many recruiters, candidates, and employers differ in their opinion as to whether a thank you note really is necessary. While a prompt thank you shows good etiquette, follow-through and attention to detail, in addition to enthusiasm and desire for the position, for those firms that are scrambling to fill all their openings, a letter may be superfluous. Furthermore, a recruitment administrator who is drowning under a sea of resumes or a busy attorney may not welcome even more correspondence to open, circulate, and file. However, in most cases a piece of "friendly" mail is refreshing and appreciated. At minimum, it shows that you have good manners which would reflect well upon the firm in relation to clients should they choose to hire you. If the firm is having a difficult time selecting one candidate in a close race, it might make a positive difference. A recent survey regarding interview manners conducted by Vault.com found that more than half of the job seekers responding said they sent thank you letters all or almost all of the time following an interview, and a similar number believed that those letters could be very important in getting the job. On the other hand, 22% of interviewers said that a thank you note did not mean anything to them in the hiring process, but 36% of prospective employers responded that a thank you note "always helps" candidates in the hiring process. Given that over a third of the employers surveyed viewed thank you notes positively, and the only way they can hurt you is if they are filled with poor grammar or misspellings, our recommendation is: don't forget to say "thank you"!	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