Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with interview and email

How do I thank multiple interviewers for a single position?

Groovytimes — Mon, 14 May 2012 15:07:52 -0800

I want to send a post-interview thank you email but I am a little unclear as to the best way of going about it. I had five 30 minute sessions with one to two employees each; the last session was with the head of the group I'd be working for. Should I send one email to all employees, an email to each session group, an email to only the senior interviewers (3 people), or some other iteration?

An honest job if I can find one

pineappleheart — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 12:25:13 -0800

That question about following up after an interview. I am desperately unemployed and had a first interview for a job I'd really like three weeks ago. The interviewer liked me and signed me up for a second interview with his supervisor immediately; that interview took place two weeks ago today. The second interview was brief. I was asked no questions. The supervisor simply told me to send her three references, a copy of my undergraduate degree, and my graduate school transcript, after which she would schedule me for an HR interview and background check. I wasn't given any time frame for when this might happen (English was not the interviewer's first language and she had some trouble communicating with me, which may be why the interview was so very short). I was also not told that I would be informed of any decision, which means that I might not be contacted if I didn't get it.

I know that the supervisor hasn't contacted any of my references, as I've been in touch with all of them. My boyfriend thinks this is a sure sign that I didn't get the job and that two weeks is an incredibly long time, but that since it would help me move on, I should send a follow-up e-mail to ask if I'm still in the running for the position. I think that follow-ups are a bit rude, but I'm dying of anxiety over here and would love to hear anything, even if it's that they noticed I had a C in one class on my grad school transcript and can't accept a subpar employee.

1.) Is two weeks really a long time? Is it acceptable to write a follow-up e-mail at this point since I was given no timeframe for their decision-making process?

2.) What might you say in a follow-up e-mail? I've never had to write one, but the examples I see on the Internet are horrifying and seem designed for corporate go-getters. I'd like something gentle and unobnoxious since I'm sure these people are busy and I just want to confirm that I'm no longer a candidate.

After an interview: a card, an email, or a letter?

c'mon sea legs — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 16:11:16 -0800

After an interview: thank-you letter? e-mail? card? Just had a super-quick interview for a job I would really like; it's unclear to me whether more interviews are yet to come, but obviously I'd like to thank the person I spoke with. I've communicated with her briefly over email, but I like the idea of sending a paper thank-you. I have some stylish, not-overwhelming cards , or I could write a letter or write an email. Which should I do?

Pre Interview Questionnaire normal?

[insert clever name here] — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 14:32:21 -0800

Is a pre-interview questionnaire normal? Never seen such a thing before. I just received a pre-interview questionnaire (not sure what else to call it) from a prospective employer I applied at last week. It was sent via email, and the questions were things like "why do you think you'll be a good fit for the company?" Basic things I answered (attempted to answer?) in the cover letter. It's been a while since I looked for a job, is this now standard? Or is someone being lazy? Should I answer it? (There is no urgency to my job hunt) FWIW, I'd expect to answer questions like these in an interview, or possibly even a phone call.

Follow-up e-mail to fix a botched job interview?

fogster — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 13:10:18 -0800

I totally botched a job interview today. I really want the job, and am just starting to write a follow-up / thank-you e-mail. Help me do it well! I had an interview today. (The first at this company.) I've had many over the past few months, and have been doing a little better, and staying a little calmer, each time. But for some reason, today I really fell apart. It was definitely quite clear that I was a nervous wreck, and I think I gave bad answers all around, alternating (in hindsight) between being unreasonable vague/terse and giving rambling answers.

What hurts the most, though, is that I think I'm actually well-qualified for the position, that I'd fit in well with the existing team, and that it's a job I'd really enjoy doing. I've had a couple interviews where I really was barely qualified and come across fairly well, and I've done well in some interviews for jobs I didn't even want. But now that I'm qualified for a job and excited about it, I totally, absolutely blew it.

I want to send a follow-up e-mail thanking them for meeting with me. In the past I've used these e-mails as a good way to chip in a little tidbit I forgot to mention in the interview, but this one will have to be a major damage control operation. I do write much more clearly than I speak, so whatever I send will be articulate and relevant, unlike the interview.

But how, exactly, do you proceed in this case? Should I acknowledge that I was nervous and that I felt I didn't do a good job explaining some things? (I normally wouldn't acknowledge nervousness, but they definitely noticed, and it was definitely handicapping.) Should I write a fairly long e-mail outlining a few of the things I could have answered better, or should I keep it short? And if I keep it short, how do I explain that I didn't have a lobotomy before the interview, and that I'm actually pretty qualified? I think just sending a generic "Thanks for your time, I'm excited about this position" will just make them think I'm a polite idiot, so my follow-up e-mail really needs to make amends for my poor performance in the interview.

(I'm aware this question is maybe a little vague. Part of it's that I don't want to reveal too much on the off-chance that any of them read Ask MeFi and think, "Hey, that loser is on Ask MeFi?!," but the position I interviewed for isn't relevant. It doesn't involve client contact, so someone who can't communicate clearly might not be a show-stopper if I can get them to see I'm smart. And sorry for not giving more specifics on exactly what went wrong, but the short answer is, "Everything.")