Thank You Letters

The format of your thank you letter will depend on the type of company and industry with which you interviewed and can range from electronic (email), hardcopy (U.S. mail) or personal note (mailed or hand delivered) format. Tailor your letter to the culture or “personality” of the company and also the rapport you established with the person who interviewed you. For instance, if you interview with a high-tech corporation such as IBM or Apple, you should always choose to send your thank you letter electronically. These types of companies are fast-paced, technologically-forward and primarily use email for all correspondences. Hard copy correspondence would not be well received in these cases. If you connected with the interviewer on a personal level or if the interview was a fairly informal process, send a handwritten note that conveys more of a “personal touch.” If the company will be making its hiring decision quickly, use email as the fastest solution. Regardless of the format you select, the following guidelines can be applied to all thank you correspondences:

• Be brief
• Express gratitude for time/interest
• Reinforce strengths
• If necessary, negate weaknesses that may have appeared in the interview
• Include any information you wished to share with the interviewer but did not or could not during the interview
• Include any information the employer asked you to provide after the interview
• Reaffirm interest
• Take responsibility for next contact

You must be certain that your thank you correspondence is error-free and well written, as this will form a lasting impression on the company. If you choose to write a personal thank you note, be sure that your handwriting is clear and legible. Candidates have been taken out of consideration for a position due to sloppy, poorly written thank you letters. Written communication skills are critical for most jobs so be sure that your correspondence reflects strength in this area. Make sure you spell-check and proofread your letter and recruit others to review it as an additional check. The Career Resource Center can also assist you by reviewing for grammar, spelling and overall quality.

If you interview with several different individuals, the rule is to send a customized thank you letter to each of them. While this may seem like a lot of work, this approach is recommended, as you never know how much influence each has on the ultimate hiring decision. Each letter can be similar in format and content, but you should vary a few sentences to differentiate the letters based on your experience and conversation with each interviewer. Often, interviewers will “compare notes” so you want to create the impression that you invested maximum effort.