Best way to address hiring managers in follow-up? (career, companies, benefit)

[ncole1]

So, there is a disagreement between the guidelines I've been given by the university career center and what some of my family members tell me. The career center says that when you write follow-up E-mails after a phone interview, you should address the manager by their full name, to sound more formal. My mom says that you should use the first name only, to sound more personal. I need some tie-breakers here to deal with this conflicting advice!

[2nccoast]

You can't go wrong by erring on the conservative side, use their last name (Dear Mr./Ms. Smith...). I would not write "Dear Mr. John Smith" though, it sounds stilted.

[Serious Conversation]

I would the "Dear Mr. <last name>." I've tended to not follow up. I don't think it provides any benefit in large organizations with rigid hiring processes (though it might have an impact in smaller, more freewheeling companies)

[Hemlock140]

Originally Posted by Serious Conversation

I would the "Dear Mr. <last name>." I've tended to not follow up. I don't think it provides any benefit in large organizations with rigid hiring processes (though it might have an impact in smaller, more freewheeling companies)

I agree. As a hiring manager that hired about 10 people in recent years, 3 in 2017-18, all decisions have been made within 1/2 hour of the last interview. By the time we would see any follow-up it's already too late, so it makes no difference how it's addressed, or even whether it's sent or not.