Interview Thank You Notes: Handwritten or Email?

  • Creator
    Topic
  • #188213
    NEY_000
    Member

    After interviewing for an accounting position, do you send a handwritten thank you note or an email or both? I usually send handwritten thank you notes, but it takes so long to get there and they said they’d be making a decision by the end of the week. Thoughts?

    AUD - 81 (5/5/14)
    REG - 67 (7/28/14) b00; (10/3/2014)
    BEC -
    FAR -

Viewing 15 replies - 1 through 15 (of 16 total)
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    Replies
  • #590539
    thechapman
    Member

    What I've done in the past when I've found myself in that same predicament is this…type up a thank you note leaving a place for myself to sign it by hand, print it out, and sign in the spot you left. Then I scanned it and emailed it to the person. Although a handwritten thank you note is preferable, I think the time constraint makes this just as good. It shows a little more effort (since you took the time to be able to sign it by hand) than just sending an email, and I'm sure the person will understand the circumstances. Some people may say that sounds like a dumb idea, but after doing this I got an internship with one firm and later a full time job with another.

    Passed - 2014

    #590540
    lancebvs
    Member

    I would do both. Send an email after the interview but also mail out a handwritten thank you note. If the note comes the following week or in a few days, your interviewer is reminded of you when he/she reads the note.

    #590541
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    @thechapman

    So are you just sending an email with a PDF attachment of your handwritten note?

    #590542
    Anonymous
    Inactive
    #590543
    thechapman
    Member

    @Determined – It's been a long time since I've done it, but I believe I just had a very very short message in the email, and then attached a PDF of the scanned thank you note.

    Passed - 2014

    #590544
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    Gotcha. And wow, look at your scores. What I would give to be able to pass FAR and AUD, and in that short of a time span.

    #590545
    thechapman
    Member

    Wish I could take 13 points off of FAR and 16 off of AUD and apply them to REG. I'm getting my ass handed to me haha. Good luck with the interviews!

    Passed - 2014

    #590546
    NEY_000
    Member

    Gotcha. Great ideas. Thanks for the input!!!

    AUD - 81 (5/5/14)
    REG - 67 (7/28/14) b00; (10/3/2014)
    BEC -
    FAR -

    #590547
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    I've always sent an email. It's faster and more efficient. Personally, I think it's more professional.

    #590548
    JamesBJames
    Participant

    I always just sent an e-mail, too, usually within a day of the actual interview.

    FAR: May 1st, 2014 - 91
    AUD: May 29th, 2014 - 97!
    BEC: July 16th, 2014 - 91
    REG: August 29th, 2014 - 88

    Licensed December 2015

    Feel free to add me on LinkedIn by clicking my username!

    #590549
    fuzyfro89
    Participant

    You'll find people on both sides of this, and we can argue about what's necessary all day long.

    I'll just say this, the day you have an interview, later that day or the next morning the entire team gets together to talk about you and will score you.

    Thank you letters, either hand written or even by email, are rarely a decision-changer. I've asked partners that I worked for how they view letters and emails, and they said letters are a bit strange (usually because they check mail maybe once every few weeks, or whenever they get into the office) but not in a bad way. Emails are also nice gesture from candidate, but NEITHER has made them consider giving an offer when they initially rejected them.

    Just anecdotal of several partners I used to work for, but in this case timeliness (email) is more important than quality/completeness/effort (written note), and neither is particularly effective at turning a no into a yes… although it is polite.

    My own experience: Of the internship/full time offers I've gotten, around half of them called me before I got home that night to send a thank you email.

    #590550
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    Email should be sufficient

    #590551
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    Email should be sufficient

    #590552
    10keyLeah
    Member

    I would say definitely do one or the other. You can do both too. I live in a more traditional area, so I always try to send an e-mail but also drop a hand written note in the mail.

    Ninja Combo, Yaeger, Wiley -- Licensed CPA, May 2015

    #590553
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    I did both when I got out of college – depending on how badly I wanted the jobs. Interviews for positions I'd accept but didn't leave super hungry for, I sent emails within the same day. For the interviews with companies/positions I REALLY wanted the job though, I had a stack of thank you cards in the car and wrote them on the spot immediately after the interview, and then left them with the receptionist for instant delivery.

    I would say if you're not doing email (ie going to the effort of cards), don't print off a blanket thank you statement and sign it. The point of a hard thank you is to show that you put more effort into it (ie, really want that job). Hand write it and make sure to make it personal.

    Also, be sure to send one (either method) to everyone you interviewed with…not just the main contact.

Viewing 15 replies - 1 through 15 (of 16 total)
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