<p>I have been reading all sorts of job hunting books and I am getting mixed signals. Some say its rude not send a thank you note after an interview, while others contend that most employers don't really care if you send one either way because it really does not affect the hiring process. What is the current protocol on thank you notes for job interviews? I could see sending a handwritten note if it was a long interview process; however, that seems a bit odd for just a single, one hour interview. Is a thank you email sufficient? Or should I really be sending a handwritten note to each interviewer?</p>
<p>Some follow up is appropriate. I believe that an email is plenty. </p>
<p>Sent from my DROID RAZR using CC</p>
<p>What exactly should I say? I don’t want to sound like I’m brown-nosing or too desperate.</p>
<p>Here is a simple answer: ALWAYS send a follow up note after a job interview, and send a note to as many people as you talk to (I’ve sent follow up notes to secretaries who greeted me at the door in some cases, not just to the people who make final decisions). </p>
<p>It can be strange to write a follow up email, so you do need to know what you want to say. For one, don’t create a form letter and insert a person’s name. That wastes both your time and the interviewer’s time, and it takes up space in the interviewer’s inbox, not to mention the fact that a form letter adds no value whatsoever. If you think of a follow up letter as a continuation of your interview, however, you will fare better.</p>
<p>It is true that some companies won’t bother reading your follow ups, but you will never lose credibility for writing a thoughtful follow up. When interviewing for full time jobs senior year of college, a hiring manager actually told me that I was less qualified than many other candidates, but that my follow up emails indicated the kind of employee I would be, and that was enough to show that I was a move valuable overall candidate than the others.</p>
<p>I wrote a post on follow up letters a while ago… maybe it can be of use to you.</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/internships-careers-employment/1395316-oft-forgotten-art-follow-up.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/internships-careers-employment/1395316-oft-forgotten-art-follow-up.html</a></p>
<p>I suggest that you do. E-mail is best; most suggest that it should be sent within 24 hours of the interview so that you are still relatively fresh in their minds.</p>
<p>In addition to thanking the interviewer(s), you should follow up on a question or thought they had shared, or offer a resource for them that you think they might find interesting. You want to add something in this note, whether it be better explaining a point, additional credentials you didn’t have the chance (or forgot) to mention, etc. Keep it short, but thoughtful. Always ask for business cards during the interview if appropriate so that you can track down e-mail addresses (to have a more timely impact as opposed to mailing a letter via snail mail.) Always address it by name (so take notes if you must, or get business cards). </p>
<p>Even if they don’t read them, those who do will know you are still very interested in the position and if they’re already leaning toward you, a well-focused thank you note could only help you.</p>
<p>Thank you for clarifying this. I always thought it seemed too overbearing and desperate to follow up like that but it appears that is what employers are looking for.</p>