Post job interview etiquette (1 Viewer)

I have a job interview tomorrow and am starting to realize I don’t honestly know how this process works anymore.  I’ve been working at my current job at a law firm for 18 years, essentially my entire adult life.  

From what I remember, it is customary to send a thank you card to the person you interviewed with.  Is that still the case or do thank you emails suffice?  Should it be simple and sweet, or should I attempt to expand on my desire to work at this company a little more without being overtly “gimme the job!”?

Should I get the job, how should I handle giving my notice to current employer?  It’s not some nasty breakup, just a need to grow personally/professionally that can’t be had where I am, have hit the ceiling here.  Do I bother with a written notice and do the announcement in person?  Both written and personal announcement?

Any other friendly tips from those who’ve done this recently?

Thank you Email to everyone in the interview (so make sure to get business cards)

I usually go with 2-3 short paragraphs 

thank you for the opportunity blah blah blah.  Reminder of my skills and reasons I’d be a good fit.  Close it out with saying you’re interested in the next steps and would be happy to answer any follow up questions in a follow up interview 

I’d type up a formal resignation letter and bring a copy with you to you supervisor or HR

Relax and be yourself during the interview - unless you're a d-bag - in which case be as fake as possible.

Shot you a PM of a sample letter I have used over the years

I had someone send me a handwritten thank you note on a professional stationary note card.  It was nice and showed effort.  I don't really care about a thank you email, but it isn't going to make a difference either way.   Whatever you do, proofread the hell out of what you send because if you make a grammar or spelling error I'm going to write you off...this is showing how you communicate professionally.  

Depending on the law firm, the response can vary a great deal.   I very politely resigned my last position, offered to help transition cases, and was instead escorted out the door at lunchtime.   Some firms are very bitter when they've invested time in someone and they leave for greener pastures.  Others are more reasonable and supportive.   If you need your email contacts, stuff off of your computer, or anything else that you can legitimately claim a right to, get it now.  I had to report my last firm for ethical violations because they refused to transfer my own emails relating to my own clients, claiming they were the property of the firm because they were on their server. 

-fish- said:

I had someone send me a handwritten thank you note on a professional stationary note card.  It was nice and showed effort.  I don't really care about a thank you email, but it isn't going to make a difference either way.   Whatever you do, proofread the hell out of what you send because if you make a grammar or spelling error I'm going to write you off...this is showing how you communicate professionally.  

Depending on the law firm, the response can vary a great deal.   I very politely resigned my last position, offered to help transition cases, and was instead escorted out the door at lunchtime.   Some firms are very bitter when they've invested time in someone and they leave for greener pastures.  Others are more reasonable and supportive.   If you need your email contacts, stuff off of your computer, or anything else that you can legitimately claim a right to, get it now.  I had to report my last firm for ethical violations because they refused to transfer my own emails relating to my own clients, claiming they were the property of the firm because they were on their server. 

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I am about 95/5 certain they wouldn’t pull a “don’t let the door hit you on the way out” response to my resignation, though they have pulled it with many other former employees.  We actually just had 4 partners up and leave to create their own firm within the last couple weeks and I am a tad concerned they might knee-jerk reaction assume me following them (the managing partner and founder of firm is taking this event a little too personally).  That said, having been with them nearly 2 decades and a member of upper management’s support team the whole time, I think shenanigans won’t surface.  I’d be switching to a completely unrelated field should things work out, so any contacts I’d want/need are already had through various social media platforms.

Tool said:

Relax and be yourself during the interview - unless you're a d-bag - in which case be as fake as possible.

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I am quite sarcastic, but good enough situational awareness to save that charming characteristic for later

I never bothered with the thank you note as the interviewee as I feel like a verbal thank you at the end of the interview should suffice . I don't think it's ever hurt me, but I guess I wouldn't know that either.

I've always deleted/threw them away immediately as the interviewer because I would send my recommendation to the ultimate decision maker almost immediately after the interview so a thank you was too late. 

If/when you do leave, I provide a two or three sentence resignation letter saying thanks and maybe why/where I'm going (eg to have a shorter commute or going into a completely different field). 

That one guy said:

I am quite sarcastic, but good enough situational awareness to save that charming characteristic for later

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He was saying don't be That one guy.

That one guy said:

I have a job interview tomorrow and am starting to realize I don’t honestly know how this process works anymore.  I’ve been working at my current job at a law firm for 18 years, essentially my entire adult life.  

From what I remember, it is customary to send a thank you card to the person you interviewed with.  Is that still the case or do thank you emails suffice?  Should it be simple and sweet, or should I attempt to expand on my desire to work at this company a little more without being overtly “gimme the job!”?

Should I get the job, how should I handle giving my notice to current employer?  It’s not some nasty breakup, just a need to grow personally/professionally that can’t be had where I am, have hit the ceiling here.  Do I bother with a written notice and do the announcement in person?  Both written and personal announcement?

Any other friendly tips from those who’ve done this recently?

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hah, i had pretty much the same exact thing about 2 weeks ago.

1.  thank you emails are usually fine. people are so busy working that is better than a hand written letter i think. i have to think most people interviewing have a good idea after an interview if the person is a potential hire or not. thank you email adds a little, but i don't think it makes or breaks you. 

2. i gave my employer about a month. that is customary (from what i have been told) in higher level positions. i gave a personal announcement today to higher up, and all direct reports. did a formal written one this evening because they couldn't post the position until i sent it in writing. 

3. other tip, i think interviews that end up being the most succesful have interviewees who ask a bunch of good questions. shows you know the job, shows you are serious about joining, shows you did research in that company, etc. i have interviewed a lot of people for positions, and i know this has always stuck out for me when people come in and interview. 

modogg said:

3. other tip, i think interviews that end up being the most succesful have interviewees who ask a bunch of good questions. shows you know the job, shows you are serious about joining, shows you did research in that company, etc. i have interviewed a lot of people for positions, and i know this has always stuck out for me when people come in and interview. 

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This is probably related, but I've always felt like my best interviews are the ones where the interviewer does most of the talking. Hopefully that's because I asked good questions. I also think people like to talk about themselves/ what they do, so if you get the interviewer  talking, they think it went well. 

I've gotten everything from follow up text, emails and even an overnight FedEx once with a written thank you letter and another copy of the resume (still didn't hire).

I know within the first 10 minutes of an interview if the person is a good fit or not.  No amount of follow up will change that for me. 

I think you have to read the room a little bit.

Who is the decision maker? Are they more old school (hand written note perhaps) or new school (email)? Is there an additional follow up interview scheduled? A lot of factors.

I would say that it likely won't make a huge difference either way. At upper level positions ou are likely THE guy, or you're not. Matters more at lower levels.

Thank you notes or e-mails are not a deal breaker.  If they like you and what you bring they will hire you.  If they did not like what you offer notes with a box of Godiva chocolates won`t get you the job.    Good Luck,

Wait until they actually hire you before you start hitting on their wife.

Thank you note with glitter is the shark move. 

send them here for a recommendation 

Thank you emails are fine, no letter needed and I feel like they're definitely appreciated.

I always make sure to personalize it with a short comment about something I spoke specifically to the individual about.

good points made here already:

- email is fine for a "thank you"...and like @Deepster suggested keep it short and tight with a reference to something you discussed in the interview

- written letter of resignation is pretty standard, and timelines (e.g. "two weeks") likely vary by industry. guessing for law-frim-type positions a month is standard. 

- @modogg got it right when interviewing:  make sure you have good questions prepared and perform your due diligence on the company.

couple of other things - handwritten "thank you" notes are great, but the downside is having them returned-to-sender by USPS for any number of reasons (this happened to me in December after interviewing for a job i was really interested in). by the time i got the card back in the mail, it had been 10 business days since the meeting. also: as the interview is concluding, i've been asking the interviewer(s) if there was anything i had said that they wanted clarification on or may have come out wonky so there was no uncertainty about my answers. i think this shows a level of awareness/room-presence and gives whomever is interviewing a chance to take a moment and ask another question if necessary. and obviously, be sure to ask where they are in the hiring process (beginning , middle, end) and what the "next steps" are and expectations moving forward.

It’s just kinda rude not to send a thank you email. Doesn’t really matter a whole lot what it says. Will it impact the hiring decision? Rather unlikely but might as well send it.

Update:

Interview was one of the most awkward experiences as it was done via video conference app.  In addition to would-be boss conducting interview another senior member of the team joined in.  Having to do this on my cell phone made it look like intro to Brady Bunch show with 4 squares (one being blank).  On top of that network connection was horrible and there were numerous delays and freezes.  I did not have a positive opinion of it all once concluded; while interactions were pleasant and lasted over an hour, didn’t feel like we connected too well or got into any rhythm.

Pessimism has its benefits, though, as the eventual job offer wasn’t expected and therefore a bit more exciting.  I did send a thank you email to the recruiter with request to pass on to my interviewers as I was never provided any direct contact info to those people.  2 week notice will be given Monday (managing partner is finishing trial and starting closing arguments today and I’m not dropping this on him during that). 

So yay!  After nearly 18 years in one job, new career path begins in March.

Arizona Ron said:

I've gotten everything from follow up text, emails and even an overnight FedEx once with a written thank you letter and another copy of the resume (still didn't hire).

I know within the first 10 minutes of an interview if the person is a good fit or not.  No amount of follow up will change that for me. 

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This is accurate.  I hire or oversee my direct reports hiring multiple people each year.  Usually early on you know if the person can do the job or not.  For me the key is to be likable and confident, but not cocky.  Some of the canned interview tips you find online, such as "ask about the company mission statement" might work for some places but I don't care about that and more care about if you know the job and will do well.

A follow-up thank you e-mail is a good move.  It won't make/break the majority of cases, but it has been a tie-breaker before.  A simple paragraph with a thanks, re-expressing interest, and highlighting 1 skill that is tied to the job is more than enough.