Impressions are made, and solidified very quickly. And in today’s Job Market where companies meet many candidates during an interview process for a position, you can be forgotten quickly too.

Use your Thank You notes to reinforce your excitement for the role, the company and your ‘brand’. As each moment passes after our interview, memories can begin to fade. Thank You notes are a great opportunity to make your great first impression stick. Concerned about one area of discussion or an area that you may have avoided discussing during your interview? Your Thank You notes can help there too.

My recommendation is that Thank You notes need to go out very quickly: In an ideal world, which it never is, I would advise that both email and physical Thank You notes go out on the same day as your interview.

Email Thank You notes individually to each person that you met (not sent cc’d). It’s best if you send them within 2–4 hours after the interview, but at least on the same day. The immediacy of this format reinforces the positive feeling they just had about you in your interview meeting. Be sure to use this email Thank You note as the method to overcome any concerns you may have afterward about why they may not select you, or may not move you forward in the process. Notes should be short and to the point, but don’t miss that chance to overcome any concerns by offering to discuss, or further discuss, these areas. You may not be excited to revisit these areas, but many times, just the offer of discussion on an area of concern shows that you are already on top of it, solving the problem in advance.

Go to the store and pick up a few Thank You note cards in advance which you can use each time that you interview. These should be VERY short in message, something as simple as “Jack, It was great to have the opportunity to meet with you. Best- John”. Handwritten is preferred here, as it communicates a chemistry connection. If your handwriting is like Ronald Reagan’s (child-like), you should use a Sharpie marker to write the simple note, as it helps overcome those issues. If still a concern, then go with printing it from the computer (last choice if necessary). Be sure to get it in the mail by 5 p.m., on same day as your interview.

Be the ’standout’, just by sending Thank You notes: It’s surprising that very few candidates actually send Thank You notes of any kind, but that knowledge gives you a great advantage and the motivation to use them so that you can be a stand-out. Your email thank you notes provide the immediacy and chance to overcome issues, and your note card in the mail acts to reinforce your brand and the experience of meeting you so that you are truly memorable.

Copyright © 2010 by John Crant