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I'm wondering if there's any point to send a thank you letter after an interview. There have been times that I've sent one and other times where I haven't.
For example, I had an interview for a competitive position that included a full scholarship a few years ago. I didn't send a thank you letter. I got the the position and the scholarship. Also, I was recently hired at a part-time professional job. Didn't send a thank you letter. Got the job. I was interviewed at a prestigious academic institution for an internship last month. I sent carefully crafted thank you letters to every one of the 8 interviewers that I had. This took me a long time. Not only did I not get the position, but they did not even send me a rejection letter (which violates their own protocols).
I have another interview for an internship with another prestigious academic institution next week. In all honesty, writing custom thank you letters is a PIA and I really don't want to do it if it doesn't help me get the job. This is especially true since most employers are a-holes these days.
What are your thoughts on thank you letters? Yay or nay?
I usually don't send them and it never hurt my chances. Only time I wrote one was at insistence of my recruiter.
As someone that has interviewed applicants for decades, someone sending a thank you note or email has NEVER made any difference in my decisions. Their interview is what sells me or not.
As an example, we interviewed for two temp positions past two days. Similar age, exact same school/degree, similar job history. One was horrible, trying to get him to talk was like pulling teeth. He sent a thank you email that evening. Other candidate was great, very eager and personable, sincere, willing to learn. He didn't send a thank you email.
Guess who we are going to offer a job.
I suppose it never hurts to do so, but don't count on it making a difference.
Check the search function; this has been discussed many times. To be brutally honest, they mean nothing to us, and the decision has been made before they are received.
if they decided not to hire you there's no thank you letter prose that's going to get you hired. Within the first 5-10 minutes of meeting you and speaking, they already know at the interview if you're a fit or not. The people who say out of all the candidates that your "letter" got you hired are bs'ing you. Liers. They like the letters because the letters are ego boosters. But they knew before they got your "letter" who they were going to hire. Thank you letters are an outdated etiquette. You thank them when you shake hands at the close of the interview - "thanks for seeing me." and walk out. That was the "thank you." Let's put it this way: if they REALLY liked you, your lack of thank you letter isn't going to discourage them from hiring you.
if they decided not to hire you there's no thank you letter prose that's going to get you hired. Within the first 5-10 minutes of meeting you and speaking, they already know at the interview if you're a fit or not. The people who say out of all the candidates that your "letter" got you hired are bs'ing you. Liers. They like the letters because the letters are ego boosters. But they knew before they got your "letter" who they were going to hire. Thank you letters are an outdated etiquette. You thank them when you shake hands at the close of the interview - "thanks for seeing me." and walk out. That was the "thank you." Let's put it this way: if they REALLY liked you, your lack of thank you letter isn't going to discourage them from hiring you.
Agree.
Let this be the final word on anyone that asks about thank you letters on this forum in the future.
A lot of the outdated, 20th century advice in books, on the Internet, and even doled out by "career counselors" has no place in today's world. Always wear a suit, religiously send your timely thank you letters, return your interviewer's call within the first 30 minutes, use temp agencies, have your resume in a particular format, etc., et. al. Depends on the type of company, industry, company culture, etc. IF the shoe fits...when in Rome..do as the Romans..
As a manager who hires customer facing employees I appreciate a thank you note. It gives me a good idea how they will communicate with customers. Does a thank you matter to me? If I have one position open, bring in three candidates, and there is tie between two of them, I'll pick the one who sent the thank you because it tells me they are courteous and respectful. It has nothing to do with ego.
If anyone lets a thank you note hold any weight then they shouldn't be hiring anyone. Every time I've interviewed someone I knew before the interview was over if target will be hir done not.
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