To follow up or not to follow up?

April 28, 2011 1:55 PM

I just had a job interview I wasn't thrilled about. In a fluster, I sent my writing samples with a two sentence thank you note. I'd like to salvage the flubbed interview if I can. Should I mail a lengthier thank you letter, or just let it go?
posted by amyshmamy to Work & Money (11 answers total)

As an interviewer, a second thank you note would confuse me. If nothing else, it would point out that you didn't take the time to do what you thought was appropriate the first time around. Just let it go.
posted by cecic at 1:59 PM on April 28, 2011

I'd let it go. If the interviewer thought that the interview went well, your note would be weird, and might give them pause to reconsider. If they felt it went poorly, it would be weird and put you deeper into the "No" pile. I don't see much upside here. Que sera, sera!
posted by Admiral Haddock at 2:03 PM on April 28, 2011 [1 favorite]

Did you email your writing samples with a brief Thank you?

If so, I don't see the harm in following up with a handwritten thank you that you're happier with.

I would not send a second thank you via the same vector (postal mail or email) as the first.
posted by anastasiav at 2:06 PM on April 28, 2011

Yeah, let it go. You can't fix it without calling attention to the thing you're trying to fix. If length-of-thank-you-note is what disqualifies you, consider that it might not have been the kind of workplace for you anyway.
posted by penduluum at 2:14 PM on April 28, 2011

I'd leave it. Interviews are so weird- I ended up getting the job on the interview I thought I bombed, and never got a call back on the one I thought I aced. You sent the samples and a thank you note, that's enough. You don't want to call more attention by trying to fix something.
posted by Zophi at 2:17 PM on April 28, 2011 [3 favorites]

Some people prefer a two-sentence thank you note to a two-paragraph (or two-page) one. And in any case, I agree that a second thank-you note for something you already wrote a thank-you note for is weird.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 2:28 PM on April 28, 2011 [1 favorite]

Leave it. A second note would look desperate.
posted by rkent at 2:30 PM on April 28, 2011 [1 favorite]

We don't have much information here. What did the thank you letter say? Why do you think it was a problem?
posted by John Cohen at 2:30 PM on April 28, 2011

Leave it alone. Call back in 2 weeks if you don't hear anything.
posted by moammargaret at 2:48 PM on April 28, 2011

Another note for leave it. If you don't get this job, chalk it up to a learning experience and write a lengthier follow-up after your next interview.
posted by sonika at 4:51 PM on April 28, 2011

If you flubbed the interview, you can't salvage it. Just move on.
posted by w0mbat at 8:45 AM on April 29, 2011