When is it too late to send a job-interview thank you note?

• 2-minute read •
Don’t risk sabotaging your job search by waiting too long.
You may have been told it’s never too late to send a thank you note for a gift, but the advice is a little different when it comes to thanking a prospective employer for an interview.

“Thank you notes should be sent promptly — within 24 hours of an interview,” says Jennifer Lee Magas of Magas Media Consultants in Monroe, Connecticut.

Erik Bowitz, senior resume expert at Resume Genius in Wilmington, Delaware, says thank you notes should be sent within a week. Any later than that, and you risk looking sloppy or rude.

How you choose to send the note will also affect the timing. Most experts say an email thank you will suffice, but that a handwritten note will make you stand out. At the same time, snail mail takes longer to get to your interviewer, says New York-based career coach Angelina Darrisaw. If you’ve waited a few days, email may be a better choice to ensure you’re not forgotten.

It’s important to keep in mind that thank you notes aren’t just for your interviewer. As you move through your job search, you’ll want to send thank you notes to other people you encounter in the interview process, including friends or colleagues who have helped you in your job search, and anyone who has served as a reference, Magas says. For those who have helped you along the way, you can send a thank you note when you know the outcome of your search.

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