The Importance of Thank-You Notes

Following an interview the most important thing you can do to stand out from the sea of job seekers is to send a thank-you letter to the person who interviewed you. But what should you say? Should it be handwritten or typed? Do you send an e-mail or snail mail? Here are some guidelines that will help you out.

Snail mail vs. e-mail:
Think about the company that just interviewed you. Is it traditional and formal or modern and creative? Did the company use e-mail to initially contact you? If you interviewed at an advertising agency or something equally creative and technological then it is appropriate to send an e-mail thanking them. Make sure you send the e-mail thank-you note as soon as you return from the interview so the company doesn't forget about you. One of the advantages of using the Internet is that it is much faster than standard mail and the interviewer can read your thank-you note within a few hours of the interview.

However, not all companies have adapted to modern e-mail thank-you letters and would rather receive a traditional thank you in the mail. This would most likely be the case for accounting, finance, management and other standard business practices. Take the time to type up a letter (it looks more professional if it is typed) and send it off as soon as you get back from the interview.

What should you say? A standard thank-you note should address the following:

• Thank the person for the opportunity to interview with the company
• Clarify any information/questions that the interviewer needed you to check on
• Recap your skills and why you would be a good fit for the position. Don't write a novel, but one or two sentences reminding the interviewer of your skills never hurts

Just remember that a thank-you note is the last chance you have to sell yourself and make yourself stand out from the rest of the potential candidates.