Sure a thank you email is nice, but will it separate you from the rest?

Have you ever received a Facebook post thanking you for a wedding gift?  What about a text?  Well, I am going to be honest, it bothers me.  I calculated and I've received around 6,000 thank you notes in my professional life.  I don't know if it was because my sisters and I were sent to Finishing School at age 10 or that listening to my Sony Walkman wasn't allowed until all my birthday thank you notes were sent, but thank you notes are extremely important both personally and professionally. Sending thank you notes are akin to sending your mom a Mother's Day card...you just do it and you do it because you are grateful.

You would be surprised how polarizing the topic of sending thank you notes is.  In this digital age, many people say that they just don't have time to send a written thank you note and just do it online.
I am well aware it is 2014 and Christmas Cards are sometimes just selfies with a Happy Holidays text, but if you want to separate yourself from other candidates you should send a thank you note. No excuses about lack of time because if you can play on Instagram for 10 minutes, then you can send a thank you note.  And I don't mean an email saying "thank you for the interview", I mean a written note with an envelope and a stamp.  I hear the collective gasps now....yes a hand written thank you note written with a pen.  Don't worry your cursive will come back.  It's just like riding a bike, I promise.  Be prepared that when your handwriting does come back, it might look worse than your doctor's, but keep pressing on.  If I can write thank you notes with handwriting like Hannibal Lecter, you can too.

Sending a thank you note email after an interview is still a nice gesture, but my blog is about getting the job. So, if you want to separate yourself from the rest of the candidates, I highly recommend sending a hand written note.  The last time I knew how much a stamp cost, Clinton was in office and Ally McBeal was dancing with an avatar baby.  So, I buy the Forever stamps because they stay the same price..

I remember when a position was between two great candidates and the hiring managers had trouble deciding.  Who do you think got the job and eventual promotion?  Good guess Alex Trebek...the candidate now employee who sent us four people in the interview process four individually hand written thank you notes.

Most of those 6,000 thank you notes were emails and very kind, but if it's between you and 20 other applicants with equal education, experience and skills, the team will want the person who goes the extra mile. Sending a hand written thank you note is a precursor to what this candidate will be like as an employee-thoughtful and resourceful.  It's a no-brainer when responding to an interview confirmation email so you can send a thank you email.  However, if someone finds out addresses either by asking the interviewers or Googling, it shows more initiative.

Author, James Allen, said, "No duty is more urgent than that of returning thanks".  Please remember that when interviewing for a job or networking to find one.  People are giving you their time, so if you show your appreciation, it will go a long way.  Now only if I could find my old Sony Walkman...I have a thank you note to write.