What’s even sadder about what the team didn’t “get” was that this person actually took the time to write this note, which is something we don’t do much of (write with a writing instrument). What they didn’t get was her maturity level required for sitting and doing something that was time-consuming instead of just taking the easy way which would have been a quick, possibly future-dated, generic, no “dear” name email thanking them for an interview. And they were from the pre-email era?

But when I was part of the team interviewing candidates for a position at my old company, one of the interviewees sent everyone on the team handwritten thank you’s. I thought it showed attention to detail and a classiness that would make her a great coworker.

My colleagues (and keep in mind that, ironically, these people were from a generation that sent handwritten cards before there was email) thought it was really immature that she hadn’t sent a formal email or letter reiterating her interest.

“Handwritten thank you’s are for wedding gifts,” they said, “not job applicants.” I disagree, but there you have it.