Thank you note following Interview

Gael23

Is this a good thing to do? I've been given advice it is but I dont want to come across as desperate, which i'm not.
If sp, what should be included.

mrsbyrne

I've witnessed some stunts around job applications, interviews CVs etc but never once have I come across this. It would be s complete turn-off for me Im afraid.

ongarboy

I agree. It's not really the done thing. You will get the job (or not) based on the quality of how you sold and presented yourself at the interview. A thank you note will not be the deciding factor. (except possibly in the case where you and another candidate were of equal calibre and the interviewer was struggling who to pick - I honestly think they'd go for the other candidate as no one likes an ass licker... and I'm sorry, that's what the note would come across as (even if it's genuinely not your intention).

Gael23

I kind of thought that myself, I wouldnt want it to come across the wrong way so i'll just leave it.

Zaph

I interviewed someone recently who rang me and sent an e-mail to the person in HR who interviewed with me to thank us for seeing him. There were plenty of reasons why he wasn't getting the job, but that was the final nail in the coffin. He came across as someone who had read a book on interview techniques and decided to apply every single one of them, while failing to take into account that the book was written for a country where things may be different.

JohnMearsheimer

I wouldn't. I have seen some job website saying to do it but I think they were more American focused.

Mr. Loverman

I actually don't mind it. However I work in IT where there can be some arrogance, so anything which makes me think the employee has a good attitude helps.

But as the other replies show it may backfire.

Wabbit Ears

I also agree that this would absolutely guarantee that the candidate would not get the job. Id be like, WTF is this? and think the person's a weirdo.

Boeing777

Slightly off topic but does the same apply when you send a speculative application email to a company? Is that just as annoying as a 'thank you' note?

Nelly1234

Boeing777 wrote: »

Slightly off topic but does the same apply when you send a speculative application email to a company? Is that just as annoying as a 'thank you' note?

This thread is handy!! Confirmation that this should never be done!!

Zaph

Boeing777 wrote: »

Slightly off topic but does the same apply when you send a speculative application email to a company? Is that just as annoying as a 'thank you' note?

Absolutely nothing wrong with sending a CV in on spec - nothing ventured, nothing gained. It's how I started in the company I work for and we've often taken on people over the years who've done the same. We have a policy of holding onto CVs sent in like this for 6 months, although many places probably just bin them. What I wouldn't do is contact the company after you send it in to check that they've received it. That comes across as either too eager or too desperate. If there's something that you might be suitable for they'll be in touch for an interview.

Mr Boom Boom

ryanf1 wrote: »

Is this a good thing to do? I've been given advice it is but I dont want to come across as desperate, which i'm not.
If sp, what should be included.

It may not hurt but likely depends on whom you are sending it to

Tzardine

As is obvious from the replies above, definitely don't do it. I cringe just thinking of it.

And even if you get a response saying you didn't get the job, don't send an email questioning why ! Thank them for the response and ask to be considered for anything they might find you suitable for in the future.

I will normally keep CV's on file of people who interviewed but were not quite right for the role but expecting they may be the right person for something else. I have had a few emails come in from people who thanked me for wasting their time and such without realising that they were in the frame for something else.

Nelly1234

Strituck wrote: »

As is obvious from the replies above, definitely don't do it. I cringe just thinking of it.

And even if you get a response saying you didn't get the job, don't send an email questioning why ! Thank them for the response and ask to be considered for anything they might find you suitable for in the future.

I will normally keep CV's on file of people who interviewed but were not quite right for the role but expecting they may be the right person for something else. I have had a few emails come in from people who thanked me for wasting their time and such without realising that they were in the frame for something else.

Employ me!!!!

Jokes:)

Annasopra

Tzardine wrote: »

As is obvious from the replies above, definitely don't do it. I cringe just thinking of it.

And even if you get a response saying you didn't get the job, don't send an email questioning why ! Thank them for the response and ask to be considered for anything they might find you suitable for in the future.

I will normally keep CV's on file of people who interviewed but were not quite right for the role but expecting they may be the right person for something else. I have had a few emails come in from people who thanked me for wasting their time and such without realising that they were in the frame for something else.

I always ask for feedback on an interview and often get it.

sopretty

Oh good God no. You thank interviewers for their time after the interview, while you shake hands and genuinely thank them for taking the time to speak with you/allow you to tell them how great you are. Sending them cards? Jaysus no.

Annasopra

My Brother is convinced sending a thank you letter works. He insists I should do it but I'm really not convinced.

Arthur Beesley

mango salsa wrote: »

I always ask for feedback on an interview and often get it.

If someone asks me for feedback on an interview I will be honest and point out the positives and negatives.

I interview developers, a simple question can often show that someone is completely out of their depth, so I would point out areas for improvement or concerns that someone doesn't have a grasp of a concept or technology.

I had one guy on a phone interview who couldn't satisfactorially answer 80% of the questions, to the point where I was clearly skipping in depth questioning, then he asked for feedback...

Arthur Beesley

mango salsa wrote: »

My Brother is convinced sending a thank you letter works. He insists I should do it but I'm really not convinced.

It happened me once, it put me off, the candidate was good but this was a deciding factor at the time for me.

The HR person subsequently pointed out that she was playing the game with all the interview techniques from a book.

Galbin

The negative attitude towards such things in this country sickens me*. Oh my God, the person studied interview techniques and tried to be polite. Let's judge them even more than we already have during the interview, since interviews obviously reveal everything about a person. *Heavy sarcasm*.

In other countries, you are actually allowed to express your real personality in interviews, and sending a thank you card is seen as nice and polite. It's not 'desperate'. It's only desperate if you consider someone to be desperate if they want to work in a in a job they enjoy, or y’know put food on the table.


I actually think sending a thank you card could be seen as a litnus test of an employer. If they label you for being polite and nice, then they are obviously judgemental and not the right place to be working in. I sent a thank you email to an employer many years ago, and received a very positive response. I only didn't get that job because they had already picked someone on the inside and the interviews were a legal charade basically. I was however sent a formal letter telling me I would get the job if the internal person turned it down.


*I've lived and worked in other countries, and found interviews and job recruitment to be much less focused on finding 'flaws', and instead focused on seeing whether you are right for the job!

seamus

Galbin wrote: »

The negative attitude towards such things in this country sickens me*. Oh my God, the person studied interview techniques and tried to be polite.

I think you're reading it wrong. There's a difference between genuine politeness and contrived politeness.

Genuine politeness is always appreciated. Contrived politeness is seen as being worse than doing nothing because you're being polite in order to curry some favour. It's not politeness because you're just a nice person, it's politeness for exactly the opposite reason - because you're a selfish person who wants something in return.

That's why it lower you in the estimation of many people.

If you're a genuinely nice and polite person, that will come across during the interview, not in the token contrived gestures you make before and afterwards.

Galbin

seamus wrote: »

I think you're reading it wrong. There's a difference between genuine politeness and contrived politeness.

Genuine politeness is always appreciated. Contrived politeness is seen as being worse than doing nothing because you're being polite in order to curry some favour. It's not politeness because you're just a nice person, it's politeness for exactly the opposite reason - because you're a selfish person who wants something in return.

That's why it lower you in the estimation of many people.

If you're a genuinely nice and polite person, that will come across during the interview, not in the token contrived gestures you make before and afterwards.

I do not agree that a person's real personality comes across in an interview, unless it is a one on one situation where you can talk properly. Unfortunately, interviews nowadays tend to consist of at least three people interviewing one person. Many/most people do not respond well to such a situation and do not feel their real personality comes out at all. Hence all those interview training books, websites and companies. My mother worked at the top of her profession for several decades and did hundreds of interviews in that time period as a result. She said she concluded after 30 years that interviews were basically a waste of time, and that all they test is a person's interview skill. She said that usually the ones who were great at interviews very often turned out to be nowhere near as hard working or personable as those who stumbled through an interview and were only hired because the company needed to fill certain vacancies.


Also, things seem to be twisted in interviews. I went to an interview coaching session one time, and the interviewer asked me, “What would you do if you didn’t get the job”. And I said, “Well if I didn’t get it, then it obviously wasn’t meant to be”. In the real world, people see such an attitude as positive and a sign of resiliancy, but apparently such an answer could be conceived as defeatist in an interview. WTH? Seriously!!!


If I didn’t have a house, a lovely family and a husband I’d love to go back and work in the country I used to live in, where such negative attitudes are rare. It’s almost like they want to catch you out in interviews here, whereas in other countries they just wanna find out all about you and then use that to decide whether you are right for the job. They aren’t trying to trip you up.