Just finished up an interview and think you can just sit back and wait for the employer to call and offer you the job? Think again! It is critical to write thank-you notes. They can be hand-written or emailed. During the interview gather as many business cards as possible so you can make your thank-you note more personal. Most hiring professionals say the correct thank-you note can impact their hiring decision and the wrong thank-you note can cause you to lose the job offer. TheLadders.com recently listed 5 mistakes to avoid when writing thank-you notes:

It’s riddled with mistakes.

When you’re competing with a vast candidate pool for a position, the smallest error can be used to eliminate you from the pile. These days, we’ve grown accustomed to using short-hand for texts and tweets, and have become all too reliant on spell-check. It’s very easy to overlook the little mistakes, such as using “higher” when you really meant to say “hire.” Don’t let these little details derail your candidacy.

Carefully proofread your thank-you note. Then read it again. Then have a friend proofread it. Make sure everything is spelled properly (including the interviewer’s name and title), and correct all typos before hitting “send.”

The message is generic.

Sending a general thank-you note to all of your interviewers is just as bad as not sending any thank-you message at all. Remember, the goal of a thank-you note is to help differentiate yourself from the other candidates by demonstrating your genuine passion for the position and reminding the interviewer of your unique qualifications. It’s really difficult to do that if you’re not personalizing your messages.

It gets too personal.

There’s a fine line between personalizing your message and coming off as inappropriate. No matter how comfortable you felt during the interview, it’s important that your note remains professional.

You didn’t send it right away.

In the job search, timing is everything. The last thing you want to do is send your note out late and damage the professional image you so carefully presented during the interview.

Send your thank-you messages to each interviewer within 24 hours of the meeting. Make sure to collect business cards or write down the proper spelling of interviewers’ names and email addresses during the interview process to ensure a timely and accurate follow-up.

The note is two pages long.

Keep your thank-you notes succinct. If you’re second-guessing the length of your message, ask yourself, “Would this message fit in a standard thank-you card I’d buy at a stationary store?” If the answer is no, reevaluate your note.

A carefully crafted thank-you message creates an opportunity to reconnect with employers, build a relationship with interviewers, and keep your candidacy top of mind. Avoid these mistakes when writing your next thank-you note and you’ll be one step closer to the coveted job offer.

This blog was adapted from this article on TheLadders.com