Comment by slowerturnip
3 days ago
I hear this advice given quite a bit, but another perspective: I have never been pleased to receive a thank you email from a candidate. I do not want to receive something in my inbox that does not require me to act. It's a micro-annoyance, and if it's a bad day, I might have grumpy thoughts about the candidate being a brownnoser.
Show up to the interview clothed, be pleasant and polite, show off your game, and leave it at that.
Imagine being a recruiter, seeing someone genuinely interested in the position (or at least willing to put in the effort to make it seem that way), and getting annoyed rather than hyped. You in the wrong line of work, brother.
I presume the previous poster is one of many interviewers, not the recruiter.
As an interviewer myself, I get where they're coming from. My email is not shared with applicants, so finding it requires some stalking or at least digging me up on LinkedIn. By the time they reach out, I've already put in my notes, and any final decision is out of my hands. So while I'm not going to hold it against them, it's not a particularly useful move on the candidate's part either.
As an interviewer, you should be aware that there is a split on advice given on this topic. Half of the folks say to send an email, and half say not to. Several recruiters have told me that, all things being equal, a company will take the person who seems most interested in the job.
3 replies →
Not quite in job interviews, but when I'm selling to a client, I just ask in the interview if it is okay, if I connect with them on LinkedIn. Some say yes. Others say no.
Should work in a job interview setting as well.
It also has the benefit of giving me a signal. Usually if the interview went well, the interviewer will happily agree to be connected. If not, you'll see either a refusal or subtle body language indicating discomfort with the connection. And you can then form your own conclusions about the probability of getting an offer before the firm gets back to you (or often ghosts you.)
Use every signal your prospect gives you.
For your email perhaps it is hard to find. At many companies it is attached to the Teams/Zoom invitation
[dead]
Definitely agree, at a big company anyway there is nothing to be gained by sending these, or by any communication not directly related to the process. It doesn’t come across as genuine, it’s neutral to slightly annoying and has no impact on anything, it’s basically a chance at rubbing someone the wrong way with no upside.
> It doesn’t come across as genuine...
How can you determine if a thank you note is genuine or not if you don't read it in good faith?
One person might send a generic thank you that tells you nothing, and another might send a thoughtful message that in some specific way reiterates their interest and excitement in the job.
> ...and has no impact on anything...
Sure it does. I hired lots of people in my career and things like this helped me determine if the candidate was thoughtful, professional and interested. On multiple occasions, I hired people who didn't technically meet my ideal requirements but explained why they were interested in the role and gave me greater confidence that they were up for the challenge and worth taking a chance on.
Cynicism by default does not serve you well in any aspect of life.
I wouldn't want to work for or with someone who can't even stand a thank you note.
You know why a thank you works? It puts them back in your inbox. It shows professionalism and often genuine desire for the position.
You sound like someone who most would absolutely dread to work with.
At NCC Group I once heard someone with hiring authority complain that an applicant had looked good, but never sent a thank you note for their interview. "What kind of person would do that?"