Thank-You Letters

[etherial]

So, Marketing.

When you go on a job interview, it is (now?) customary to send a thank-you letter to the interviewer. Astute observers have pointed out that a job interview is not some act of benevolence to be grateful for so much as an opportunity for both parties to examine a potential business transaction in further depth.

BUT

a) It's a buyer's market, so you have to do everything you can to ingratiate yourselves to potential employers ATM.

and

b) It's good PR to send them the thank-you letter because it keeps *them* thinking about *you*, which increases the likelihood that you will receive the offer if it comes down to a toss-up.

What do you put in your thank-you letters?

Comments

[calygrey.livejournal.com]

"...a job interview is not some act of benevolence to be grateful for..."

Uh. Wow. Who needs this position filled more? You or them? Adjust your attitude accordingly.

I always, always send thank-you notes to each person who interviewed me, each time. Courtesy/appreciation is never, ever wrong.

I put in three elements: Who I am; thank you for the wonderful chat; ask for the job. I keep it very short. That last bit is challenging, but I want to make sure they understand that I am still interested in the position.

re: Who needs this position filled more? You or them?

[etherial.livejournal.com]

Excatly. They need that position filled every bit as much as you do, probably more. But they don't need you to fill it. They're not going to go out of their way for you, so you have to go out of your way for them.

[ulfric.livejournal.com]

Seriously?! If a person was out of work (especially in this economy) why WOULDNT they do everything they possibly could to land a job and get a potential employer to remember them a little bit more above the other candidates?

[etherial.livejournal.com]

Yup. So what do you put in yours?

[ulfric.livejournal.com]

the same things that Calygrey said plus i would go even further to drive home key points as to why i think i am good or the position. Basically highlighting the interview and that you actually listened and showed a genuine interest in the job and company.

In my experience (20years in the work force and 12 different companies) it has ALWAYS been customary to send Thank You Letters. This is not a new phenomenon.

Yes the company needs the position filled about as much as you may need a new job but like you said, its a buyers market. As the commodity, you should do anything in your power to land said position.

[pale-chartreuse.livejournal.com]

Anyone's TIME is a gift, and they should be thanked for that. Time is the one thing that everyone is short of.

The person that conducted the interview may not give a rat's ass if the position gets filled. Especially if that first interview is with an HR person or a hiring manager. That person is frequently just doing this as an assignment, and frequently they would rather be doing something else. It's sorting through the slush pile, and the goal is to winnow down the stack of resumes. Your goal is to make sure they don't throw yours out. Gratitude is required.

It's the second or third interview, where you get to meet the other people on the project team (/department or equivalent) who care about the position being filled.

[stillking.livejournal.com]

I only send a note if the interview went 'well' (as in, I think there's a good fit and I'm going to get at least a half-serious offer of employment).

When I do so, I add some personal touches, including: a funny allusion to some conversational point (or in-joke, or past-career reference) we shared during the session, a reinforcement of my primary interest(s), typically described as "I'm absolutely ga-ga about XYZ, and see the remainder as an excellent learning opportunity," and some soft attempt to close the sale, either "Think we can work something out" or "Can we make a love connection" or "When can I start" depending on conversational formality and tone.

Up until 2008-ish, my success rate was ~82% (roughly 9-of-11) using this method. I have noticed employers becoming notably cooler/reluctant in the past 36+ months, however (from time-of-interview forward) due either to the prevailing market conditions or some subtle shift in my own background/demeanor/viability.

In general, I find "I'm different, I'm a person, I have a personality, I can crack jokes and make clever quips and laugh with others" to be vital.

-- Sven

[greybar.livejournal.com]

I generally agree with stillking here. Email back to the interviewer, also to any recruiter along the way. The "funny allusion" I'd swap out for some other little memory jogger to help them distinguish me from anyone else they interviewed that day. It also proves (like ulfric says) that you caught on. If you feel there was a misunderstanding you could try to clarify (perhaps after doing more web research on the company or product), but that could risk reminding them of a weakness they've forgotten about.

Pragmatically it isn't about thanking them for their time. It's about making another sell attempt on why you're the right person. Since my position involves being organized and keeping projects moving I get the double-whammy when I say "so, what are the next steps in the hiring process" it both helps push things along and demonstrate what I do. :)

re: "so, what are the next steps in the hiring process"

[etherial.livejournal.com]

I end every interview with that question.

[greybar.livejournal.com]

and that's good, phrased in the right way and to the right person. The follow-up email (which honestly I've never thought of as a "Thank You") is just another opportunity. Also since potentially your interview ends with a particular manager, but your follow-up may end up being with a recruiter as well.

[judecorp.livejournal.com]

Wow, I wonder if it's related to your area of employment, because I've never sent a thank you card for an interview. And I've had a bunch of jobs. *shrug* Maybe it's a business thing?

re: thank you card

[etherial.livejournal.com]

I should clarify "thank you letter" as "thank you email", though I suspect the culture shock will remain the same. I had certainly never heard of the practice before 2006, and it still doesn't appear in most job application advice media I've seen. Maybe it only matters once one becomes a business "professional"?

[judecorp.livejournal.com]

Beats me. I slum with the social workers.

[eudociainboston.livejournal.com]

I know for a fact that I landed an IT position with multiple very strong candidates because I was the only one who wrote a thank you note way back in 2002. When I was on hiring committees that was the deciding factor at least twice when deciding on two equally liked and qualified candidates.
Thank them for their time, review the salient points about the interview/position and that you are still interested and you are good to go.