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T H A N K Y O U N O T E S
The Importance of Thank You Notes
Career services professionals often discuss the importance of resumes, cover letters, and interviewing in the job search. The thank you
note cannot be neglected. In a tight job market, you need a competitive advantage over other candidates. You can increase your
chances of being hired by writing thank you notes. Statistically, less than 10% of interviewees ever follow up with thank you notes.
Imagine how positively that 10% will be viewed. A thank you note can make a candidate stand out from the rest of the pool.
How to Write a Thank You Note
Thank you notes should be sent as soon as possible after the interview If you want the thank you note to have the most influence, it
must be sent before the hiring decision is made. Thank you notes should not just say thank you; following are some elements to
include:
• Express Enthusiasm
Convey your continued interest in and enthusiasm for the position. Remind the interviewer that you are a good fit for the company. It
is one more chance to market yourself in a tangible way.
• Answer Unresolved Issues
Answer and expand upon any useful questions raised in the interview. If you did not get a chance to mention certain points, the thank
you letter can address those items. The thank you note is your last chance to make a positive first impression.
• Express Sincerity
It must be genuine, sincere, and recognize the importance of the meeting.
• Personalize It
Highlight a key point from your meeting that was unique and meaningful for the interviewer. This will refresh the interviewer’s
memory of you. Interviewers are typically impressed with proof that candidates can listen and can remember the conversation. In
addition, if you met with several people, make sure you slightly vary the content of each thank you note. It may not be obvious who
the real decision-makers are in the group. No one likes to receive a carbon copy of a thank you note that everyone else received. This
will also force you to remember with whom you interviewed, which will make your follow-up more effective.
• Keep It Short
The idea behind the “Rule of Three” is that the human mind can only remember three things about anything, and if pushed to
remember four, it will forget all four from overload. Choose three points you want to stress about yourself, which might include skills,
knowledge, and personal traits. Ideally, these three points should be presented in the resume, reflected in the cover letter, discussed in
the interview, and then re-presented in the thank you letter.
• Typed vs. Handwritten
For more conservative firms, you may want to consider typing your thank you note. Typing it conveys that this meeting was important
enough to take the time to present yourself in a professional manner. However, alumni (and people you know) may prefer a
handwritten thank you. This assumes careful preparation, legible handwriting, and tasteful stationery. If you did not answer one of the
questions in the interview, a more lengthy, typed letter directed toward the issue may be in order. In general, it is encouraged to type
your thank you notes.
• E-Mail Thank You Notes
If the employer has an e-mail address on their business card or is a technology-based employer, then a well thoughtout e-mail thank
you note may be appropriate. A word of caution: do not make the note overly friendly (many have a tendency to be less formal with e-
mail). Also, try to keep your notes to one screen’s length; employers appreciate brevity. Choose this method wisely. Some employers
may not be e-mail literate, and may prefer the traditional approach. In addition, handwritten, hard copy thank you notes typically get
filed in an applicant’s folder, whereas e-mail is typically read sooner, but then deleted.