Thank You Notes: Emailed or Handwritten?

Clients often ask me if they should send a handwritten thank you or an emailed one. My response has always been that my preference is to send a handwritten one, but it's important to just send a thank you ... not every job candidate does, and doing so will set them apart.

Because I'm asked this question so often, I decided to include it on my survey of area hiring managers. Here were the results:

Either: 51%
Handwritten: 31%
Emailed: 18%

A few of the respondents left comments:

• Thank you notes are critically important
• Sending one sets them apart
• It's just nice getting one ... have received only one over the past year
• It is very nice and sets them apart from other candidates
• Email or note are good; handwritten note stands out
• Electronic is always best, because it is easier to share with others
• Both are nice steps that show interest after hearing more details about the company and the position

So, if you're still trying to decide if you should send a handwritten thank you or email one, here are a couple things you may want to consider. A handwritten thank you is a little more personal and takes more effort on your part (you have to buy the thank you card, write on it, look up the address, put a stamp on it, and mail it). However, if you don't have time (or don't have nice handwriting), an emailed thank you is perfectly fine ... the main thing is, just make sure to send one. Doing so will set yourself apart from the competition.