Thank You E-mails After Interviews Forum

[carsondalywashere]

Alright, let's have this debate.

Do you send thank you e-mails after interviews? Why or why not?

[Anonymous User]

Yes, I have been told by multiple attorneys that it makes a difference in showing genuine interest/making you memorable. Usually keep it simple and always reference something from the interview and send day of.

[Anonymous User]

I think the answer is always yes, send a thank you UNLESS you're at EIW/OCI/etc. Not necessary and sometimes can be annoying because they interview 20-30 people.

[Anonymous User]

Attorney here. I think they can help if they aren't generic and I already liked you. One issue is that, at least at my firm, we submit our reviews the same day as the interview. However, it does make you more memorable and if I'm chatting with someone on the hiring committee it'd make me more likely to bring you up in conversation. Worth mentioning, not sending an email doesn't work against you, while sending a super generic or badly written one might.

Side note: if you do send one, I'd suggest fitting in something you liked about the firm that the person can mention in their review/at the hiring committee. No one will say "X likes brunch and I like brunch, please hire her" (but feel free to include something you bonded over in addition to the firm!) but they might remember that they get along well with you and say "X was thoughtful in her questions and demonstrated interest in our emerging companies practice..." That applies to your interview too-- it's good to focus on common interests but make sure you are giving them something substantive they can include in their review. At least for us, we have to fill in information for certain categories like leadership, professionalism, intellectual curiosity so if you can give me good stories to make it easy to fill in those boxes that will go a long way.

[Anonymous User]

So just to clear up, you won't get dinged by a firm for not sending a thank-you letter?

[Anonymous User]

I’ve always sent them when I’ve interviewed. Sometimes I’ve gotten a response and other times I didn’t. Now that I’m a few years out of law school and sit on interview panels (fed government), I can say that I like when a candidate sends me a thank you follow up. I would say it’s definitely never hurt them and sometimes it helps show interest.

[Anonymous User]

Attorney here. I think they can help if they aren't generic and I already liked you. One issue is that, at least at my firm, we submit our reviews the same day as the interview. However, it does make you more memorable and if I'm chatting with someone on the hiring committee it'd make me more likely to bring you up in conversation. Worth mentioning, not sending an email doesn't work against you, while sending a super generic or badly written one might.

Yep. I've usually already made a rough categorization for all candidates before the final candidate walks out the door. Often, I barely skim the thank yous because they're all so generic, and if you send them after the last interview for the position has occurred, I've likely already submitted my recommendation. The only time that I've held a thank you against somebody is when they were being really aggressive about wanting a second interview. That got them moved from the Maybe pile to the No pile.

[Anonymous User]

So just to clear up, you won't get dinged by a firm for not sending a thank-you letter?

It's most likely I've already submitted my review by the time I get your thank you. Personally, it would never go into my calculus that you didn't send one. I think I've received thank you emails from about 30% of people I've interviewed.

[Anonymous User]

I was under the impression that thank-you notes were largely frowned upon for NYC, but okay for everywhere else. Is that correct?

Also at my southern T1 the recruiters who came to campus said that thank you emails after screeners were expected, so that might also be a regional thing?

[Anonymous User]

I love this topic.

First, I think it's ridiculous that people are expected to send a thank you email. Thank you emails should be an add on, a nice to have, a supplement, not obligatory. One might say, "but you don't have to send one." This is a mistake. The reason I have to send a thank you email is because someone else will send one regardless. This creates an inescapable brutality cascade that increases the risk of negative outcomes for those who don't send one. Do you want to be the person who didn't send one? Also, I've heard enough attorneys express their opinion that thank you emails are mandatory to put this question to rest. If at least one attorney expects it, you should send one. Of course, it's important to not send a generic one. And definitely do not send an identical thank you email to individuals at the same organization (disaster).

My problem with the obligation to send a thank you email stem from two main points. The first is that if you interview me, either over the phone or in person, I am, without fail, going to thank you for taking the time to do so, in person. Thus, what is the point of a thank you email? To memorialize the gratitude? It's absurd. The second is that thank you emails are generally frivolous and inefficient. Unless there is a very good reason to send a thank you email, like if something interesting came up during conversation that WARRANTED follow up, don't send one. It disturbs people who usually are very busy and who, remember, you've already thanked.

However, having said all this, regardless of whether the recipient wants or expects a thank you email, it is just too risky not to send one.

[albanach]

My problem with the obligation to send a thank you email stem from two main points. The first is that if you interview me, either over the phone or in person, I am, without fail, going to thank you for taking the time to do so, in person. Thus, what is the point of a thank you email? To memorialize the gratitude? It's absurd.

You're looking at the email the wrong way. Instead, think of it as a LOCI. It's one more chance to impress under the guide of saying "thank you" (not to mention that, if you're interviewing at a firm, a bunch of lawyers gave up billable time to meet with you).

The thank you notes that work best are those that develop on something from in the meeting. Take notes when you interview or as soon as possible afterwards and use them to craft something useful when you say "thanks" later that day.

The second is that thank you emails are generally frivolous and inefficient. Unless there is a very good reason to send a thank you email, like if something interesting came up during conversation that WARRANTED follow up, don't send one. It disturbs people who usually are very busy and who, remember, you've already thanked.

However, having said all this, regardless of whether the recipient wants or expects a thank you email, it is just too risky not to send one.

Who are they inefficient for? It shouldn't take more than an hour of your time to craft thank-you messages to everyone you had meaningful interactions with, and takes well under a minute of my time to read them. That said, when I'm providing feedback on your interview for hiring purposes, your email might even save me some time by reminding me a little about yourself, or highlighting a point I had forgotten.

The interview takes away from usable time. Reading a thank you note takes seconds and is in no way a burden.

[Anonymous User]

Who are they inefficient for? It shouldn't take more than an hour of your time to craft thank-you messages to everyone you had meaningful interactions with, and takes well under a minute of my time to read them. That said, when I'm providing feedback on your interview for hiring purposes, your email might even save me some time by reminding me a little about yourself, or highlighting a point I had forgotten.

The interview takes away from usable time. Reading a thank you note takes seconds and is in no way a burden.

I'll admit to being mildly annoyed when I receive a thank you note. It's woefully transparent, and 99% of the time it's a bunch of hollow pleasantries intermixed with ego stroking.

However, I also get annoyed when one of my coworkers replies with an email that says "Thanks!" after a long email chain has already resolved itself. Take my opinion with a grain of salt.

[Anonymous User]

I have sent no thank you notes this cycle. I also do not have a job yet. Very small sample size. I am going to continue not sending thank you notes. I hope I do not continue not getting a job.

[Anonymous User]

I don't send them and have received plenty of offers

FWIW, when I'm on the other side of the table, interviewing candidates, it makes 0 difference whether or not you send me one. Don't read them when I receive them, don't notice if I don't. Plus we usually make decisions same day, so it wouldn't factor even if I did care. But tbh I really, really don't give a shit that you liked my firm, liked meeting with me, blah blah blah. I'm trying to figure out if you'll be a quality lawyer and none of that stuff helps me answer that question. (Unless your email had a typo, which would suggest you don't proofread things even when there's a job on the line.)

That said, there's some universe I guess in which someone *does* care?

[Anonymous User]

I love this topic.

First, I think it's ridiculous that people are expected to send a thank you email. Thank you emails should be an add on, a nice to have, a supplement, not obligatory. One might say, "but you don't have to send one." This is a mistake. The reason I have to send a thank you email is because someone else will send one regardless. This creates an inescapable brutality cascade that increases the risk of negative outcomes for those who don't send one. Do you want to be the person who didn't send one? Also, I've heard enough attorneys express their opinion that thank you emails are mandatory to put this question to rest. If at least one attorney expects it, you should send one. Of course, it's important to not send a generic one. And definitely do not send an identical thank you email to individuals at the same organization (disaster).

My problem with the obligation to send a thank you email stem from two main points. The first is that if you interview me, either over the phone or in person, I am, without fail, going to thank you for taking the time to do so, in person. Thus, what is the point of a thank you email? To memorialize the gratitude? It's absurd. The second is that thank you emails are generally frivolous and inefficient. Unless there is a very good reason to send a thank you email, like if something interesting came up during conversation that WARRANTED follow up, don't send one. It disturbs people who usually are very busy and who, remember, you've already thanked.

However, having said all this, regardless of whether the recipient wants or expects a thank you email, it is just too risky not to send one.

They're definitely not required. Vanishingly few attorneys outside maybe certain niche southern markets would ding someone for not sending a thank you note (and just because someone says they're mandatory doesn't mean that person would, in practice, ding an applicant for not doing it). Most of the people I've heard say they're mandatory are career services people or folks who don't actually make hiring decisions. The very small risk that someone might hold not sending one against you doesn't mean that you HAVE to do it, especially for generic big law interviews. FWIW: I did not send thank you notes to either of the firms that offered me, and I would never ding sending one for not sending a thank you note (while I can definitely see myself knocking someone for an awful thank you note).