Thank you note after an interview

by James
(London)

Should I send a thank you note after an interview with someone I already work with?

I just had an interview for a new (more senior) position in my company, with a manager that I know quite well socially.

Should I send a note to thank her for the interview, to show I want the job, or would that be a bit strange because we already know each other?

Thank you!

Hi James!
What a great and thoughtful question! I believe that you should always send a thank you note after an interview – regardless of whether you know the interviewer or not.

You mention that you know this interviewer socially, however you need to consider that you have just interviewed for a promotion – a great job that you really want. It is important to show the interviewer that you are a professional when at work, as well as a fun person out of the office. There's always the chance that the interviewer does know you well socially, but doesn't know as much about your work persona as you would like them to!

You also need to think about who you might be competing with for this new job – and the fact that they will probably be writing a thank you note after the interview – especially if they really want the job. So, if you and one or more other candidates have pretty much the same skills to offer, the fact that one candidate has the courtesy to say thank you after the interview whereas another ignores this professional courtesy might just be the deciding factor in who to select for the job!

Communication and networking are key business skills – so even if you're not successful this time with your job application, your follow up thank you letter will be very well received.

Best of luck with your application – if you're a bit stuck for ideas about what to say in your interview thank you note, here's a helpful template.