Sending a thank you note may make the difference between getting — or not getting — an offer of employment or admission to a program.
Many candidates forget to send thank you notes. Interviewers remember candidates who send thank you notes, especially handwritten notes.
Thank you notes
- Express appreciation for the interviewer’s time and interest in you
- Personalize the experience by including a specific anecdote from the interview
- Reinforce your enthusiasm for the position and the organization
- Remind the organization of the benefits you will bring (one sentence! Don’t overdo it!)
- Include information requested by the employer (proposed start date, expense report)
Steps to follow
- Send a thank you note to each person with whom you interviewed
- Use a proper greeting, salutation, and paragraph structure
- Proofread the note many times
- Ask a second person to review the note for spelling or other errors
- Send your note as soon as possible but no later than 48 hours after the interview
- Send a handwritten note to make the most impact
— You can send a typed note or an email, but it will be less effective
— You may send an email if the opportunity is far away — i.e., overseas.