Sending a thank you note after a job interview is a chance to show your appreciation for the interviewer's time and for you to reiterate your interest in the position. There are several types of interviews, all of which require some kind of acknowledgment of thanks -- even if it is a phone interview. You do not have to write a long treatise about your experience during the interview, but you must write something, and you must not drag your feet.
The three main thank you note guidelines are: (1) your note must be grammatically and typographically perfect; (2) you must address each interviewer by his or her proper title; and (3) your note must be timely.
You will lessen the chance that you will make a typographical or grammatical mistake by keeping your note succinct. You do not want to let the employer know that you are incompetent before they even offer you a job. Open your note thanking the interviewer for his or her time, talk about what you learned in your interview that you found particularly interesting and/or helpful, reiterate your interest and then close the note hoping for good news.
Addressing the interviewer by his or her proper name shows that you respect his or her title and that you know how to follow basic protocol. Not everyone will be a stickler for this, but you do not want to take the chance that the main hiring partner cares about this a lot. If you interviewed with John Smith, you should not address a thank you note, "Dear John." Instead, you should write, "Dear Mr. Smith." On that same token, if you are interviewing with Professor Sally Brown, you should not address her as "Ms. Brown." You should respect her title as a professor and write, "Dear Professor Brown." There are exceptions to this rule, such as if Mr. Brown has been adamant that you never to call him "Mr." or if Professor Brown insists that everyone call her "Sally" and has been very explicit to you about that request. You will, however, be correct 95 percent of the time if use the interviewer's more formal title.
The timing of thank you notes is crucial. Try to follow up within 24 hours with an email thank you note, and then follow up with a written or typed note on paper. Email thank you notes are acceptable now, but a note on paper is the icing on the cake. Interviewers who write a thank you note soon after their interviews show an employer that they (a) know the rules of the interview game, (b) are capable of following up in a timely matter, and (c) are taking the job opportunity seriously. You will have to decide if you feel it is appropriate to write a handwritten thank you note on your personal-but-professional-looking stationary. Though this is turning into a lost art, many employers will still appreciate the personal touch. A typed thank you note with a real signature may, in some cases, be more appropriate given the type of employer or the personality of those with whom you interviewed. You must weigh each situation to gauge which is better under the circumstances.
If you decide to use your personal stationary, make sure it is professional enough before doing so. Do not use greeting cards in place of stationary. Examples of personal yet professional stationary can be found at the Crane website, a well known paper company http://www.crane.com/stationery/thank-you-notes-2/Business-2?PLV/. More affordable options can be found at the American Stationary website, http://www.americanstationery.com/shopping/prod_catalog/main.asp?cat=41. Even Brooks Brothers, http://www.brooksbrothers.com//search.process?i=1&noh=1&q=stationary&t1=Women&u1=q&u2=t1 sells business stationary! Traditionally, women use fold-over stationary, while men usually use a flat card.
You might decide to type your thank you note because you have decided that it is a more appropriate method for this or that particular employer, or if you know you have horrible handwriting. Peggy and Peter Post, granddaughter-in-law and grandson, respectively, of etiquette guru Emily Post, say, in The Etiquette Advantage in Business, (344) if you write a typed thank you note, use standard 8.5" x 11" paper. Whichever method you decide to use, if you follow these guidelines, your career will thank you for it.
Post, Peggy, and Peter Post. The Etiquette Advantage in Business, 2ed. New York, New York: HarperCollins, 2005. Print.
