Are post-interview thank-you notes mandatory?

Q. I have been actively interviewing through my university's on-campus recruiting program, and have had a number of follow-up interviews in a short period of time at some of the companies. Each company visit involves meeting four to six people. My question is, do I need to send a thank-you note to each person with whom I meet? If I do, can I send the same note to everyone? How soon after do I have to write the notes? One of my friends was in such a hurry to get her thank-you notes out, that she thanked one of the interviewers for showing her around the wrong company!

A. Thank-you notes after interviews used to be optional, until career counselors started recommending that people write them; now they are considered almost mandatory. And, yes, if you meet with a number of different people at the same company, you need to send a different thank-you note to each interviewer. A good tip is to request the business card of each person with whom you interact, so that you can be certain to spell everyone's name correctly. If you have a few minutes between interviews, you can even use the back of the card to jot a note or two about the interview.

Your thank-you notes to different individuals in the same company may end up sounding similar, but the notes should not be identical. Try to personalize each thank-you note as much as possible, by referencing something that you and that particular individual talked about. You can also highlight something that that interviewer said or did that was especially helpful to you. Target your thank-you note to that individual and to his or her role in the company.

Timeliness is important; some career coaches urge their clients to have a thank-you note on the interviewer's desk the morning after your interview. I think it is unrealistic to expect that, especially during the on-campus recruitment process. Your friend's haste was the likely cause of her carelessness.

By the way, please urge your friend to own up to her mistake. She may be hoping that the employer didn't notice her gaffe, but they did. She has nothing to lose and perhaps has something to gain by sending a follow-up e-mail admitting to and apologizing for the mistake. She may be able to impress the employer with her honesty if not her attention to detail.

In general, it is helpful to think of thank-you notes as a chance to reiterate your interest in and enthusiasm for the position. E-mail is an acceptable way to send a thank-you note, although I still think that some employers appreciate more a hand-written thank-you note sent through the mail.

A thank-you note can also provide you the opportunity to elaborate further on your answer or to correct something that you said during your interview. This may be one time during the interview process when you do have a second chance.

Roni F. Noland is a career counselor/coach in private practice. She can be reached at noland.roni@gmail.com. E-mail questions to jobdoc@globe.com or mail to Job Doc, Boston Globe, Box 55819, Boston, 02205-5819.