Is it Proper Etiquette to Email a Thank You for an Interview?
Following up with a company after a job interview allows you to restate your interest in the position. While traditional etiquette calls for interviewees to send handwritten thank you letters via postal mail, today's technology allows you to send your gratitude with the click of a mouse. When deciding whether to send a thank-you note via postal mail or email, you should rely on the traditional handwritten note. If you send an electronic thank you, a handwritten note should follow.
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Advantages of Email
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An email thank you note is appealing to many individuals because it is efficient. An interviewee can send a thank you email to all of the people with whom she interviewed the day of her interview. This way, her interview will be fresh in the minds of the potential employer, and her email will affirm her interest in the position. Moreover, email gives people access to spelling and grammar checkers, which can prove beneficial when sending that all-important thank you message.
Disadvantages of Email
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Email requires less effort, which means it could make less of an impression on the recipients. Emails are also less personal than handwritten notes because the interviewer will know that it took only a few minutes to type the brief message and click "Send." Moreover, interviewers, often with flooded inboxes, could easily overlook an email message from a job candidate.
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Considerations
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Although job applicants should follow emailed thank you messages with hard-copy ones, there are some situations in which email is preferable. If the interviewee has already established an email relationship with the interviewer, perhaps using email to schedule the interview or submit references, then an email message makes sense. In this case, the interviewer clearly prefers email. Moreover, if the interviewer is traveling for work or on vacation, an email message is more appropriate than a hard-copy one that might sit on his desk unopened for weeks.
How to Follow Up
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Interviewees who send an email message should promptly follow up with a handwritten note. Use plain, professional stationery that does not detract from the content of your message. Rather than repeating what you said in the email message, use something specific that stood out to you during the interview and reflect on it. Explain why that moment confirmed your desire for the position, or discuss how your qualifications can meet the company's needs. Keep it brief -- a short paragraph with three to five sentences is appropriate.
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