Writing thank you notes after an interview used to be common practice, but it seems like fewer and fewer people are taking the time to do this.

Although it may seem a little old school, the reality is that this little gesture can weigh heavily in your favor (or against it, if you don’t do it).

That being said, let’s talk about five reasons you should write thank you notes after an interview!

Writing a Thank You Note Could Help You Move Forward in the Hiring Process

Take a moment to think about the type of position you’re applying for.

Will you be dealing directly with people in a customer service type of role? If so, then you can probably expect the hiring manager to take thank you notes into consideration when deciding which candidates to move forward in the hiring process.

This is your opportunity to show your interviewer that you do in fact have the skills that you’ve listed on your resume. Something as simple as a thank you note demonstrates writing abilities, communication skills, simple technology skills, and so much more.

It Shows that You Appreciate the Interviewer Taking Time to Talk to You

No matter who you’re interviewing with, odds are that they have at least a few other things they’re juggling.

Sure, saying “thank you for taking the time to speak with me” is a good gesture, but sending a simple thank you note via email or mail shows that you really do appreciate the fact that they cut into their schedule to give you the chance at getting hired.

It Models How You’ll Communicate with Clients/Customers

No matter how long or short your thank you note is, make sure that your grammar and spelling, as well as your formatting, are on point!

That means no text typing (i.e. thank u) or emojis – I know they’re fun to use but save it until you’re hired and you understand what your company’s culture and communication process is.

All of these little details show the interviewer how you’d possibly be communicating with clients/customers if you were hired.

It’s always better to make a good impression from the start!

Thank You Notes Help You Be Remembered

Depending on the position you are interviewing for, there could be numerous other applicants vying for the same slot.

It’s easy to get overlooked when there are so many qualified applicants going through the same hiring process as you.

In order to avoid getting overlooked, send a thank you email and/or handwritten note to each individual person that you interviewed with. You should be able to find contact info on the company’s website, or you could also use LinkedIn.

Note: Always try to get the interviewer’s contact info and correct spelling of their name prior to leaving the interview!

I would recommend waiting no more than 24 hours to send this note – Heck, I wouldn’t even hesitate to send it just a few hours after the interview!

I also want to note that you should send thank you notes during every stage of the hiring process. You might shuffle through different managers and departments, but you should always show consistency in your actions. Make sure you personalize each thank you note and make an effort to not use the same template for each one. Show your individuality and really highlight what was discussed in each particular interview!

It Offers You an Opportunity to Summarize Why You’re the Right Fit

Think of thank you notes as your last effort to show that you really are the right fit for the company.

Don’t be afraid to ask follow up questions or to include links to your previous work that you think the hiring manager would find useful when deciding which applicant to offer the position to.

If you do include extra information/links, just make sure you keep it as short and sweet as possible. You should have done all of your big self-selling in the interview, so the thank you note should be a reminder of everything that was discussed.

Not sure what to write about?

Choose a strength you have that fits one of their desired skills and write a quick sentence or two that explains how you feel you could use your strength in this position. Examples and visuals can always help bring your work style to life when the hiring manager has yet to see how you really due in that position’s setting.

Other Interview Tips to Follow

Looking for more interview tips? Check out my post: Interview Tips You Should Always Follow!