The Art of the Thank-You Note

December 20, 2012

Congratulations! You just finished a job interview and it went very well. Now what? Sit at home and wait for the phone to ring? Nope! It's time to write a thank you note to the person who interviewed you. But what to say?

First, you might be wondering how important it is to write a thank you note. Very, according to Jessica Liebman, managing editor of Business Insider. In fact, if you forgo this formality, Liebman says many hiring managers will just assume you are disorganized or, worse, that you no longer want the job.

But should the note be handwritten or emailed? Liebman is a strong advocate for emailing your gratitude, primarily to keep your impression going while you are fresh in the interviewer's mind. A handwritten note runs the danger of getting lost in the mail or taking too long to arrive. According to Liebman, emailing gives you a better shot of starting an ongoing conversation with your interviewer, so he or she can ask any follow-up questions.

Some things to include in your message, according to Liebman:

Do You Know What You're Worth?

Thank your interviewer for the meeting.
Reiterate the fact that you really want the job for which you interviewed.
Give yourself a quick (and specific) plug for why you would be perfect for the position.

Still, if you are old school and believe your note should be handwritten, here are a couple tips we gathered from our networks (and my Southern grandmother):

Write neatly. Poor handwriting makes you seem sloppy and careless.
Spell everything correctly. There is no spell check included with your ballpoint pen, so proofread closely.

Our fingers are crossed for you as you wait to hear if you got the job!

Tell Us What You Think

Do you have any tips for writing the best post-interview thank you note? Do you believe in handwritten notes or emailed notes? Join in the discussion in the comments.

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