When Should You Send a Thank You Letter After an Interview?

After you have a job interview, it's important to follow-up right away - that means within 24 hours of your interview. If time permits, send a handwritten thank you note. Surveys report that more than half of hiring managers prefer a handwritten note to an email. However, if the interviewer mentions that they will be making a decision fast, send a thank you email. Hand written thank you notes often will sit on the hiring manager’s desk, window sill, or in a personnel file reminding them of your interview… emailed thank you notes often get deleted and forgotten.

If timing isn't discussed, you could do both - send a quick email and follow up with a thank you card. Either way, be sure to ask the interviewer for a business card so you have his or email address and mailing address. Here are some examples below of professional, thank you cards that can be hand written.

General contents of a thank you letter can be found below:

April 11, 2013

Mary Anne Nurse, RN, MSN
Patient Care Manager
Sacred Heart Hospital
890 Cherokee Lane
Elkhart, IN 46514

Dear Ms. Nurse,

It was a pleasure to meet with you and your nursing staff for the Staff Development position. I thoroughly enjoyed the interview and found it rewarding to share some of the same philosophies and teaching methodologies. Thank you for the tour of your new Education Center, the information you provided and the chance to talk with several patient families. Even more so, I appreciate the time you and your staff spent in covering every detail and aspect of the Staff Development position; the hours, the mission, your vision for the future and the job details. After the interview, I am even more convinced that if selected, I will pour my heart and soul into this extraordinary opportunity.

I look forward to hearing from you soon. If you have any further questions for me, or if you decide to schedule 2nd interviews, I look forward to the opportunity.

Sincerely,
Susan B. Jenkins, DNP, RN