• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Momentum Search Partners

Texas' Legal Recruiters
AustinHoustonDallas
  • About Us
    • Our Company
      • Austin Office
      • Houston Office
      • Dallas Office
    • Our Team
    • Our Code of Ethics
  • For Employers
    • Why Choose Momentum
    • Representative Placements
    • What Employers Say about Momentum
    • FAQ
    • Contact Us
  • For Job Seekers
    • Why Choose Momentum
    • Relocating Attorneys
    • What Job Seekers say about Momentum
    • FAQ
    • Submit your Resume
  • Contact Us
    • Austin Office
    • Houston Office
    • Dallas Office

Post-Interview Thank You Notes In The Information Age

October 23, 2013

Candidates frequently ask our Texas legal recruiters whether to send thank you notes after an interview. If so, how and when? The question has sometimes vexed us, given the vast changes the information age has brought to the workplace. Not all that long ago, law school graduates were taught to send out hard copies of their resumes on high quality “resume paper” and to always follow up with a note handwritten in black ink on Crane’s stationery.

"Thanks" written in script from a fountain pen

These days candidates are usually required to submit a resume by email or upload their resume to a specific online application site. Candidates who send a hard copy resume through snail mail risk being seen as antiquated and out of touch – begging the question: how does that affect the business etiquette practice of the follow up thank you?

We took an informal poll among our team of legal recruiters and clients and found some widely divergent opinions – and a spirited, entertaining discussion. So, we decided the issue deserved some prominent consideration.

To Send Or Not?

Most in-house and law firm hiring attorneys agree that receiving a thank you note from a candidate will not affect the ultimate decision to hire that person, but overwhelmingly, the majority prefer it and believe that the practice makes a good impression. A few employers recalled getting sincere, thoughtful notes that they remembered long after. Although one or two said they don’t pay attention to receiving thank you notes at all, one said she would decline a candidate who failed to send one.

Our Bottom Line: It doesn’t hurt and might help, so send a thank you!

A thank you note is not expected after second or third meetings with the same people, only after the first such interview. Anything more would likely be considered overkill.

If your substantive interview is by video conference, consider it the same as an “in-person” interview and follow the same guidelines.

A thank you note is not generally expected or required following an initial telephone interview, but it can be helpful to keep the process moving. It should be very brief – one or two sentences – simply thanking the interviewer for his or her time and stating that you look forward to next steps.

How to Send

Although a few responses indicate prospective employers like handwritten notes and appreciate the extra time and effort they take, the vast majority of those we polled indicated that a thank you note via email is generally preferred as a practical matter – Usually for promptness. Some in-house mailrooms may take an additional two or three days to route internal mail, and a hiring decision may already have been made.

When to Send

A thank you email should be sent the same day as the interview or the following day, while your meeting with the interviewer is still fresh in their mind and before a hiring decision is made.

What to Say

Each thank you note should be personalized and relate back in some way to the conversation you had with the interviewer: Something that was discussed, why you would be a good fit for the job, how you would make a unique contribution, and aspect of the job that is particularly appealing to you, or something along those lines.

Group Thank You Versus Individual Ones

If you met with multiple people, should you send a group note or message them all together or send individual thank yous? That depends: If the discussion was strictly as a group with the same people, it’s probably fine to address that same group with a single thank you acknowledgement. However, If you met multiple people individually and had more individual conversations send separate emails and change the message. One of our internal hiring authorities cited group emails thanking multiple people at one time as one of her pet peeves, so better to lean on the side of individual ones.

Categories: Career Goals, Interview Tips

Jane Pollard

About Jane Pollard

Principal

A founding member of Momentum Search Partners, Jane manages all aspects of its operations, many of its client relationships, and also works a recruiting desk. She has successfully completed attorney searches ranging from executive-level general counsels and chief compliance officers to AGCs and compliance analysts for both for public and private companies, and has also placed attorneys at law firms. Jane obtained her JD with honors from the University of Texas and, prior to recruiting, was a commercial litigator in private practice with a large law firm and a CPA. She lives in Austin with her husband, who is also a lawyer, and spends her free time cycling and playing racquet sports. For questions, comments, or suggestions related to our blog, you can contact us via our website or visit Jane on LinkedIn.

« Previous article
Next article »
Austin5608 Parkcrest Dr.,#200
Austin, Texas 78731
(512) 955-5171
Dallas / Fort Worth325 North St. Paul St., #3100
Dallas, Texas 75201
(214) 428-6213
Houston405 Main Street
Houston, Texas 77002
(832) 981-6002
National Association of Legal Search Consultants Logo
Texas Lawyer Texas' Best award logo
This firm has been verified by The Legal Recruiter Directory
  • News
  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility
Connect with Us on LinkedIn
© 2022 Momentum Search Partners
Website Designed by ePageCity