Why do people give out their business cards after interviews? (work, hire)

[groar]

Originally Posted by Tober138

I am not sure what really needs to be, "well thought out" about such a letter. A very brief (2-3 sentence) e-mail that says something along the lines of, thank you for your time, let me know what the next steps in the process are, if you have any further questions please feel free to contact me, is sufficient.

well, for the job i just had a second interview for, here's what i put in my thank you notes:

1st interview - i mentioned a news story that had just happened that related to the organization's mission, and said that things like this incident demonstrate the need for an organization like theirs. i was interviewed by 3 people and i sent them each an individual e-mail, because i wanted to talk to one person about something that he seemed particularly concerned about in the interview, and i wasn't sure if i'd addressed it sufficiently.

2nd interview - i e-mailed all 3 interviewers (1 person from the 1st interview and the other 2 were new) together since i didn't really have anything to say to them individually. i had an "oh crap forgot to talk about that!" moment after the interview about something i am involved with in my personal life that relates very strongly to the job. so i talked about that briefly.

i agree that thank you notes don't factor too strongly into a hiring decision, but sending ones like mine makes them more likely to make a difference than just sending a generic, barebones "thanks and let me know about the next steps".

[FBJ]

And u can also not send one at all and still get a job offer

So the decision to send one is up to the applicant since it's optional

[hnsq]

Originally Posted by WestPhillyDude75

And u can also not send one at all and still get a job offer

So the decision to send one is up to the applicant since it's optional

Why would you choose not to? What is the downside to sending one? It obviously makes a huge difference to some employers, so why on earth would you consciously choose not to send a thank you note?

[groar]

no one is saying it's not optional. not one person, not ever that i have seen in this forum, has said that it's mandatory.

really, everything's optional - you don't even have to send a resume if you don't want to. you don't have to wear pants to your interview either. but some things are better or worse ideas than others. and sending a thoughtful follow-up after an interview is a good idea in my book. OF COURSE that doesn't mean you have to do it. but why wouldn't you, besides "i don't have to"?

[FBJ]

Originally Posted by hnsq

Why would you choose not to? What is the downside to sending one? It obviously makes a huge difference to some employers, so why on earth would you consciously choose not to send a thank you note?

I didn't send one to the jobs I didn't want so that's why i was pointing out that a thank you letter really doesn't mean anything.

[hnsq]

Originally Posted by WestPhillyDude75

I didn't send one to the jobs I didn't want so that's why i was pointing out that a thank you letter really doesn't mean anything.

Did you even read what I said? It is viewed as a good thing to many employers, so what is the downside to sending one?

[FBJ]

Originally Posted by hnsq

Did you even read what I said? It is viewed as a good thing to many employers, so what is the downside to sending one?

There is no downside but people shouldn't rush home and send one thinking that it helps their chances because a person knows whether they are going to hire you after you walk out the door.

[groar]

Originally Posted by WestPhillyDude75

There is no downside but people shouldn't rush home and send one thinking that it helps their chances because a person knows whether they are going to hire you after you walk out the door.

that is patently untrue. it might be the case sometimes, but not every time. sometimes it's close, and sometimes it's a tough decision between two candidates. that's the kind of situation where a good follow-up can make a difference.

a hiring manager might know if they WOULD hire you as soon as you walk out the door, but they don't necessarily know that they WILL. what if someone else interviews the next day who they also like a lot?

[Kibbiekat]

Originally Posted by WestPhillyDude75

And u can also not send one at all and still get a job offer

So the decision to send one is up to the applicant since it's optional

It is only up to the applicant if he has the contact info for the interviewers, thus the business cards. Just because someone hands you a card doesn't mean you have to send a card. No one said it isn't optional. I don't know why you keep dwelling on that.

[manderly6]

There can be a downside. I have seen some awful thank you notes.