Our articles last week about employers not getting back in touch after a job interview generated some discussion in the comments. A couple of our brilliant commenters, including Dee and Gary, brought up the idea of sending thank you notes after a job interview.
This is of course a great idea, so let me jump on the bandwagon. 
Sending a thank you note is not only a good way to politely follow up after an interview (and maybe get a response sooner) it’s also a great way to keep yourself on the top of the pile.
A thank you note is not only classy, it makes sure you stay on the employer’s mind.
I send thank you cards to the secretary who schedules my interview, the HR person who emails me information and of course the interviewers. This may be overkill, but it takes just a few minutes to write the card and put a stamp on it.
Also a great thought. You never know who will make the final decision, who has influence, or who might help you out in a small, subtle, but important way. Kiss everyone’s ass a bit.
Also, I think a hand-written note carries the most weight. A follow up thank you email (while certainly a good idea) can just seem a bit anxious. But a follow up card seems thoughtful and classy.
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5 responses so far ↓
1 Ginger // Mar 11, 2008 at 11:19 am
…Isn’t it common sense to send thank you notes after an interview?
I thought everyone did it. It’s so simple and easy and makes a good impression. I’m surprised that there are people out there that didn’t know this already, it’s a pretty common thing.
…isn’t it?
2 Brian // Mar 11, 2008 at 12:44 pm
Quick answer… it isn’t. From my experience with clients, it’s not even that common.
3 Julie // Jun 6, 2008 at 1:36 pm
Good points all. Having worked as a contract employee for a bit, I also think it’s a good idea to send a quick thank you note to a recruiter.
After all, a recruiter puts his or her rep on the line every time they give you a lead to a good employment contact. Whether you get the job or not, it’s good to thank these people for the hard work that they do.
4 Ryan // Nov 24, 2008 at 7:50 pm
I can speak from a hiring manager perspective. In the past, I have interviewed over 50 people for various positions. I have received 2 thank you cards. Let me tell you what happened to the two people who sent the hand written Thank You cards.
Candidate 1: Hired
Candidate 2: Overqualified – I took 5 minute to walk her resume over to another hiring manager. Then – Hired.
So, when I received the hand written thank you cards, it really makes an impression. And I will tell you hardly anybody does it.
In if you are in my shoes, if you send me a thank you card, i’m going to look for a reason to hire you. And it really does make you stand out.
Good luck
5 Jen // Sep 25, 2009 at 9:15 am
If they tell you that they want to fill the position “as soon as possible” is it ok to send an email thank you letter or send the card and hope it gets there by decision time
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