Thank You Notes: More than a Courtesy

To make the most of the after-interview stage, always and within 24 hours send a personalized thank you note/email to the attorney you met with, and if several attorneys especially to the key hiring attorney.  Not only does this indicate unusual and continued interest in the position, but it also shows follow-through and professionalism. In some instances it may seem unnecessary, but it is almost always better to send it than not.

You should consider the content of your thank you letter as carefully. 

Make sure that your thank note/email content is brief, mentioning only the highlights of your meeting with this attorney.  This will serve to remind that person of the skills and qualifications you can bring to the opening. OR AND IN PARTICULAR, if there were some matters that you forgot to mention during the interview, such as an additional skill set, another interesting matter that may be relevant to your conversation or your ability to take on extra responsibilities, a thank you note is the perfect way to introduce this. Also, if the interviewer indicated concern over some aspect of your qualifications, you can address these in the thank you note. When doing so, be certain that your tone is positive, forthright, and confident.

Thank you note reminders:

• Send the note within 24 hours of the interview if you send it via the mail service and 48 hours of the interview if you send it digitally.
• Send one note to each person who interviewed you. The interviewers will likely compare your notes.
• Make the note personal, but professional.
• Keep the tone positive and confident.
• Keep the note brief; use your words economically.
• Refer to specific things that the interviewer said during the interview.
• Reaffirm how you can add value to the company.
• Be certain that there are no grammatical or spelling errors in the note.