The Dos and Don’ts of Interview Thank You Notes by Susan Goodwin

You have nothing to lose and everything to gain by writing a thank you note to the interviewer following your interview. Why?

• Show appreciation to the interviewer for their time and considering you for the position.
• Reiterate your key strengths and emphasize your value to the company.
• Demonstrate your writing ability and professional etiquette skills.
• Convey your interest in the job.
• Opportunity to add anything you may have forgotten.
• Leave a positive impression in the mind of the interviewer.

Thank you note mistakes:

• Not following up immediately – email within 24 hours.
• Not obtaining a business card or contact information for each person you interview with.
• Not sending a thank you note to each person who interviewed you.
• Writing the same note to each person. (One employer told our class she compares notes with her colleagues, and an alumnus recently shared an email from an employer in response to his thank you note saying it would have felt more special had it not been the same note he wrote to others.)
• Not double checking for spelling and grammatical errors.

The next time you are fortunate enough to land an interview, write that thank you note and seal the deal!