Interview thank you letters - good or bad idea?

AskAsk

Masomnia said:

Mr_Maths said:

@askask some assessments are pretty bad for assessing people. I've done hackerrank SQL tests before, where you have a time limit and no ability to copy and paste which means you could get zero for having a typo in your script that would have otherwise worked. In reality you're never going to type out things you can copy and paste so it's a terrible way of assessing someones SQL ability.

Generally speaking I think assessments are very useful, it's a lot easier to BS you're way through an interview than it is through an assessment, provided as you say it's actually related to the job!

On the thank you note thing, I agree I think it's more of an American thing, and I can't imagine it would ever count you out of the running here. It may reflect badly, but I doubt that also, depending on what you say (could be a bit cringe). I think just do what feels right. I did send an email after the interview for my current job, but I'd had discussions and emails with the person who interviewed me a few times beforehand, so it wasn't like she was a complete stranger when I met her for the interview.

In that case I had the interview and sent a brief email saying it was nice to meet her and that doing the interview, meeting the team I'd be working with and seeing the offices made me sure it was the right role for me. It felt natural to do that though... and I did get the job. We're a small firm, and like I said we'd been in touch beforehand. I think if I was going to a large corporate and meeting the person interviewing me for the first time at the interview I probably wouldn't do it.

i had to sit a pschysometric test for one interview, which asks me to identify a patterned shape that is nearest to another one.  i got a ridiculously low score as i couldn't see any similarity in the pictures at all, so i just clicked any picture, lol.  there were about 20 pictures to match.  and that was the test for the interview.

i can't see how matching up pictures has anything to do with my work!  i am very good at what i do, but if you looked at that test result, you would think i was thicker than 2 bricks put together 

[Deleted User]

Mr_Maths said:

@JGB1955 so if you sent me a rejection email and I replied thank you for letting me know, I'd get blacklisted for any future opportunities? 

That's a totally different thank you - thank you for letting me know is different to thank you for the interview, so I don't think that's what JGB meant.

sebtomato

Once I interviewed for a job and didn't get to go to the next round of interviews. I politely sent a note to HR and the interviewer saying it was a shame, good luck to them and that I would apply again if another opportunity came up.
A few weeks later, they contacted me to say that, actually, I could go to the next round, and I ended up getting the job.
So I would say, yes, good to show that you are very interested in the position.

yksi

Ex-recruiter here. Weird and inappropriate. Don't do it. 
Caveat: if they email you with a thank you for coming, we'll let you know in due course etc, it IS appropriate to reply with a thank you for their time and you look forward to hearing from them. But only if they contact you after the interview.

End of. Nothing more. A letter won't help you and it's a way to stand out which highlights you as odd, not exceptional. In all my time recruiting, interviewing perhaps five thousand applicants, I have never had a paper letter sent and have received perhaps half a dozen thank you emails, all of which seemed to be from foreigners here for study purposes.

Footnote: if it's a highly-specialised position and you are given a rejection with clear indications that you were second choice, thank them for their time and indicate that if anything suitable should come up in future you would like to be considered.