After the interview, don't forget to follow up

By Susan Bowles, special for Gannett News Service

Want to stand out from the interview pack?

Write a thank you note — on stationery, in pen, with your own hand.

It may sound quaint in this era of instant communication, but a little old-fashioned etiquette goes a long way. And it can make potential employers take note, literally.

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Think about your mail. "I'm sitting here with a stack. And the first thing I picked up was something with handwriting on it," says Marjorie Brody, president of Brody Communications in Pennsylvania and an expert in corporate etiquette.

When thanking someone for a job interview, be brief. Thank the interviewer for the time spent with you, let him or her know you have a better idea of the requirements necessary for the job and summarize key points you discussed.

Send a note even if you don't think your interview went well or you've found out the company hired someone else.

"Don't burn bridges," Brody says.

Of course, sending a thank you letter doesn't preclude following up in other ways. Matt DeLuca, author of Best Answers to the 201 Most Frequently Asked Interview Questions, likes the immediacy of e-mail. "It shows how quickly the person responded," he says. But "it's amazing how many people don't send a courtesy note either way."

DeLuca doesn't recommend phone calls — unless an interviewer specifically asked you to follow-up by phone. In that case, be specific about expectations for any future conversations to avoid becoming a pest.

Regardless of the form it takes, an interview isn't really over until you've made a call, sent an e-mail or written a note. It's common courtesy. "And if that is not enough, it gets your name out there again and says you're a person who does follow up," Brody says.

"It's your reputation," she says. "What does it cost you to do this?"