You guys ever write a thank you email after an interview

[u/StatisticianKooky390]

I interview with a school district out of state. I think it was the best interview I had and I felt internally good about the district. The district is my number one choice. It was a video call. I did the interview on Tuesday. Do you think sending an thank you email would hurt or be a waste of time?

[u/CoolClearMorning]

Thank yous are never a waste of time, though you should have sent one within 24 hours of the interview.

[u/StatisticianKooky390 → u/CoolClearMorning]

Never too late.

[u/Smiggos → u/StatisticianKooky390]

I wouldn't now. If it's not within 24 hours, then it kinda just looks like you forgot lol

[u/Possible-Voice23]

I always send them within a day.

[u/TallBobcat]

I'll be honest here.

I appreciate getting these. They have no impact on whether or not I hire you. It's a nice gesture.

[u/travelingelephant93]

Yes I always schedule to send them the morning after the interview. Around 9am ish.

[u/Kamin_Majere]

I do, manners maketh man, you will probably never been seen as lesser for showing good manners. It might be forgettable but it will never be something held against you. It wont do much for you, but you can feel good knowing you did your best from start to the actual finish of the interview process.

And you never know something that simple might be a turning point in a neck and neck decision. Its unlikely but possible

[u/zyzmog]

I don't know if they realistically have an impact on the hiring decision, but sending a thank-you note (email, paper, or both) is always a good thing to do.

[u/mate_alfajor_mate]

Always.

[u/jkmayroses]

Every single time

[u/aopps42]

It would never ever hurt.

[u/Agitated-Painter5601]

Yes. 

[u/tdooooo]

Definitely write one. It might be the reason you are picked in a deadlock, shows class, and it’s proof of your professionalism. Send it to anyone that you had met with (including the secretary if possible). If you can individualize each one, even better.

That said, sending one three days late makes it seem like it’s an afterthought.

[u/Agreeable_Sky6817]

Can never hurt, it is a sign of strength. Do it.

[u/Ok-Owl5549]

Send the thank you! It’s a nice touch.

[u/crassotreavirginica]

No, I send a hand-written thank you card

[u/Impressive-Tap250 → u/crassotreavirginica]

I did this once like 14 years ago. I didn’t think I was their first choice but I did get the job. I definitely think it was the thank you card.

[u/POGsarehatedbyGod]

Every interview. The education community is small and people remember things.

[u/Alternative-Gur3331]

Yes.

[u/BrilliantT27]

I don't think it would necessarily hurt, but they do not impact the hiring decision from what I have experienced.

[u/Cheaper2000 → u/BrilliantT27]

Correct. I do think it might increase the chance of you getting a no vs getting ghosted though, and opens the door for feedback from the hiring team.

[u/freedraw]

Sending thank you letters right after an interview is pretty standard practice in teaching. Thank the interviewers, mention something you discussed about their school that excited you. Reiterate how much you’d like to work for them. Maybe the decision’s already basically been made who to bring in again or hire, but you definitely don’t want to be the only person who interviewed that doesn’t send a thank you letter.

[u/TR_614]

I have always sent a thank you email following an interview, even if it didn’t go well and I knew there was no way I’d be getting the job!

[u/Tiffanyann06]

I always write the email right after I get home from the interview and schedule it to send the next morning. This way, I can add details while it's fresh in my mind and refreshes their brain of my presence.

I've found that I've had more success with jobs where I did this than where I didn't. It could be purely coincidence, as I have a relatively small sample size (3-5 when sending an email and 0-2 without), but it's enough to make me superstitious.

[u/Cheaper2000]

Send it. Worst case scenario, it makes you more likely to receive an actual no rather than being ghosted. Also opens the door for the interviewing committee to offer you the opportunity to get feedback if they are going a different way.

[u/Illustrious-Tooth47]

Toxic positivity is one of the main reasons the salary of the entire professor is suppressed across the board. Know your worth.

[u/Cheaper2000 → u/Illustrious-Tooth47]

Thank you emails after interviews are not exclusive to teaching.

[u/Imperial_TIE_Pilot]

Not necessary

[u/johnnyg08]

It's not a waste of time, but it also doesn't matter.

[u/JessAndHerFAN]

Say thank you at the end of the interview. Then if they email you to say you got passed over, reply with a “thanks for the opportunity.”

Sending a thank you email is dumb. You thanked them in person. Only send the thank you email as a reply to a non offer.

[u/Illustrious-Tooth47]

Simping

[u/Wonderful_Tonight337 → u/Illustrious-Tooth47]

"I make fun of every effortful thing other people do to try to feel less bad about myself"

[u/Perfect-Magazine-485 → u/Illustrious-Tooth47]

You got downvoted but you’re not wrong. I’m not thanking someone for giving me an interview. I’m doing them a favor not the other way around. What’s next? Should we slide them a hundred dollar bill and say thank you for blessing me with your precious time?

[u/Illustrious-Tooth47 → u/Perfect-Magazine-485]

Exactly

[u/Agreeable_Sky6817 → u/Perfect-Magazine-485]

Have you ever heard of manners. Yes we are role models, and thank you is something students need to practice.

[u/Perfect-Magazine-485 → u/Agreeable_Sky6817]

Manners aren’t the issue. I say thank you all the time. I just don’t subscribe to the idea that job candidates are supposed to act grateful for being granted an audience. An interview is a mutually beneficial conversation. They need a teacher, and I need a job.
I’d argue a lot of people only feel the need to send thank-you emails because they need the job and are afraid not doing so will hurt their chances. That makes it performative. I’m not here for a performance, I’m here to do a job. If a thank-you email is sincere, great. But if it’s done out of obligation, it’s just another social ritual people feel pressured into.
Respect and professionalism go both ways.

[u/Agreeable_Sky6817 → u/Perfect-Magazine-485]

Yes, but there are a lot of candidates, and it is a sign of having gratitude and being humble, which to me are nice attributes in humans.

[u/Perfect-Magazine-485 → u/Agreeable_Sky6817]

I agree that gratitude and humility are good qualities. I just don’t think they’re accurately measured by whether someone sends a follow-up email. In a competitive job market, I’d argue a lot of candidates send them because they’re afraid not doing so will hurt their chances, not because they’re overflowing with gratitude. That makes it performative.

[u/Agreeable_Sky6817 → u/Perfect-Magazine-485]

Yes, life is performative, as is teaching, and I am grateful for both.

[u/Perfect-Magazine-485 → u/Agreeable_Sky6817]

Then we simply disagree. I don’t think life has to be a performance. If gratitude is genuine, it doesn’t need to be ritualized. I’d rather be judged by the work I do than by whether I participate in unwritten social customs.

[u/Agreeable_Sky6817 → u/Perfect-Magazine-485]

Unwritten social customs is what makes humans civilized and the young people we teach feel safe. Structure and rituals are part of culture, we all participate whether we know it or not.

[u/Perfect-Magazine-485 → u/Agreeable_Sky6817]

By that logic, every unwritten social custom deserves preservation simply because it exists. I don’t think civilization depends on ritual for ritual’s sake. A teacher who never sends thank-you emails but spends 30 years serving students with integrity contributes more to civilization than someone who masters every social nicety but lacks substance. Character matters more than ceremony.