When writing a thank you letter after an interview, should it be typed or handwritten?

Question

I know that handwritten seems more personable, but to me it doesn't look very professional.

Answer 1

Zoo-B-Cool,
I can sincerely appreciate what you expressed on the comparison of hand written vs. typed on the thank you note. Given the fact that these professionals interviewed you "in person" and may or may not be aware of other interviews you "may" or "may not" be attempting - your typed thank you note may give the impression that it was generated automatically with countless others "that you have interviewed with".

My suggestion? I recommend the "hand written" note and thanks expressed to each of the individuals in the room (if you can recall their names). Use first names only if you feel confident you scored "high" during the round of discussion, if you are uncertain how your answers were interpreted then use "Mr/Ms", etc.

I hope this helps and best of luck on the outcome!

Sincerely,
Gerry

Answer 2

Handwritten is indeed more personable--and being personable is the professional way to go with any thank you letter (unless you are the CEO sending out 2,000 thank-you's for another great year. Then you have it printed but sign it yourself). It shows you took time and thought about what you wrote and didn't just hit the "print" button. Also, the envelope should be hand-addressed.

If you think your handwriting is too messy to be legible, consider having someone with better handwriting write it for you, then sign your name yourself.

[edit] - Stationery will make a difference between personal and professional, so skip the puppy dogs on the front and go for a plain business-like card. Those who are advising that typewritten is the only way for professional correspondence only know about communications that are in a letter format such as an introductory or cover letter for a resume. These are the same people who will send in video resumes or attach a picture of themselves. Remember that while the company might have required a typed resume and cover letter, the thank you note is to the person who interviewed you. If multiple people interviewed you, send one to each person. There are ways around sloppy handwriting, but a typed thank-you tells them you have been searching for jobs without luck for so long that you don't want to waste the 45 seconds to write a thank-you by hand.

Also, send your thank-you the very next day so you'll be right on the top of their mind.

Answer 3

Should a thank-you letter be typed or handwritten?

First, we should acknowledge that you're already on the right track. Thanking your potential employers after an interview (whether by phone, email, typed letter, or handwritten letter) is an important part of your job-application process. Sending a thank-you is not only courteous; it gets your name in front of the employer again and gives you an opportunity to reinforce why you're the right person for the job.

More to the point, you've actually answered your own question. You write that the handwritten note doesn't look very professional to you. If it doesn't look professional to you, then it probably won't look professional to your employer. That's not to say that it's always a bad idea to send a handwritten note (like, if you're a calligraphy master, for example). What matters is that you present yourself in the best light possible.

Moreover, you can still be personable in a typed letter. Sending a courteous and thoughtful letter will go further toward reinforcing how personable you are than the choice to write something by hand. As someone who has interviewed dozens of job applicants, I can tell you that a warm, well-written thank-you stands out much more than something that's handwritten.

Most importantly of all, don't hesitate to send that thank-you. It's great that you're taking the time to research how you can best present yourself, but sending a prompt thank-you is also important, particularly if you're using snail-mail. It's imperative that the note arrives before your potential employers make their decisions about whom to invite back for a second round of interviews.

For more on thank-you letters, read "Writing Effective Thank-You Letters"
http://www.allbusiness.com/human-resources/careers/3877900-1.html

If you're interested in learning about the relative merits of phone, email, and hard-copy letters, read "Following Up After Your Interview"
http://www.allbusiness.com/human-resources/careers-job-interview/9238-1.html

And lastly, for general advice on your job-hunt, go to Allbusiness.com's Career Advice Center.
http://www.allbusiness.com/human-resources/careers/2976261-1.html

Good luck!

Answer 4

As a Human Resources Rep. I wouldn't even look at a handwritten letter.
I would look for comments in the Thank You of the items we discussed. Always go for the professional route. I keep all the Thank You's I receive from potential employees with their Resume and Cover Letter. I go back and look at these later for other job positions available.

Answer 5

I think either is fine. I would be more inclined to send a typewritten letter if it were a large company, and a handwritten letter if it were a smaller company where people tend to be more personal with each other. But, for me to send a handwritten one, it would have to be a very small company, and the person I interviewed with would have to be my direct supervisor. If you were only interviewed by HR or the top person in your department, then type it.

We receive both and read all. However, the handwritten ones are deemed more personal and are actually appreciated by us more than the typewritten ones (where we know they just changed the address and name on it and reprinted).

Answer 6

If you have nice handwriting, you should hand write the letter. You want to personally thank the person or people that interviewed you, and a handwritten note shows you took the time and effort to show your appreciation. I usually buy formal, blank thank you cards from Hallmark and write them out (one for each person that I interview with.)

Answer 7

Always hand written. I write mine in a word processor, spell check and proof read then carefully write a handwritten note.
Typed are cold and impersonal and you are thanking a person or people not a company.

Answer 8

When I sent thank you notes for interviews, I sent them on nice stationery, handwritten. That way, they knew I had a little class, thus the nice paper, and had good penmanship.
Plus, in this day and time, some people just appreciate a thank you....period.

Answer 9

Type it, it's more professional. Handwritten notes and letters are for personal correspondence.

Answer 10

ALL professional correspondence should be typed. Only personal notes should be handwritten.