False! They all exist in a complex system of gravitational pull where all bodies, not just these two, have differing degrees of influence on each other dictated by distance and mass!
False, the barry center is currently outside the sun but will return to a point within the Sun's surface sometime in 2027 and will then exit again sometime in 2033.
They tell us to do it in Canada too. But seriously, if you hiring me depends on me sending a mail to kiss your ass, fuck off, I take back my application.
That being said, I've interviewed dozens, if not hundreds, of candidates, and have received thank-you notes from a handful of them. These notes are not part of the rubric used to evaluate them for the role. They also tend to come from weaker performers, so if anything, such a note is a red flag.
Exactly this! Additionally I cannot think of a single person I've interviewed who hasn't said thanks at the end of the actual interview. How big a lunatic must this guy be to be SO out of touch with reality on this one?
When I was growing up in the US in the '80s and '90s, our business classes did tell us it was proper send a thank-you letter a couple of days after an interview. This was, of course, in the days before email and workers' rights got even more abysmal in the US. Not sure if this one data point helps.
Downvoting you specifically for saying you’ll get downvotes for expressing a rational thought in response to a linkedinlunatic post. How dare you.
But also you’re right, bullshit tests should be called out as bullshit and employers should be shamed for pulling stupid shit like this. This is a business transaction where I’m selling you my time and skills for less than their worth so you can exploit that for a profit. You(the employer) should be fucking thanking me.
The more you beg for the job, the more it signals to a prospective employer that you need it and don't have alternatives. That means they can string you out much easier.
I was taught that the point of a thank you note is to get your name in front of them one more time. It's a form of advertising; they might have done 5 interviews that day, 5 the previous day, and have 5 more scheduled for tomorrow. You want them to remember you over the next person who has the same qualifications.
Also a final opportunity to emphasize anything that went well in the interview, or downplay/explain anything that didn’t.
Anyone who’s judgementally dismissing applicants for not sending a thank you is an asshole, but this does not change the fact that sending a thank you is a good idea if you actually want to get the job.
I've been looking for work lately and getting told the same thing by the employment offices around me (job search assistance).
It feels so bizarre and pushy to email back after an application/interview. I showed up and did my part, the balls in their court now, I'm just waiting for a response. To reach out again seems like I'm leaning over their shoulder and asking 'have you made a decision yet??? How about now, can I have a job now?'
They already know what I want, what I can offer, and how to reach me. What more do they need?
I usually get the thank you when they want to bring me to the next round of the hiring process. Maybe the thank you acts as a kind of signal that a party is interested in keeping the process moving? I’m sending a follow-up email if I’m eager to keep things moving (and it’s not simply “thank you for the interview;” I’m including a couple brief points reiterating why I think I’m a good fit). If I’m ambivalent or not interested I wouldn’t put the effort in.
This is how I've always understood them. If after you've had some time to digest how the interview went (and evaluate, based on the questions you (should have) asked during the interview, whether you think the position is a good fit for you) you still want the job, you send a quick email basically saying "Hey, thanks for meeting with me - it was nice to meet you / your team. Based on our interaction, it looks like this position would be a great fit for me / I'd be a great fit for it - here's some things I took away from it (which also serves to show I was attentive / not just going through the motions) - looking forward to hearing from you to continue the process!" To your point, it's not an ass-kissing email, the 'thank you' portion is just a polite formality to open the conversation.
It's not functioning as a thank you, it's honestly just an indication that you're willing to take an extra 5 minutes to do something when the stakes are high.
If you really want the job, how you treat that conversation might be similar to how you treat a client once you're hired. If you don't really want the job, or you really don't want to send a thank you, that's fine, but with 5 applicants to choose from, wouldn't they opt for the candidate who put in the best/most work?
I'm not saying it isn't annoying and transactional and a lot to ask, but as someone who's applied for hundreds of jobs, the reason to do it still feels clear.
It's also a simple signal that you are still interested in the job. You'd certainly never send one of you weren't. From the hirer's perspective, it makes their job easier by not calling someone and having them turn it down.
This assumes that a hiring manager would choose not to call a favored candidate just because they didn't get a thank you. That would be insane to me. None of my top performers sent me thank yous, and if I passed on them for that reason alone, I would deserve the dregs who would take their place.
it's been my position for a while now that job interviews evaluate, more than anything, how much the candidate is willing to humiliate themselves for the employer. that's more important to employers than actual skill
There's a completely transactional reason for post-interview "thank you" notes, whether you're applying to college or for a job. It's to remind the person, who's probably interviewing a lot of applicants, of your existence and your qualifications. A good one includes a reminder of any parts where you think you shone. And if there's something you thought of later, it's okay to add that.
If their ego makes them take your thanks as sincere sucking up, fine. But you really do it for yourself, and the "thank you" is pro forma.
Of course this assumes you still want the position after having sat the interview. If not, feel free to ghost.
I’ll probably get a lot of downvotes for this, but
I'm like 50/50 on this part being sarcasm, it doesn't read like that to me at all but it's also hard for me to picture expecting disagreement with a linkedin headcase to be an unpopular opinion anywhere outside of linkedin.
I neither engage in it as an applicant nor value it as a hiring manager. It would be difficult to assess if this has hampered my career, but I am doing fine.
I'm a hiring manager and the thank you notes I sometimes get after an interview have absolutely no sway on my opinions. Sure it's nice, but for me personally it doesn't matter at all. It's just part of the "show" and I try to not care about that.
However, I do encourage people that are applying for jobs and interviewing to send the thank you. It definitely doesn't hurt.
It's probably different for lawyers since they tend to work in firms and work as peers (partners) instead of just being regular employees. Even so, I would assume a "thank you" email would still not be expected, but perhaps a follow-up to ask about the status if there's no response after a couple days.
I trend to agree with you. The world is messed up, interviews aren't supposed to be fair to you, and you're probably competing with dozens of people.
No matter how good you are, and if you tick all the employers boxes (which may be unfair in itself and takes quite some luck to do), that's not enough. What is enough is that you're the best candidate among dozens of qualified people, according to the subjective criteria of this particular interviewer, and you have no clue what to do to get there. So random gestures may take you over the line, as well as they may not.
Your “Thank You” email should be used by you to put some of the points you hit on in the interview in writing to remind the company why they should hire you. Don’t think of it as gratitude. “Thanks for the opportunity to get to know the company. As I mentioned in the interview, I think I’d be a great fit because … blah blah blah.”
If it’s a business transaction to you, you have to market yourself if you want to be picked over someone else. Do I buy one of the robots that just showed up and told me their specs, or do I buy the one that has a little extra pizzazz for the same price?
It's not a shopping cart test. There's no social cost to not getting a thank you email, and the candidate likely already provided thanks verbally. It's redundancy, and as a hiring manager I do not care for it.
For shopping carts, I even take back those that are not mine if they are nearby.
There's no social cost if you abandon your shopping cart. That's why they use that as a test.
Hey. I get you don't like them. That's totally okay. I consider them pointless, personally. But it's more than my own preference or else it would be false consensus.
But it's like spelling: if you keep pluralizing 'mail' with an S, or using a comma for a period, no one who also doesn't know better is gonna notice. The time when you will need proper spelling or etiquette -- or smoke detectors or seatbelts, for that matter -- will be when you least expect it.
There is a social cost to abandoning your shopping cart; it's just not borne by the abandoner. Carts left in the parking lot can block parking spots or damage cars if moved by wind or gravity. Additionally, if no one returns their cart, there will be none available at the storefront for use by the next customer. That's part of the "test" as I understand it - there's no one grading you individually on whether you fulfill your communal responsibility to return the cart, but that doesn't mean there's no impact from your failure to do so.
Feels like we might be talking past each other or conceptualizing the shopping cart theory differently?
As a hiring manager, how many times have you picked a candidate, called them, and they've decided against being hired by you? That's you, having to go look for a shopping cart. Of course anyone who is going to write the note also said thanks in person. But if they write to remind you of the good points in their interview, maybe address some omission, you know they didn't thank you to your face but mock you in private.
If someone gets an offer that meets their needs better (pay, interest, whatever), I just go to the next viable candidate from my pool. That's hardly an imposition or a personal slight, and the potential for this to occur doesn't change any of my behavior when hiring (other than, perhaps, trying to make a quicker offer for highly-talented candidates so I don't lose them to a different opportunity).
Exactly. I’m so fucking tired of narcissistic people in power, whether in corporations and politics.
When I have clients like these, I’m supposed to keep a smiling face and handle their bullshit, because my bosses are hopeless people pleasers. Instead of you know, standing up to the bullies, drawing boundaries, and upholding values.
If the world keeps going into this direction, leaders putting egos and emotions ahead of rationality, humanity is doomed.
Also, no cover letters. If I'm looking through 50 applications ain't nobody got time for that shit. If you can't organize your credentials in a 2-3 page resume (and that is being generous) then that says enough about how you'll handle communication on the job for me to pass.
Shit, now I sound like a LiL.
To anyone reading this, don't take it as permission to skip cover letters. I know plenty of hiring managers who want their ass kissed and if you didn't take the time to put their name and title on the top of a special letter they're not interested in bossing you around. I mean hiring you.
I like a cover letter. Not to get my ass kissed, but so I can see you draw the lines between your work experience and the job posting. My field is niche enough that there are few applicants with directly related experience, but there are many ways to gain the basic skills required. I can make all sorts of inferences based on a resume, but I don't want to guess when choosing who to interview. Just tell me how you match up and what you think you'll bring to the table. This helps me separate people who are applying for any job they can vs those who know (at least kind of) what they're getting into.
If it asks for a cover letter, I'll write a real short and direct 3-4 sentence thingyto quickly summarize why I think I'm the right person for the job. It usually includes what got my interest about the posting, and what relevant qualifications I have or would be willing to get if I lack.
Suck my dick harder and better than the others, to see if you are fit for this dick-sucking position we have available. Communicate clearly that you have no self respect or any other healthy boundary that would prevent the power dynamic I enjoy to play from ever happening.
I really fucking hate corporate and their fucking culture. And this LinkedIn buffoons, pretending to be influencers just make me want to vomit.
I'm writing to thank you. Not for the interview. For making a stupid post on a job site that you treat as social media. You are clearly deranged. I know that I don't want to work for you or with you or anywhere near you. Thank you for making that clear to me. Suck a fuck.
Dear some_guy
I would like to set up a second interview for you to explain how does one "suck a fuck". This has piqued my interest and would like to discuss in person. Let me know your earliest available time.
I’ll kindly refer to the social standard of “meetings that could have been an email”, and suggest you do a web search via your provider of choice for santorum - wiktionary has a good page.
Real answer: I usually say thank you in person at the end of the interview. Like "Thank you for your time." Sending an email restating that would be wasting their time, no?
Nah, these people stir air for a living. They appreciate others who also know how to stir air. Sending a pointless time wasting email is the epitome of this discipline. If you want in, you need to show them you can do it too. If you want to be an actual productive member of society, you wont do it and find a position where you don't have to resort to such menial tasks.
I might be old school but I see nothing wrong with a little politeness, especially if it gets my foot in the door. But then again, I’m not going to continually kiss someone’s ass for what should be a mutually beneficial situation.
It's the idea that everything can go perfectly, but they have one specific secret test they don't tell you about that's also completely irrelevant to the position you're interviewing for.
FWIW I'm jerking my knee at this ritual and interviewed someone who's starting on Monday. I've been on both ends of this and find the rituals exhausting. If I had extra time for frivolous emails, then we wouldn't be hiring!
I have yet to see any place with a good hiring procedure, this nonsense included. People saying they work in HR should generally be looked at as if they just admitted to being in a cult, which is terrifying because it means cultists will be deciding whether you get to do the thing you do to keep from starving in the street.
People saying they work in HR should generally be looked at as if they just admitted to being in a cult
I mean, what else do you have to evaluate a resume and some thinly sourced references except chicken entrails and prayer? It's not exactly a hard science.
I recently wrapped up two lengthy interview processes (2 months for each).
Both companies were aware I was in multiple interview loops
One company was super transparent about the process, where I currently was in the process, all sorts of updates and notifications of delays etc. This loop took a long time since it was for a senior level position on a foundational team & product for the company.
The other company was playing it fast & loose. Lack of updates of where I am in the loop. Outside of the first meet & greet where I used a tool to find time on the interviewers schedule, I was chasing people to find out when the next interview step would be. After what I thought was the last "vibe check" interview with their CFO, I was told I'd hear from their HR shortly. It took 10 days and two check-in emails before I finally heard from HR and scheduled a meeting, which turned out to be more interviewing. I've yet to hear back from them, and I fully expect that they want me to chase them.
Needless to say, when the first company presented me with an offer that had everything in it I was asking for with a nice little cherry on top, I accepted the offer with very few questions or hesitation.
Treat me and my time with respect just as I will treat you and your time with respect. I have skills you need to deliver products & services and you have means of generating income from the combination of my skills and my peers to grant me an income. If you don't treat me & my time with respect, I'll go elsewhere, or even decide to become a competitor.
The interviewee is getting an opportunity. There's a clear imbalance of power, but it's not wholly exploitative.
That being said, I do remind my interviewees to not worry about my time during the interview, because I'm getting paid to be there, and it's more fun than a meeting.
I don’t think I’ve ever gotten the hiring manager’s email address on any of the interviews I’ve done throughout my career, as communication is usually with the HR recruiter for the entire hiring process.
I've hired (low) dozens of people in public sector environments, and neither myself nor anyone on my hiring panels has ever cared if we receive a post-interview thank you. Maybe private sector is different, but I'd just as soon not have you clog up my inbox with thanks or make a post-interview pitch about your skills/excitement.
If you say thanks in the room, we're square. Likewise, I always thank people for their interest and time in the role.
At least it’s something to let you know. I got down to a final 2 interview and haven’t heard anything from the company in a week even though I thought I had pretty good chances. I’d rather take a wishy washy answer over no answer at all.
I would think there are very, very few interviews where the interviewee doesn't verbally thank them both at the beginning and end of the interview. Needing more than that is just narcissism.
Whenever ai see these corporate office games I’m glad I have another reason I like my union job. None of this asskissing BS to move up. You apply for the position, if you meet/pass any qualifications and have the seniority, you get the spot. Yeah, the initial gig might need you to jump through HR’s hoops, but other than that it’s just qualifications and seniority. I suck at schmoozing and have a really hard time essentially lying to people about my motivations and feelings to jump through useless hoops to get a job, I despise sucking up to someone because they hold a position of authority.
(Yes, union jobs ABSOLUTELY have their own problems, but I’ve found the benefits of union work over time have far outweighed any benefits the corporate rat race could have.)
Someone having big ego and some kind of hierarchy is present in all systems. Such are humans
You just need to get it to work for you - narcissists are easily taken advantage of. Be crafty, do not give up to learned helplessness and this will turn into an opportunity. Such ppl are a walking vulnerability ripe for exploitation
Give them what they thirst for and stab them in the back later when your position is solid
You can hate someone but don’t let it make you miserable
The fuck? I interview people frequently. The thank-you email is nice, but definitely not required. I'd never write someone off because they didn't send me a thank-you email. Geez.
That's definitely not a common thing, unless you're fielding a new team or division. There is a limit though, yeah? So it could be a deciding factor even when hiring multiple positions from the same pool of candidates.
Every thank you letter I've sent wasn't a thank you letter at all. I call back to specific things the interviewer said during our interview, and make it one last opportunity to pitch myself as the best candidate.
My industry is desperate. I hire people that are barely qualified if at all just based on if they seem like they'd be able to learn. So I recognize I'm an outlier, but just saying such situations exist. I've been doing this about 15 years and I've never once had more qualified candidates than roles to fill.
No, because the time to make a case specific to the job is during the interview. Also, interviewees rarely have my email address. I wouldn't assume they all do.
Thank you emails on their own are kind of pointless, but it's a crucial tool for applicant to address anything that they realize might have been missed or to clarify something they thought was important.
It's a perfect opportunity to offer thanks and further your case for the position, but it should be relevant to the interview.
Why should I be sending a thank you email? You should be sending me one for showing up and staying if this is how you act. I am giving you my time during the interview that you are paid to be at.
I get it’s polite but you should be the one reaching out first.
it's to a peer (i.e. someone I might see in the future at a conference or another job)
I really did enjoy talking with them
they're on the hiring committee (as far as I can tell)
Then I'll send an email like: "hi, it was great talking with you, I hope things go well and we end up working together." Then if we do run across each other professionally in the future, we're more likely to remember each other.
This is actually psychotic. Do you know how many emails I get? I don't want some kiss ass in my fucking inbox. Sending me a thank you email actually shows that you don't respect my time.
Is this a cultural thing? I have never sent any thank you e-mail just to say thank you after an interview. Only if we agreed that I should send them some more information after an interview I'd start this mail by saying 'Thank you for the interview. As discussed, bla bla bla...'.
Why do all these shitheads want to be my mommy and daddy as well as my employer? I bet this moron is one of those alpha MAGA types who rails against the nanny state but loves being cuckolded and spanked in literally every other context. Fucking weirdos.
I'd also appreciate if employers would just inform you that you were not picked. So many just ghost you so you wait and wait and eventually just give up and look elsewhere.
Like, how hard is it to send a mail "You are not the chosen one".
I had one interviewer specially say she was committed to getting back to each candidate, no matter the outcome. I expressed genuine appreciation for that, saying that most places just ghost people.
Looking for work is awful, I get that there's a lot of things that an employer needs to know to make a decision but it's the most anxiety inducing stage of the process. Working is fine but looking for work is many times worse.
As an awkward fellow, having made hiring decisions twice in my life from a vast pool of three candidates each time, I hate sending rejection emails and it's legally dangerous to engage in any sort of explanation if they ask for one. Mostly I do it so they don't continue to follow up. At a larger company, I don't see a way to have the time to do it unless it's an automated system, in which case I'd advise not applying.
Thanks, Potential-Future-Boss-Man, for letting me know you're an actual piece of shit who has unclear expectations and plays games with their employees. Now I know to work quite literally anywhere else.
An interview is a business transaction being negotiated and requires equal participation from both parties. The only 'thank you' that should be exchanged for such things is a solid handshake and a polite "Good day" when the interview is over. Be respectful and sincere, but don't buy into the childish "I'm the boss and you must grovel at my feet for a penny" game that so many managers and corporate assholes love to play.
It’s all part of the test I guess. No need to get angry, it’s just part of the game and we are usually not the ones setting up the rules.
Not until you succeed at the game that is
Make sure to send thank you emails daily so they know how thankful you are. If you can't spam me email everyday singing my praises then how could i consider hiring you?
If I get a pointless thank you email, I'd be worried the person will spam my inbox with useless garbage if hired. Still better than not sending emails when they serve a purpose.
Thank you emails are good. The real question is, should you space it out. Like a day or two after the interview? Because sending one right after does zero IMO. You need to keep yourself on their minds and as we all do....we forget.
So keep yourself in their minds and give it a day or two after the interview
I got an in-the-mail thank you card from someone I interviewed once. We didn’t end up hiring them but it was a nice gesture. I know when I was first interviewing for jobs ~20 years ago it was common advice to send a followup / thank you.
Sorry, don't agree with this one. A simple "thank you" has been good job seeking advice for a long time. I've specifically gotten a job because I sent in a written thank you. Though that's more practical for local businesses rather than remote jobs that I seek these days.
It is good advice for a job seeker, mainly because so many hiring managers are lunatics.
It's gatekeeping. Like knowing the difference between a salad fork and a dinner fork, sending a thank you letter doesn't demonstrate that one cares about the job, it demonstrates that at some point you were coached to send thank you letters after an interview. It weeds out qualified candidates who didn't receive that coaching due to culture, class, etc.
To me, it demonstrates that you value wasting time.
Saying thank you when saying goodbye after the interview? Perfectly fine and proper, that's social lube. Sending an email to the candidate explaining why they didn't get the job? Good fucking mores. Sending a thank you email with no actual content? Why the fuck am I reading this?
I can understand not explaining why someone didn't get the job. If it's worded imperfectly, it could open the company up to a lawsuit. And the applicant can't believe that the company would answer honestly anyways.
Key thing about avoiding lawsuits is not lack of communication but not having illegal hiring practices. And it's not like everyone gets rejected for being a bad candidate, you might just have too many applicants and want to stay on good terms with them, maybe a position will open in the future.
And, regardless any of that, a simple but polite, standardised "We closed the position, you didn't make the cut, we wish you the best of luck" to tell people that they can stop waiting and consider the application failed, look somewhere else, is really never too much to ask. Even if they had to be escorted out by police. It's ghosting which really grinds my gears.
Then literally say it after the interview, why the fuck are you going to wait, go home, and then write an email saying thank you? Dumbest and most cringe shit I ever heard, yikes
Why would you get downvoted in a community called LinkedIn Lunatics where we are expressly making fun of the content of the post?
I'll probably get down voted for this opinion, but the earth is round and orbits the sun.
False! The Earth and Sun orbit the center of gravity between the two of them!
False! They all exist in a complex system of gravitational pull where all bodies, not just these two, have differing degrees of influence on each other dictated by distance and mass!
False! What you wrote is true, but it doesn't make the comment above false!
False! Bears beat Battlestar galactica
The barycenter of the earth-sun orbit is within the surface of the sun, therefore the earth is understood to orbit the sun.
The JUPITER-Sun orbit barycenter, however, is outside the surface of the sun.
I liek spec
False!
You forgot to prefix your comment with "False!".
Objection!
Uh. False objection!
False, the barry center is currently outside the sun but will return to a point within the Sun's surface sometime in 2027 and will then exit again sometime in 2033.
The center of solar system is not always between those two objects. Half the time they're both on the same side of the center
I'll probably get downvoted for this opinion, but people should return their shopping carts to the corral and not poop in the street.
100%. I’ve never heard of this practise - maybe it’s an American thing?
They tell us to do it in Canada too. But seriously, if you hiring me depends on me sending a mail to kiss your ass, fuck off, I take back my application.
No, it's not.
That being said, I've interviewed dozens, if not hundreds, of candidates, and have received thank-you notes from a handful of them. These notes are not part of the rubric used to evaluate them for the role. They also tend to come from weaker performers, so if anything, such a note is a red flag.
Exactly this! Additionally I cannot think of a single person I've interviewed who hasn't said thanks at the end of the actual interview. How big a lunatic must this guy be to be SO out of touch with reality on this one?
he runs his aspect of the business as a tiny fascist dictatorship. he wants yesmen, not actual applicants
When I was growing up in the US in the '80s and '90s, our business classes did tell us it was proper send a thank-you letter a couple of days after an interview. This was, of course, in the days before email and workers' rights got even more abysmal in the US. Not sure if this one data point helps.
It is.
Downvoting you specifically for saying you’ll get downvotes for expressing a rational thought in response to a linkedinlunatic post. How dare you.
But also you’re right, bullshit tests should be called out as bullshit and employers should be shamed for pulling stupid shit like this. This is a business transaction where I’m selling you my time and skills for less than their worth so you can exploit that for a profit. You(the employer) should be fucking thanking me.
I honestly use it as a passive aggressive "hey it's been a week and I haven't heard from you, am I still being considered." email.
It's perfect for that. Also, "did you lose my fucking email, you incompetent boob? Here it is again." but couched as politeness.
But they want you to beg.
The more you beg for the job, the more it signals to a prospective employer that you need it and don't have alternatives. That means they can string you out much easier.
Desperation facilitates exploitation.
I was taught that the point of a thank you note is to get your name in front of them one more time. It's a form of advertising; they might have done 5 interviews that day, 5 the previous day, and have 5 more scheduled for tomorrow. You want them to remember you over the next person who has the same qualifications.
Also a final opportunity to emphasize anything that went well in the interview, or downplay/explain anything that didn’t.
Anyone who’s judgementally dismissing applicants for not sending a thank you is an asshole, but this does not change the fact that sending a thank you is a good idea if you actually want to get the job.
I've been looking for work lately and getting told the same thing by the employment offices around me (job search assistance).
It feels so bizarre and pushy to email back after an application/interview. I showed up and did my part, the balls in their court now, I'm just waiting for a response. To reach out again seems like I'm leaning over their shoulder and asking 'have you made a decision yet??? How about now, can I have a job now?'
They already know what I want, what I can offer, and how to reach me. What more do they need?
Their ego stroked, apparently.
I usually get the thank you when they want to bring me to the next round of the hiring process. Maybe the thank you acts as a kind of signal that a party is interested in keeping the process moving? I’m sending a follow-up email if I’m eager to keep things moving (and it’s not simply “thank you for the interview;” I’m including a couple brief points reiterating why I think I’m a good fit). If I’m ambivalent or not interested I wouldn’t put the effort in.
This is how I've always understood them. If after you've had some time to digest how the interview went (and evaluate, based on the questions you (should have) asked during the interview, whether you think the position is a good fit for you) you still want the job, you send a quick email basically saying "Hey, thanks for meeting with me - it was nice to meet you / your team. Based on our interaction, it looks like this position would be a great fit for me / I'd be a great fit for it - here's some things I took away from it (which also serves to show I was attentive / not just going through the motions) - looking forward to hearing from you to continue the process!" To your point, it's not an ass-kissing email, the 'thank you' portion is just a polite formality to open the conversation.
It's not functioning as a thank you, it's honestly just an indication that you're willing to take an extra 5 minutes to do something when the stakes are high.
If you really want the job, how you treat that conversation might be similar to how you treat a client once you're hired. If you don't really want the job, or you really don't want to send a thank you, that's fine, but with 5 applicants to choose from, wouldn't they opt for the candidate who put in the best/most work?
I'm not saying it isn't annoying and transactional and a lot to ask, but as someone who's applied for hundreds of jobs, the reason to do it still feels clear.
It's a race to the bottom imo, and once everyone does it, its just a chore that wastes collective effort of society
It's also an attempt to psychologically trick them into remembering you over someone else who may have had a similarly good interview.
It's also a simple signal that you are still interested in the job. You'd certainly never send one of you weren't. From the hirer's perspective, it makes their job easier by not calling someone and having them turn it down.
This assumes that a hiring manager would choose not to call a favored candidate just because they didn't get a thank you. That would be insane to me. None of my top performers sent me thank yous, and if I passed on them for that reason alone, I would deserve the dregs who would take their place.
Most upvoted comment I've seen on Lemmy in a while
it's been my position for a while now that job interviews evaluate, more than anything, how much the candidate is willing to humiliate themselves for the employer. that's more important to employers than actual skill
Not even close to being wrong. No thank you is needed. Honestly I see no reason to thank them at the end of the interview.
And no down votes from normal people, this is absolutely an insane person posting this.
There's a completely transactional reason for post-interview "thank you" notes, whether you're applying to college or for a job. It's to remind the person, who's probably interviewing a lot of applicants, of your existence and your qualifications. A good one includes a reminder of any parts where you think you shone. And if there's something you thought of later, it's okay to add that.
If their ego makes them take your thanks as sincere sucking up, fine. But you really do it for yourself, and the "thank you" is pro forma.
Of course this assumes you still want the position after having sat the interview. If not, feel free to ghost.
I'm like 50/50 on this part being sarcasm, it doesn't read like that to me at all but it's also hard for me to picture expecting disagreement with a linkedin headcase to be an unpopular opinion anywhere outside of linkedin.
I neither engage in it as an applicant nor value it as a hiring manager. It would be difficult to assess if this has hampered my career, but I am doing fine.
I'm a hiring manager and the thank you notes I sometimes get after an interview have absolutely no sway on my opinions. Sure it's nice, but for me personally it doesn't matter at all. It's just part of the "show" and I try to not care about that.
However, I do encourage people that are applying for jobs and interviewing to send the thank you. It definitely doesn't hurt.
Because keeping the line of communication open is good. You're one of dozens of applicants, so you want them to focus on you.
It's probably different for lawyers since they tend to work in firms and work as peers (partners) instead of just being regular employees. Even so, I would assume a "thank you" email would still not be expected, but perhaps a follow-up to ask about the status if there's no response after a couple days.
I trend to agree with you. The world is messed up, interviews aren't supposed to be fair to you, and you're probably competing with dozens of people.
No matter how good you are, and if you tick all the employers boxes (which may be unfair in itself and takes quite some luck to do), that's not enough. What is enough is that you're the best candidate among dozens of qualified people, according to the subjective criteria of this particular interviewer, and you have no clue what to do to get there. So random gestures may take you over the line, as well as they may not.
Your “Thank You” email should be used by you to put some of the points you hit on in the interview in writing to remind the company why they should hire you. Don’t think of it as gratitude. “Thanks for the opportunity to get to know the company. As I mentioned in the interview, I think I’d be a great fit because … blah blah blah.”
If it’s a business transaction to you, you have to market yourself if you want to be picked over someone else. Do I buy one of the robots that just showed up and told me their specs, or do I buy the one that has a little extra pizzazz for the same price?
It's a shopping-cart test.
It's not a shopping cart test. There's no social cost to not getting a thank you email, and the candidate likely already provided thanks verbally. It's redundancy, and as a hiring manager I do not care for it.
For shopping carts, I even take back those that are not mine if they are nearby.
There's no social cost if you abandon your shopping cart. That's why they use that as a test.
Hey. I get you don't like them. That's totally okay. I consider them pointless, personally. But it's more than my own preference or else it would be false consensus.
But it's like spelling: if you keep pluralizing 'mail' with an S, or using a comma for a period, no one who also doesn't know better is gonna notice. The time when you will need proper spelling or etiquette -- or smoke detectors or seatbelts, for that matter -- will be when you least expect it.
There is a social cost to abandoning your shopping cart; it's just not borne by the abandoner. Carts left in the parking lot can block parking spots or damage cars if moved by wind or gravity. Additionally, if no one returns their cart, there will be none available at the storefront for use by the next customer. That's part of the "test" as I understand it - there's no one grading you individually on whether you fulfill your communal responsibility to return the cart, but that doesn't mean there's no impact from your failure to do so.
Feels like we might be talking past each other or conceptualizing the shopping cart theory differently?
As a hiring manager, how many times have you picked a candidate, called them, and they've decided against being hired by you? That's you, having to go look for a shopping cart. Of course anyone who is going to write the note also said thanks in person. But if they write to remind you of the good points in their interview, maybe address some omission, you know they didn't thank you to your face but mock you in private.
This comment belongs in its own post
If someone gets an offer that meets their needs better (pay, interest, whatever), I just go to the next viable candidate from my pool. That's hardly an imposition or a personal slight, and the potential for this to occur doesn't change any of my behavior when hiring (other than, perhaps, trying to make a quicker offer for highly-talented candidates so I don't lose them to a different opportunity).
Fuck bullshit tests
As a hiring manager, I can confidently say, please do not send me any more email - even if it is to thank me.
Seriously, who wants yet another email to have to skim and delete, besides narcissistic interviewers I guess
Most lawyers I have met are pompous jackasses. I've met exactly one who was the kindest, most humble person, especially to his staff.
Maybe it's like an excuse to waste some time if you're done with your work but can't leave yet? That's my only guess
Exactly. I’m so fucking tired of narcissistic people in power, whether in corporations and politics.
When I have clients like these, I’m supposed to keep a smiling face and handle their bullshit, because my bosses are hopeless people pleasers. Instead of you know, standing up to the bullies, drawing boundaries, and upholding values.
If the world keeps going into this direction, leaders putting egos and emotions ahead of rationality, humanity is doomed.
thank you for your input, i found it valuable
Also, no cover letters. If I'm looking through 50 applications ain't nobody got time for that shit. If you can't organize your credentials in a 2-3 page resume (and that is being generous) then that says enough about how you'll handle communication on the job for me to pass.
Shit, now I sound like a LiL.
To anyone reading this, don't take it as permission to skip cover letters. I know plenty of hiring managers who want their ass kissed and if you didn't take the time to put their name and title on the top of a special letter they're not interested in bossing you around. I mean hiring you.
I like a cover letter. Not to get my ass kissed, but so I can see you draw the lines between your work experience and the job posting. My field is niche enough that there are few applicants with directly related experience, but there are many ways to gain the basic skills required. I can make all sorts of inferences based on a resume, but I don't want to guess when choosing who to interview. Just tell me how you match up and what you think you'll bring to the table. This helps me separate people who are applying for any job they can vs those who know (at least kind of) what they're getting into.
💯. A cover letter is ok just to orient the recipient about the job you are applying for, but not needed (or wanted) from my perspective.
If it asks for a cover letter, I'll write a real short and direct 3-4 sentence thingyto quickly summarize why I think I'm the right person for the job. It usually includes what got my interest about the posting, and what relevant qualifications I have or would be willing to get if I lack.
"Lick my boots or I will not consider you for a job."
Reeks of insecurity.
Yep, that a big red flag right there...
Suck my dick harder and better than the others, to see if you are fit for this dick-sucking position we have available. Communicate clearly that you have no self respect or any other healthy boundary that would prevent the power dynamic I enjoy to play from ever happening.
I really fucking hate corporate and their fucking culture. And this LinkedIn buffoons, pretending to be influencers just make me want to vomit.
Dear Assface,
I'm writing to thank you. Not for the interview. For making a stupid post on a job site that you treat as social media. You are clearly deranged. I know that I don't want to work for you or with you or anywhere near you. Thank you for making that clear to me. Suck a fuck.
Best, some_guy
Dear some_guy I would like to set up a second interview for you to explain how does one "suck a fuck". This has piqued my interest and would like to discuss in person. Let me know your earliest available time.
Dear Assface,
I’ll kindly refer to the social standard of “meetings that could have been an email”, and suggest you do a web search via your provider of choice for santorum - wiktionary has a good page.
Thank you, some_guy
Ironic that he’s a divorce lawyer, because his behaviour is exactly the sort of insane mind games that leads to failed relationships.
Real answer: I usually say thank you in person at the end of the interview. Like "Thank you for your time." Sending an email restating that would be wasting their time, no?
Nah, these people stir air for a living. They appreciate others who also know how to stir air. Sending a pointless time wasting email is the epitome of this discipline. If you want in, you need to show them you can do it too. If you want to be an actual productive member of society, you wont do it and find a position where you don't have to resort to such menial tasks.
You can always respond like.
“Hello,
As we discussed earlier today, you will be giving me an employee contract for $XXX,XXX
Best regards. “
Then CC as many people as possible.
..
That’s how these people work, right?
as someone who hires people, yes, it would
I guess you just got to know your audience
I won't mark you down for it but I won't even bother responding and it won't influence my decision either way
I've never grovelled for a job, and I'm not starting now.
What I «like» most about that situation was that he started the meeting with saying thank you
I might be old school but I see nothing wrong with a little politeness, especially if it gets my foot in the door. But then again, I’m not going to continually kiss someone’s ass for what should be a mutually beneficial situation.
It's the idea that everything can go perfectly, but they have one specific secret test they don't tell you about that's also completely irrelevant to the position you're interviewing for.
FWIW I'm jerking my knee at this ritual and interviewed someone who's starting on Monday. I've been on both ends of this and find the rituals exhausting. If I had extra time for frivolous emails, then we wouldn't be hiring!
Thank you email? Do employers make house visits or take you out for dinner when interviewing in the US?
It is as far as I know that is the case.
It is cultural dependent. In South Korea and Japan, you are expected to go for drinks with your boss.
Typically you aren’t going out with a company for a primary interview unless they really wanted you
It's been largely phased out in Korea as well.
I have yet to see any place with a good hiring procedure, this nonsense included. People saying they work in HR should generally be looked at as if they just admitted to being in a cult, which is terrifying because it means cultists will be deciding whether you get to do the thing you do to keep from starving in the street.
I mean, what else do you have to evaluate a resume and some thinly sourced references except chicken entrails and prayer? It's not exactly a hard science.
I've never heard it described like this but you nailed it.
To be honest, you're not entirely wrong. It's so risky to ever be "mask off" in corporate settings.
I recently wrapped up two lengthy interview processes (2 months for each).
Both companies were aware I was in multiple interview loops
One company was super transparent about the process, where I currently was in the process, all sorts of updates and notifications of delays etc. This loop took a long time since it was for a senior level position on a foundational team & product for the company.
The other company was playing it fast & loose. Lack of updates of where I am in the loop. Outside of the first meet & greet where I used a tool to find time on the interviewers schedule, I was chasing people to find out when the next interview step would be. After what I thought was the last "vibe check" interview with their CFO, I was told I'd hear from their HR shortly. It took 10 days and two check-in emails before I finally heard from HR and scheduled a meeting, which turned out to be more interviewing. I've yet to hear back from them, and I fully expect that they want me to chase them.
Needless to say, when the first company presented me with an offer that had everything in it I was asking for with a nice little cherry on top, I accepted the offer with very few questions or hesitation.
Treat me and my time with respect just as I will treat you and your time with respect. I have skills you need to deliver products & services and you have means of generating income from the combination of my skills and my peers to grant me an income. If you don't treat me & my time with respect, I'll go elsewhere, or even decide to become a competitor.
While this person definitely sounds like a giant douche, it is in fact best practice to send a thank you email after an interview.
Yeah, it's unfortunately good advice. Hearing it from a hiring manager in a "dance my puppet" way makes me want to vomit though.
LOL fuck that. We each shared our precious time. I will thank you for yours at the end of each session.
Actually, this did remind me of the time that a recruiter gave me a thank-you gift at the end of an interview. He was very respectful of my time.
The interviewee is getting an opportunity. There's a clear imbalance of power, but it's not wholly exploitative.
That being said, I do remind my interviewees to not worry about my time during the interview, because I'm getting paid to be there, and it's more fun than a meeting.
Yes, thank your masters for considering you for further exploitation
This is normal
This is good
🙄
Grovel at their feet from the beginning to show they can walk all over you in the future.
It's so weird tbh. It's a mutual need, they want people I want a job — why don't I ever get an email thanking me for my time?
To increase your chances send an additional email offering to wash your interviewer car for free. /s
Just no.
Say 'thank you for your time' when leaving the interview.
This. It's time consuming and it sucks, but it makes you stand out. Job hunting is truly half skills, half theatrics after all
Lol half? I'd say about a 20-80 split.
I don’t think I’ve ever gotten the hiring manager’s email address on any of the interviews I’ve done throughout my career, as communication is usually with the HR recruiter for the entire hiring process.
I've hired (low) dozens of people in public sector environments, and neither myself nor anyone on my hiring panels has ever cared if we receive a post-interview thank you. Maybe private sector is different, but I'd just as soon not have you clog up my inbox with thanks or make a post-interview pitch about your skills/excitement.
If you say thanks in the room, we're square. Likewise, I always thank people for their interest and time in the role.
Not in software development. Maybe in other career paths though.
if a thank you email is the difference between being hired and not, you are a cog
keep your resume up to date
On the other side...
I'm so dead sick of those "thank you for applying, you are so awesome and amazing! But we went with another guy" emails
I'd rather have that email than being ghosted by the company you applied at. Which happens more often than not.
Yeah, that's what happens after a few hundred ai stirred rejection letters
I hope.youre including yourself.
At least it’s something to let you know. I got down to a final 2 interview and haven’t heard anything from the company in a week even though I thought I had pretty good chances. I’d rather take a wishy washy answer over no answer at all.
What do you want to read if you were really good, but the other candidate was a touch better? Do you really want to receive a "fuck you" letter?
I would think there are very, very few interviews where the interviewee doesn't verbally thank them both at the beginning and end of the interview. Needing more than that is just narcissism.
Whenever ai see these corporate office games I’m glad I have another reason I like my union job. None of this asskissing BS to move up. You apply for the position, if you meet/pass any qualifications and have the seniority, you get the spot. Yeah, the initial gig might need you to jump through HR’s hoops, but other than that it’s just qualifications and seniority. I suck at schmoozing and have a really hard time essentially lying to people about my motivations and feelings to jump through useless hoops to get a job, I despise sucking up to someone because they hold a position of authority.
(Yes, union jobs ABSOLUTELY have their own problems, but I’ve found the benefits of union work over time have far outweighed any benefits the corporate rat race could have.)
I dig it. Actual merit based. Not what these turd-nuggets are saying is "merit" in the white house.
Capitalism is a sickness.
Someone having big ego and some kind of hierarchy is present in all systems. Such are humans
You just need to get it to work for you - narcissists are easily taken advantage of. Be crafty, do not give up to learned helplessness and this will turn into an opportunity. Such ppl are a walking vulnerability ripe for exploitation
Give them what they thirst for and stab them in the back later when your position is solid
You can hate someone but don’t let it make you miserable
The fuck? I interview people frequently. The thank-you email is nice, but definitely not required. I'd never write someone off because they didn't send me a thank-you email. Geez.
If you had two very close candidates, and one sent you a followup email making their case specific to the job, that wouldn't sway you?
Depends. Are you hiring people to send thank you emails?
Industry dependent I know but every time I've had two good candidates I've just gone ahead and hired both
That's definitely not a common thing, unless you're fielding a new team or division. There is a limit though, yeah? So it could be a deciding factor even when hiring multiple positions from the same pool of candidates.
Every thank you letter I've sent wasn't a thank you letter at all. I call back to specific things the interviewer said during our interview, and make it one last opportunity to pitch myself as the best candidate.
My industry is desperate. I hire people that are barely qualified if at all just based on if they seem like they'd be able to learn. So I recognize I'm an outlier, but just saying such situations exist. I've been doing this about 15 years and I've never once had more qualified candidates than roles to fill.
No, because the time to make a case specific to the job is during the interview. Also, interviewees rarely have my email address. I wouldn't assume they all do.
Thank you emails on their own are kind of pointless, but it's a crucial tool for applicant to address anything that they realize might have been missed or to clarify something they thought was important.
It's a perfect opportunity to offer thanks and further your case for the position, but it should be relevant to the interview.
Feed him to the orphan crushing machine
It's the orphans turn to crush
shut the fuck up marco
so its the mind games, or "shit tests" employers like to use to see if thier egos get stroked.
For i must be rewarded for even CONSIDERING hiring you
And YOU must show me the proper amount of gratitude for doing so
My hatred for this person is a thousand burning suns.
I swear linked in is their spawn point
Self-important losers.
Why should I be sending a thank you email? You should be sending me one for showing up and staying if this is how you act. I am giving you my time during the interview that you are paid to be at.
I get it’s polite but you should be the one reaching out first.
I'll send an email if:
Then I'll send an email like: "hi, it was great talking with you, I hope things go well and we end up working together." Then if we do run across each other professionally in the future, we're more likely to remember each other.
Sorry, was trying to make a joke but failed. Wasn't trying to be an ass.
In other words you will email if you have motivation that isn't just meeting weird arbitrary expectations. Interesting!
This is actually psychotic. Do you know how many emails I get? I don't want some kiss ass in my fucking inbox. Sending me a thank you email actually shows that you don't respect my time.
Is this a cultural thing? I have never sent any thank you e-mail just to say thank you after an interview. Only if we agreed that I should send them some more information after an interview I'd start this mail by saying 'Thank you for the interview. As discussed, bla bla bla...'.
I've never sent a thank you email for an interview. It seems weird to me.
— successful engineer, Los Angeles
I was taught they were essential and just a part of the process, PNW USA.
Why do all these shitheads want to be my mommy and daddy as well as my employer? I bet this moron is one of those alpha MAGA types who rails against the nanny state but loves being cuckolded and spanked in literally every other context. Fucking weirdos.
as a switch, there is nothing at all wrong with enjoying spanking or being spanked.
Yeah, I really hate it when people use kinks as an insult like that. I don't care if MAGA people like kinks. I care that they're MAGA.
Just read some of his other posts. Every one is the same, what a horrible person.
I'd also appreciate if employers would just inform you that you were not picked. So many just ghost you so you wait and wait and eventually just give up and look elsewhere.
Like, how hard is it to send a mail "You are not the chosen one".
Oh please. I'd love to reply to that with a gif
I had one interviewer specially say she was committed to getting back to each candidate, no matter the outcome. I expressed genuine appreciation for that, saying that most places just ghost people.
She ghosted me.
Looking for work is awful, I get that there's a lot of things that an employer needs to know to make a decision but it's the most anxiety inducing stage of the process. Working is fine but looking for work is many times worse.
Still, don't leave me in a fuckin uncertainty. It sucks to get rejected, but at least you know you can cross that one off your wishlist then.
As an awkward fellow, having made hiring decisions twice in my life from a vast pool of three candidates each time, I hate sending rejection emails and it's legally dangerous to engage in any sort of explanation if they ask for one. Mostly I do it so they don't continue to follow up. At a larger company, I don't see a way to have the time to do it unless it's an automated system, in which case I'd advise not applying.
A divorce attorney posting this. I get the feeling most of his clients are scumbags trying to get out of their responsibilities.
Thank you for this post. I'm wearing a suit btw.
Thanks, Potential-Future-Boss-Man, for letting me know you're an actual piece of shit who has unclear expectations and plays games with their employees. Now I know to work quite literally anywhere else.
An interview is a business transaction being negotiated and requires equal participation from both parties. The only 'thank you' that should be exchanged for such things is a solid handshake and a polite "Good day" when the interview is over. Be respectful and sincere, but don't buy into the childish "I'm the boss and you must grovel at my feet for a penny" game that so many managers and corporate assholes love to play.
Oh my god fuck these people
Wait! How can i get the privilege to work with this smug loser?!!
It’s all part of the test I guess. No need to get angry, it’s just part of the game and we are usually not the ones setting up the rules.
Not until you succeed at the game that is
Those that send a thankyou email fail the test and have to work for that guy.
"You disgrace
the oval officeour office"Make sure to send thank you emails daily so they know how thankful you are. If you can't spam me email everyday singing my praises then how could i consider hiring you?
I also got a hint: pass the bar exam.
There's is nothing worse in job hunting than dealing with companies with this mentality/culture.
Degrade yourself while we give you the runaround or you don't get the job! Fuck you. Hell is not enough, I cast the Locust Plague upon ye 🦗🦗🦗
If I get a pointless thank you email, I'd be worried the person will spam my inbox with useless garbage if hired. Still better than not sending emails when they serve a purpose.
Thank you emails are good. The real question is, should you space it out. Like a day or two after the interview? Because sending one right after does zero IMO. You need to keep yourself on their minds and as we all do....we forget.
So keep yourself in their minds and give it a day or two after the interview
Within 72 hours is considered appropriate.
Ya pass
Thank you for giving me an opportunity for an opportunity
I got an in-the-mail thank you card from someone I interviewed once. We didn’t end up hiring them but it was a nice gesture. I know when I was first interviewing for jobs ~20 years ago it was common advice to send a followup / thank you.
I don't want a follow-up email. Either you were selected for a second round, or you were not.
Pestering me about it isn't going to help.
Sorry, don't agree with this one. A simple "thank you" has been good job seeking advice for a long time. I've specifically gotten a job because I sent in a written thank you. Though that's more practical for local businesses rather than remote jobs that I seek these days.
It is good advice for a job seeker, mainly because so many hiring managers are lunatics.
It's gatekeeping. Like knowing the difference between a salad fork and a dinner fork, sending a thank you letter doesn't demonstrate that one cares about the job, it demonstrates that at some point you were coached to send thank you letters after an interview. It weeds out qualified candidates who didn't receive that coaching due to culture, class, etc.
To me, it demonstrates that you value wasting time.
Saying thank you when saying goodbye after the interview? Perfectly fine and proper, that's social lube. Sending an email to the candidate explaining why they didn't get the job? Good fucking mores. Sending a thank you email with no actual content? Why the fuck am I reading this?
I can understand not explaining why someone didn't get the job. If it's worded imperfectly, it could open the company up to a lawsuit. And the applicant can't believe that the company would answer honestly anyways.
Key thing about avoiding lawsuits is not lack of communication but not having illegal hiring practices. And it's not like everyone gets rejected for being a bad candidate, you might just have too many applicants and want to stay on good terms with them, maybe a position will open in the future.
And, regardless any of that, a simple but polite, standardised "We closed the position, you didn't make the cut, we wish you the best of luck" to tell people that they can stop waiting and consider the application failed, look somewhere else, is really never too much to ask. Even if they had to be escorted out by police. It's ghosting which really grinds my gears.
Then literally say it after the interview, why the fuck are you going to wait, go home, and then write an email saying thank you? Dumbest and most cringe shit I ever heard, yikes
These are the same people who expected handwritten letters a generation ago.