Thank You Note: to send or not to send

There is a clear generational divide when it comes to thank you notes: if you’re over 35, you are much more likely to send a note to your interviewer than if you are under 35. If you have interviews ahead, here are some things to consider for thank you notes.

Why are thank you notes valuable?

1. They confirm you’re interested, engaged, and excited. Companies and interviewers want to know if the messages they conveyed in the conversation resonate with you. After reflecting on the discussion, does the role and company feel right to you? People want to hire excited and engaged professionals. If you can’t summon the energy to follow up, they will be less sure you can summon the energy to rise above whatever challenges might be faced in the new role.
2. They remind the interviewer to take action on your candidacy. The reality is that people often need a reminder and a well-timed thank you note can serve this purpose.
3. They show appreciation — duh. People like to be appreciated, and even if the note makes no impact on the hiring decision it will absolutely make an impact on your reputation as human being.

Tips for success:

• Be warm and professional.
• Reference your conversation both about the role itself and/or any other topics like personal things you had in common.
• Be succinct. Three to four sentences is best.
• Re-enforce your qualifications. Take 1-2 of those sentences to remind them why your background and experience matches the requirements for the role.
• Send it two days after your interview. This will show that you are still thinking about the conversation but is not too late. And it’s just enough time for them to have forgotten any needed follow up action, so it can serve as a reminder if needed.
• Don’t stress about the medium. Email, LinkedIn, handwritten — whatever you’re comfortable with just send it.

Thank you for reading this post! We know you are working hard to develop your career and appreciate you spending these few minutes with us. 🙂