I’ve always had a hunch that many people see the post-interview thank you note as some sort of meaningless formality… but I still assumed the majority of interviewees actually wrote them because that’s just the way it was.

Lately while chatting with hiring managers, I’m discovering that a lot of people (especially entry-level candidates) aren’t sending thank you notes after job interviews (gasp!)

First things first, let me just confirm that you absolutely MUST send a thank you note after an interview. Here are a few resources that will help you write one.

• How to write the best post interview thank you note
• What to do when you don’t get the interviewer’s email address
• Should you send the same thank you note to multiple interviewers

But if you want to know the WHY behind this – why post-interview thank you notes really matter – then read on…

1. It’s just good manners

This isn’t the most important reason, but writing a thank you note simply shows good manners. It’s a way to tell people within a company that you genuinely appreciate them taking the time to speak with you.

And by the way, nice companies and recruiters will also thank you for YOUR time too.

2. It reinforces your interest in the job

Now this is the most important reason why thank you notes matter.

When someone leaves an interview and doesn’t then follow up with a thank you note, my thought (and trust me, hiring managers think this way too) is that you are not interested in the job or working for the company.

I have seen hiring managers get super bent out of shape about this over the years, and even basing ultimate offer decisions on this simple act (or lack of).

The thinking is that it only takes a few minutes to say thank you and “hey, I’m super excited about this job” so if you don’t do it, the hiring manager thinks that you A. do not care or B. must be really lazy — both bad qualities.

3. It’s not hard to figure out someone’s email

I’ve heard a lot of people tell me that they’re unable to write a thank you note because they forgot to get the interviewer’s contact information. This is NOT a valid excuse.

You have a few options to figure this out which I’ve laid out here. But if you didn’t get a card after your interview, that’s on you to rectify.

There are so many different ways you can make an effort to get an email and worst case scenario, send it by snail mail. If you were at the office or have google, you already know this.

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So please, if you care at all about a job, write a thank you note after each and every conversation – phone screens, in-person interviews, to the person who coordinates those interviews, and literally any other interaction with a company.

While I’ve never seen a thank you note land someone a job, I’ve certainly seen a lack of one cost someone a job.

So just confirming… thank you notes are still a thing! Write em 🙂