Kevin Callahan ⋅ Arlington Heights , IL The COO's Bulldog, Inc ⋅ 27 years experience

Lindsay,

I prefer snail mail, but I also recommend a certain way to do it. I always use a white or cream colored note card, hand written and hand addressed. First of all, it has a much better chance to get all the way to the person that interviewed you, and second of all, the personal touch of a note like that is always noticed.

I have sent a bunch myself, and I always remember someone that sends me one.

Best of luck with your search.

Kevin

Katie Tamarelli ⋅ Newport , KY Strategy& ⋅ 8 years experience

Hi,

Just my two cents, but I always go with email. Often at my company, decisions are made end of day and that can be the little something that pushes you over the edge. Also, depending on the size of the company, a written thank you note can linger in a mailbox/mail bin for weeks if no one hand delivers them to a desk.

Best of luck!

Lindsay Brewer ⋅ Milwaukee , WI U.S. Air Force, Senior Airman ⋅ 5 years served

wow...great advice! I knew the handwritten note was the way to go however, I just had to ask the professionals! :)

Thanks everyone!

Josh Margolis ⋅ Columbus , OH CRM Insights LLC ⋅ 40 years experience

Lindsay,

I vote with Kevin and Eric. A hand written note stands out. And, it is not just limited to job search. Use it when networking and meeting new people; keep a stack of cards in a drawer in your office, wherever you work, to commend supervisors, peers and subordinates on their accomplishments. You only need to write 2 or 3 words: "Well done," "Great job," "I really enjoyed it," and "Thank you." In sales use them to thank prospects for meetings and for the sale.

Josh

Eric Knode ⋅ Minneapolis , MN Owner BPM Consulting LLC ⋅ 10 years experience

Lindsay,
I would fully agree with the comments from Kevin. Make sure to send it right away. Preferably the day of.
Good luck
Eric

David Moore ⋅ Spokane , WA Realtime Associates ⋅ 35 years experience

All great advice. Snail mail...not email. In addition to the person you interviewed and expressing an interest in the job, don't forget the receptionist/secretary who you first met you when you went for the interview. These people don't get many "thank you letters" so they will remember you. They are also trusted by the person who can hire you and it never hurts to have a friend.

Good Luck

Dave
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Michael Sheinblum ⋅ New York , NY ⋅ 10 years experience

Thank you for your service!

I agree that snail mail letters are more personable and show that the job applicant put more effort (which also indicates a stronger desire for the position) into writing a thank you letter. However, if sending a snail mail letter, I strongly recommend typing the letter - no letters are handwritten in today's business world and it may imply that you lack the computer skills to type a letter. Of course, you should sign your signature at the end of the letter.

However, I recommend using email rather than snail mail for three reasons:

1) While the interviewer may simply delete the email without reading it, because email is so important in today's business world, the interviewer is likely checking email constantly and will receive your thank you letter within a few hours of your interview. Sending a quick thank you email immediately following the interview that outlines your applicable experience and references points that the interviewer made shows that you are not only qualified for the position but that you are still interested in the position following the interview. For example, you might say something like "as we discussed, my education and experience in x and y demonstrate that I have the necessary qualifications for the position." Making a quick reference to something that the interviewer said is a great way to show that you paid attention, understood and remembered what was discussed. These things will still be fresh in the interviewer's mind because the interview just occurred a few hours before.

2) As others mentioned, in today's fast-paced world and extremely tight job market, hiring decisions are usually made right away. By the time a snail mail letter is received or read, the interviewers may have moved onto interviewing someone else and may forget about you. Emailing the thank you letter will help to "cement" you into the interviewer's memory (and your email will be included in the interviewer's inbox as a reminder of the interview!).

3) Email is probably the most used skill in offices today. Emailing the letter demonstrates communication skills and technical competency.

Good luck!

Jane Greenwald ⋅ Short Hills , NJ Gilbert Tweed International ⋅ 30 years experience

There are different opinions on snail vs. email. Email has become acceptable, and although the interviewer receives a lot of emails if you put thank you from and your name in the subject it will get read. As a recruiter with 30 years of experience I am comfortable recommending email, but make it formal enough as if it was a letter, check spelling and grammar and say something specific that relates to your meeting
Jane Greenwald

George Byrne ⋅ Venice , FL Nictom Consulting Group ⋅ 32 years experience

I hate to say "it depends" but it really does...gain a sense of the interviewer and then decide...for example, I interviewed a number of people for jobs but I was rarely in my office simply because the job required me to be on the road 4-5 days per week...so in my case a very simple e-mail would work better than a snail mail that might sit in my office for 2-3 weeks.
Much of the advice in prior responses to your post is very legitimate too...sort thru it and make your own decision.
But here's a word of advice and this is my opinion...how you end the interview is more important than a follow up thank you note...make sure that you leave a lasting and positive impression...I've counseled a number of people on interviewing techniques and I'll share my favorite one with you now. Usually at the end of an interview you will be asked by the interviewer something like "so do you have any questions for me?" If you have questions, by all means ask them...but always end with this (or something like it): "I really want to thank you for talking the time to interview me. But in the few minutes (or little time) we have remaining what else can I do or say that will convince you that I'm the right person for this job?"
I personally used it during the interviews for my last two positions and was hired for both...good luck and thanks for your service!

L Murphy Johnston ⋅ Dallas , TX Medtronic ⋅ 23 years experience

I agree with the previous answer with one exception. If your hand writing is atrocious, send an email or print out a Word document, sign it and mail.

Jordie Kern ⋅ Goldens Bridge , NY Attababy Jobs ⋅ 26 years experience

Hand written and personalized card mailed immediately after your interview so it arrives the next day...by far the best way to stand out. It shows you really care.

Sara Sajadi ⋅ Minneapolis , MN General Mills ⋅ 2 years experience

Hi,

I'm going against the grain of those above, but I would have to say email. Getting a thank you email to them promptly can add a lot of value, if it is personalized and truly represents your passion for the position and company.

Additionally, I have also sent a LinkedIn request, and find that many people do this in addition to the email.

Regardless of which way you choose, you have to make sure that your thank you stands out in some way - make sure to include an anecdote that you discussed with the interviewer, something you connected on, etc.

Good luck!
Sara

Jan Osburn ⋅ Vienna , VA Lanmark Technology Inc. ⋅ 20 years experience

Lindsay, Good luck with everything! - Jan

Jan Osburn ⋅ Vienna , VA Lanmark Technology Inc. ⋅ 20 years experience

I agree with the others that a handwritten note definitely stands out. However, be mindful of the timeframe in which the interviewers said a decision was going to be made. If the hiring decision is pretty immediate, you may not have time to send the handwritten note through the mail. In that situation, the email note will work fine. Please do remember to 1) get the name of the position correct and 2) spell the names of the interviewers correctly as well. This may not be the deal breaker on whether you get the job or not but it doesn’t hurt one bit to show your interest in the job. That might just get you further in the process. - Jan

Alan Dankwerth ⋅ Tucson , AZ S.C. Johnson Wax ⋅ 45 years experience

Lindsay: I've interviewed hundreds of folks for a variety of positions. The short and long of it is there is no 1 answer. Do what you feel comfortable with. As many of the advisors indicated, hiring personnel receive a infinite number of e-mails each day. My vote is for a hand written note thanking the interviewer for his/her time and again stating your interest in the job and why you would be successful. It can separate you from the "crowd".

Stay Safe,
Alan

Bill Richards ⋅ New York , NY UBS ⋅ 40 years experience

You cannot beat the power of a handwritten letter. When I was in business I saved every single one I ever got. I still remember the one from a young man in Minnesota who was looking for a job as a summer intern..he invited me to go ice fishing and sent a photo of himself and his Grandfather ice fishing on a cold February day.
He got a job as an intern !
Good Luck
Bill

Andy Lewis ⋅ Denver , CO Hewlett Packard ⋅ 20 years experience

Josh is on the money, both in echoing others and by providing the specific suggestion to have cards and postage immediately available.
I have flown to different states for interviews, written & posted my "thank you" from the airport, and gotten followups that same week - usually coinciding with the time it took for my thankyou to arrive. Having the materials available has saved me 2-4 days of transit time and I WANT to be DIFFERENT as soon as possible. Being the out-of-towner who had the presence of mind to write and post while in town for an interview makes you DIFFERENT. Sometimes that's all the edge you need.
Hand-written, succinct, and sincere. BE SURE to indicate ongoing interest - "I greatly enjoyed meeting you and am eager to proceed to the next step in this process" or something like that.
GL!
Andy

Alan Dankwerth ⋅ Tucson , AZ S.C. Johnson Wax ⋅ 45 years experience

The advice provided is right on. The only adds I have is use a good quality stationery ,make certain your message has no spelling mistakes, and the party's name is spelled correctly .

Stay Safe,

Alan

Frederick (Rick) Wilhelm, Ed.D ⋅ Pleasant Valley , NY Chappaqua School District ⋅ 40 years experience

Lindsay,

I couldn't agree more with the advice above. I've received both email and handwrittien notes from hundreds of candidates and there is no question that a prompt handwritten note stands out as more personal and effective.

Rick