Thank You Notes - Do they all sound the same?

Also, a second question - how do you appropriately respond to "what other firms are you interviewing with?"

I didn't send notes to all 5 interviewers in during the superday because they were all in the same division. Come to think of it that was a dumb move on my part.

you should tell them exactly who else you are interviewing with and at what stages... ideally your list will be strong...

they always ask this and it's about the only time during the interview where they really care... they usually write down what you tell them

I wouldn't bother sending thank you notes. The person already knows whether or not they like you by the time your interview ends. I would say thank you notes is more something HR cares about than bankers.

I definitely feel like its unnecessary, but also part of standard protocol, and something that candidates just have to adhere to.

One more thing - when writing thank you notes, do you write Mr. X, Ms. Y? That seems so toolish, especially when they're only a year or two older than you - but first names just seem too informal.

Be on the safe side and use Mr. or Ms.

I always wrote thank you notes. But don't write it like right after you have interviews, looks weird if you ask me. Wait a little while, even a day. Also, don't use Mr. and Ms. with analysts, that's just fucking weird, these people are a year or two older than you.

If they introduced themselves as "Steve" or "Jenny," then it's fair game to address them as such in a casual thank you note. That said, at the firm where I interviewed, the convention is to call everyone by their first names anyway. If you use their first names it adds a personal touch, in my opinion.

Careful about waiting too long. The universal standard for the follow-up thank you is "within 24 hours" - that's been consistent in every recruiting guide, and every career session I've attended, many of which have been presented by current or former BB recruiters. Chances are, all of your competitors are adhering to 24hours, so you don't want to stand out as the late one.

Personally, I'm adhering to a "same-day" standard. I aim for 4-6 hours, on average. I know I'm not going to radically alter their impression, but I just want to confirm it and cement it, plus demonstrate an ability to follow through. It's important to be clear, concise, and focused, to not destroy anything you built up in the interview.

I respectfully disagree with CompBanker on this - I think this is necessary. It's a "check the box" item - it's not going to add a lot of positive, but failing to do it may hurt you more, given that your competition is doing it. If you're not willing to take 10 minutes to thank an interviewer, what does that say about your interest in the position? Especially if all of your competitors cared enough to do it, and every recruiting guide tells you to do it?

I'm sure plenty of people get hired without thanking anyone, but it's not a chance I'm taking.

One other thought - don't send strictly generic thank yous. Respond to something specific from the conversation. If you have nothing, then either you didn't have a good conversation, you didn't ask good questions, or you weren't paying attention. You should have 1 to 2 sentences of material that relates to them specifically.

My interview ended late Friday; I'm sending thank-you emails right now. I have specific information from some people, but not all of them - some of the interviewers just asked me questions without leaving me time to talk to them at all. I guess there's nothing to do but send off the generic note for those.

Thanks for the advice, everyone.

I agree with a lot of the points emphasized above. I spoke to my university's career center to receive their advice on thank you notes because I was interested in the same. The first thing that they told me, which is something that I have realized at every superday that I have been to thus far, is that all of the interviewers meet directly after the interviews conclude and candidates are ranked against one another. In some cases, the candidates who will receive offers are ultimately decided in this meeting. In other cases, it may take another day or two to finalize the official list., especially if there are only a couple of spots. The main point is that most if not all the debating occurs later during the interview day. Considering this fact, it appears that sending a thank you note can and will not help you that much. I definitely would not rely on it to sell yourself. The interviewer's opinion of you is articulated way before any thank you can be sent. Needless to say, it is still common courtesy to send one to all the interviewers. Will it help you get the job? Absolutely not. Will it hurt you if you do not send one? Probably not. I could not see a bank justify taking one candidate over another candidate simply because one sent a thank you and the other did not. The interviewers are obviously busy and will not even give it more than just a glance. I even had a couple of interviewers directly advise me not to send a thank you via e-mail since it clogs up their inboxes. The one benefit of a thank you note is that it demonstrates your interest in the firm, which is a plus. If the person responds to the note, it also shows that you interviewed well with them. But again, your general interest in the firm and the specific group comes across during the interview when they ask you why you want to work for the company, where else you are applying, etc and is reflected in the ranking process.

A couple of general guidelines for thank you notes if you send them. Address the interviewer by their first name, unless they are VERY senior. I agree with the previous user that it adds a personal touch to your note, which is good especially since you are trying to work with these people next year. I know it also drives some analysts crazy when they see kids a year younger than them calling them Mr. or Ms. Save the formal language for a cover letter. The second piece of advie is the most important. Keep the thank you note short. Write no more than 3-4 sentences. Also include 1-2 sentences in it with something specific that your interviewer discussed with you. It shows that you listened to them. Finally, with regards to timing, I would send it toward the later end of the 24-hour time frame discussed above if it was a superday. I might send them sooner if it's a first rounder on campus. Sending thank you's 4 hours after a superday, in my mind, is a bit overkill and shows desperation and overzealousness. Interviewers also devoted their whole days interviewing you and sharing feedback. If your interviews were Friday afternoon, send a thank you Saturday morning. If your interview was on Saturday morning / afternoon, send a thank you on Sunday morning.

You are guaranteed to be asked where else you are interviewing at during a superday. It's very important to be as candid and specific as possible during these and other personal questions. If you show any hesitation or give a purposely vague answer to these questions, which are by far some of the easier ones you will get, the interviewer will start to doubt the truth and validity of the other answers that you have given them. This is an automatic ding, in my opinion. It is also to your advantage to share this information with them. If you received an offer from a firm that they actively try to compete with, they will try to steal you away from them if they like you. Also, by revealing that you received an offer during another firm's superday, it shows a genuine interest in that firm, as you are interviewing there even though you do not have to.

Thank you notes go down in the same category as cover letters and questions at the end of interviews. If you have something to say/add/ask, by all means. Otherwise, don't just send/ask/write something to show your interest.

It may have been the custom in days gone by when your interviews were hooked up by a family member or friend, but these days you have earned your spot there. Be polite, thank everyone for the time on the day and then don't send erroneous 'look at me' notes.

I still stand by my opinion that it is not necessary, however:

Please, don't send me a thank you note that tells me about all your accomplishments. I received a thank you note that was one line of "thank you" and eight lines of "and by the way, here is how great I am." That actually completely turned me off to the candidate. Are you thanking the person, or are you thanking yourself?

Sent thank you notes for a separate interview yesterday - got a reply back a little while ago saying it was great meeting you, and good luck.

Rejected!

Djax, did you get a separate call after you sent that thank you e-mail? A response saying thank you and good luck does not mean automatic rejection. It is just something that an interviewer normally says not to tip their hand and is pretty standard.

I think Thank you notes are a nice touch, but its' personal preference. I have, however, sent a thank you note, received a reply from the MD saying "Call me" and then told me I got an offer over the phone before HR got back to me.

Never got a reply from sending Thank you notes, even if I got offers. Its a nice touch, but decision has already made by the time you send one.

you are on the right mark.

for thank you notes all i care about is that you do one of the below:

1 - you echo anything memorable discussed in the interview 2 - you continue to show interest in the firm. for example, if you learn something new that is expressed. 3 - and that you don't email me after 11pm. i don't want to see your email at that time, send it in the AM.