I'm in academe and hate getting hand written notes---usually they arrive after we have made the decision anyhow. But that might be just me.

E-mail. My company is trying to go paperless as much as possible - I haven't received a piece of mail in over a year. Mail is slow and unreliable and a waste of resources. Think about it - did the company require you or even accept mailed resumes? The last time I applied for jobs it was electronic only - that's how companies prefer communication.

They probably are but I've never done one and have no intention of ever doing one.

If the employer wants you then they'll hire you is how I see it.

Most people in my company (outside of those with a personal admin) don't check their mailbox on a regular basis and typically the hiring decisions have already been made by the time it would take a note to arrive via mail.

Anonymous wrote:

Is a collective email thank you to the senior person in an 8-person interview session appropriate? I didn't get everyone's names, and I am not sure 8 separate emails would be a good idea in any event, given it was a relatively short first session.

Yes, it's fine. I would write the thank you note to the senior person, and say something like "Please pass along my thanks to the rest of the team. I enjoyed meeting all of you blah blah blah"

This. I'm a hiring manager and I do think of both email and handwritten notes are still good etiquette. It will keep you in my mind and indicate that you'd really like the job and are detail orientated. This edge could be advantageous if two candidates are identical in experience and qualifications.

That said, it wouldn't put you ahead of a better qualified candidate, of course.

As a hiring manager, I don't care if I get them. But I know many people do, so definitely write one.

Do one or the other (I prefer to receive email thank yous); I'd think someone who sent both was crazy/too intense.

Is a collective email thank you to the senior person in an 8-person interview session appropriate? I didn't get everyone's names, and I am not sure 8 separate emails would be a good idea in any event, given it was a relatively short first session.

Yes, it's fine. I would write the thank you note to the senior person, and say something like "Please pass along my thanks to the rest of the team. I enjoyed meeting all of you blah blah blah"

I do both. Went to business school in the early 1980s. The career placement class taught us that a follow up thank you note is a MUST. Not an email, not a phone call..an honest to god paper letter. So, I do both now.

Is a collective email thank you to the senior person in an 8-person interview session appropriate? I didn't get everyone's names, and I am not sure 8 separate emails would be a good idea in any event, given it was a relatively short first session.

I email. I'm a fed and our mail takes nearly a week to get to us after being screen and irradiated for anthrax.

I do both email and handwritten, but make sure the handwritten one (since it's arriving later) says something different so it's not a carbon copy.

what are hand-written notes?

Hiring manager - I really appreciate hand-written notes (it is a good indicator they'll fit into our culture in the workplace), but the reality is that a lot of the decisions are time-sensitive, so I have to recommend email.

If you can drop a note in a mailbox right near the interview, the day of, sometimes it will get there the next day or usually max 2 days later. But if you interview on a Thurs/Fri... that can be a problem. Email is the safe bet.

I think I know the answer but it's been almost 10 years since I last job hunted. Had a great round of interviews today and want to send thank you notes or emails to the interviewers. I didn't get emails for my interviewers, though could ask the recruiter for them, I guess. The other option is hand written notes.

Just wondering if that's considered old fashioned. As a hiring manager I always appreciate the gesture, but not sure if others agree. The hiring decision will be made next week, so I need to move quickly.