If the company you interviewed with is formal and traditional, use snail mail to send your thank-you note. Should it be handwritten or typed? Typed is standard. Not only will you show that you are business-like, you'll also prove you know how to put together the salutation, format a letter and sign off. Executives want to know their administrative assistants can do this, since writing letters for your boss will be a big part of your job.Handwritten notes are appropriate if you'd like to extend your thanks to others in the office who helped you out. For example, if a receptionist, assistant, office manager, or other person involved with the interviewing process was especially helpful -- say they took you to lunch or guided you from office to office -- then a handwritten note is a nice gesture to show your appreciation.
More important is what you say and how you say it. A standard thank-you note should accomplish several things:
* Thank the person for the opportunity to interview with the company.
* Recap some of the conversational highlights.
* Clarify any information you needed to check on for the interviewer.
And most importantly, plug your skills. Use the last paragraph as the chance to state, "The job is a good fit for me because of XYZ, and my past experience in XYZ."
Interviewers have short memories. A thank-you note is your final chance to stand apart from all of the others who want the same position.
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