Thank You Notes

by Courtney Fitzgibbons

Last week's Interview Prep Program panelists discussed etiquette concerning sending thank you notes after a job interview. All of the panelists agreed that sending thank you notes is a good idea. There was not, however, consensus among the noon and evening program panelists about whether notes should be sent via email or US mail, or whether the notes should be handwritten or typed. The preferences among all 5 panelists were divided as follows: Two panelists prefer that you send handwritten thank you notes via US mail. One panelist prefers that you type your thank you note and then send it via US mail. Two panelists think email thank you notes are just fine, especially when an employer may make a quick hiring decision.

So, what, if anything, should we take away from these preferential differences? Employers are people, too, who do not all share the same preferences. Because there is no direct way of knowing which thank you note form your interviewer prefers, use your best judgment when deciding how you'll send your note to your interviewer.