Thank you note question Forum

[Anonymous User]

Recent graduate, had 2 interview interviews yesterday. One was a fedgov callback interview, met with 5 people for about 30 minutes each. The second was just a screener for a biglaw staff attorney position in a niche practice, where I would be working directly with the 1 person I interviewed with. He hinted quite strongly I would be invited back for a second interview.

Should I write thank you letters for fedgov and/or the biglaw interview? I'm assuming yes on the fedgov since it was a callback, but I'm not so sure about the biglaw one.

[goldeneye]

Recent graduate, had 2 interview interviews yesterday. One was a fedgov callback interview, met with 5 people for about 30 minutes each. The second was just a screener for a biglaw staff attorney position in a niche practice, where I would be working directly with the 1 person I interviewed with. He hinted quite strongly I would be invited back for a second interview.

Should I write thank you letters for fedgov and/or the biglaw interview? I'm assuming yes on the fedgov since it was a callback, but I'm not so sure about the biglaw one.

People are mixed on thank you notes. For me, I would send to the biglaw attorney. If he's mind the decision, I think it's not a bad idea to say you enjoyed meeting him

[didntretake]

I don't understand why people say to not send TY notes. I always send within 24 hours, to everyone I met for any substantial amount of time, including recruiting personnel. It is just a nice thing to do and costs you nothing unless you make a typo, and if you can't send a three sentence typo free email you're doomed anyway.

[Anonymous User]

Recent graduate, had 2 interview interviews yesterday. One was a fedgov callback interview, met with 5 people for about 30 minutes each. The second was just a screener for a biglaw staff attorney position in a niche practice, where I would be working directly with the 1 person I interviewed with. He hinted quite strongly I would be invited back for a second interview.

Should I write thank you letters for fedgov and/or the biglaw interview? I'm assuming yes on the fedgov since it was a callback, but I'm not so sure about the biglaw one.

People are mixed on thank you notes. For me, I would send to the biglaw attorney. If he's mind the decision, I think it's not a bad idea to say you enjoyed meeting him

Biglaw is typically not worth it just because the turnaround for reviews in biglaw hiring is incredibly fast. You've been reviewed within a couple of hours of the interview, and after that extremely little you send to your interviewer could possibly matter (except in a negative way, though it would also there probably have to be egregious, not just a typo-riddled thank you email). It's not bad to send, but it is a waste of time. This situation does sound oddly specific, though, and not typical biglaw hiring, so it might be worthwhile.

Fedgov is different, turnaround times are slower and hiring is much more ad hoc and based on personal connections, without strict rating systems and interviewer reviews. I would send a thank you note, and I think it might help somewhat.

[hoos89]

I don't understand why people say to not send TY notes. I always send within 24 hours, to everyone I met for any substantial amount of time, including recruiting personnel. It is just a nice thing to do and costs you nothing unless you make a typo, and if you can't send a three sentence typo free email you're doomed anyway.

It's not "one" typo free e-mail, it's one times every person you meet with per callback times callbacks. It's not just typos but also not mixing people up (which gets pretty easy to do after a decent number of interviews, especially with last minute scheduling changes). A partner I met with told me that he had made just this sort of mistake and got called out on it when he was going through the process, and he specifically told me not to write thank you notes. Also, your 3 sentence thank yous are probably coming off as forced and insincere. There are more than 0 attorneys out there who would knock you for such a thank you note.

ETA: Obviously the calculus is different if you're not going through standard big law OCI process.

[mw115]

Definitely for gov.

[Anonymous User]

Recent graduate, had 2 interview interviews yesterday. One was a fedgov callback interview, met with 5 people for about 30 minutes each. The second was just a screener for a biglaw staff attorney position in a niche practice, where I would be working directly with the 1 person I interviewed with. He hinted quite strongly I would be invited back for a second interview.

Should I write thank you letters for fedgov and/or the biglaw interview? I'm assuming yes on the fedgov since it was a callback, but I'm not so sure about the biglaw one.

Definitely send fedgov. And considering you are applying for a staff attorney position and will work exclusively with this one attorney, I would send one.

[Anonymous User]

OP here. Sent for fedgov, not for biglaw. Obviously, I made a typo. I called a female junior attorney Mr. instead of Ms. I interviewed with some pretty senior people who prob have more pull then she does. The entire interview was with 5 different people. Devastating mistake? Likely no effect? Somewhere in the middle?

[Micdiddy]

OP here. Sent for fedgov, not for biglaw. Obviously, I made a typo. I called a female junior attorney Mr. instead of Ms. I interviewed with some pretty senior people who prob have more pull then she does. The entire interview was with 5 different people. Devastating mistake? Likely no effect? Somewhere in the middle?

You corrected it right? Probably not a big deal.

[20141023]

.

[Anonymous User]

Micdiddy, what do you mean corrected it?

[Micdiddy]

Micdiddy, what do you mean corrected it?

Quick follow-up email, "Please excuse the typo, Ms. ___"

I made a typo on a thank you email after a callback and followed it with something like "And of course I make a typo in the thank you email."

[didntretake]

I don't understand why people say to not send TY notes. I always send within 24 hours, to everyone I met for any substantial amount of time, including recruiting personnel. It is just a nice thing to do and costs you nothing unless you make a typo, and if you can't send a three sentence typo free email you're doomed anyway.

It's not "one" typo free e-mail, it's one times every person you meet with per callback times callbacks. It's not just typos but also not mixing people up (which gets pretty easy to do after a decent number of interviews, especially with last minute scheduling changes). A partner I met with told me that he had made just this sort of mistake and got called out on it when he was going through the process, and he specifically told me not to write thank you notes. Also, your 3 sentence thank yous are probably coming off as forced and insincere. There are more than 0 attorneys out there who would knock you for such a thank you note.

ETA: Obviously the calculus is different if you're not going through standard big law OCI process.

I get what you are saying but I think it is a shame. Applying cost/benefit to something as basically decent and human as TY notes seems like the type of thing that gives lawyers a reputation for being socially stunted.

Also, I'm not sure how you know my 3 sentences are "probably coming off as forced and insincere." You're assuming a lot about me.

[hoos89]

I'm not sure when we decided that sending thank you notes after interviews was basic decency. What are you thanking them for? Doing their job? If they went out of their way to help you then knock yourself out but I don't see why you think it's necessary for just a standard interview.

[goldeneye]

I'm not sure when we decided that sending thank you notes after interviews was basic decency. What are you thanking them for? Doing their job? If they went out of their way to help you then knock yourself out but I don't see why you think it's necessary for just a standard interview.

Everybody has different reasons. If you got a job after sending them, you probably think it's helpful. If you didn't, you don't.

[didntretake]

I'm not sure when we decided that sending thank you notes after interviews was basic decency. What are you thanking them for? Doing their job? If they went out of their way to help you then knock yourself out but I don't see why you think it's necessary for just a standard interview.

You don't ever thank people for doing their job?

[hoos89]

I'm not sure when we decided that sending thank you notes after interviews was basic decency. What are you thanking them for? Doing their job? If they went out of their way to help you then knock yourself out but I don't see why you think it's necessary for just a standard interview.

You don't ever thank people for doing their job?

In person, yes. I don't write them a damn thank you note.

[didntretake]

I'm not sure when we decided that sending thank you notes after interviews was basic decency. What are you thanking them for? Doing their job? If they went out of their way to help you then knock yourself out but I don't see why you think it's necessary for just a standard interview.

You don't ever thank people for doing their job?

In person, yes. I don't write them a damn thank you note.

Haha OK fair enough, I feel good about my stance on thank you notes so I guess we will just have to agree to disagree. Good luck with your approach to life.