Thank You Notes

Katie Baird invited me to comment on her post, Thank you notes: do you or don't you? Because this question comes up in the world of job search, I'm posting my comment here (as well as on her blog):

Yesterday was my birthday and I recieved several gifts and cards. I intend to send a handwritten thank you note for each of my gifts (except to my husband), and acknowledge each card with an email or phone call.

When it comes to business, I consider thank you's very important as a way of showing gratitude. Whether I deliver my thanks in a letter, email, or phone call depends on the professional relationship I have with the person.

Sometimes a written thank you also serves as a paper trail, so I'm careful to word it with that in mind. For instance, the person might be able to use my thank you note as a letter of recommendation in a future job search. An organization might want to publish an excerpt of my letter in a brochure as a customer testimony. Or, my email of thanks may actually help in tracking the status of a business transaction.

I know many people who display thank you notes they've recieved by placing them on their desks or bulletin boards. Many hiring managers say the thank you letter after an interview was the deciding factor in hiring a particular employee.

So I say, thumbs up on thank you's as long as they're sincere.