The Importance of Thank You Emails
Thank You Emails Matter: Express Professionalism and Continued Interest in the Hiring Process
For law students or lateral attorney candidates interviewing for law firm opportunities, sending a well-written thank you email to the interviewers is a necessary step in the process. Our clients tell us that such notes reflect a high-level of professionalism that they value in candidates and provides another opportunity for the candidate to express continued interest in the position . A recent study conducted by our team uncovered that over 80% of interviewers want to receive a thank you email/letter. The news article linked here gives some additional insight into the study and offers key tips on how to craft the perfect note. Be sure to review our top five strategies on how to write the perfect thank you email.
When to Send and What Not to Do
Your thank you email should follow some basic etiquette rules. Most importantly, a thank you email should be sent no longer than 24 hours post interview. When you’ve interviewed for something as coveted as a law firm job, you want to make it clear that you’re interested in being hired and you are ready to act. Make it happen!
How soon after your interview to send the thank you note is the question I get from my clients most often. In my opinion, it’s important to send it – preferably even the same day of the interview or by the next morning at the latest.
That being said, you can send it at any point in the process—from the first round of interviews to the last. You are never too late to send a thank you note.
Timing is key, but so is etiquette. There are a few rules of thumb here. First, always use the same email address that you used to apply for the job or to communicate with the law office. If you have more than one email account, which one you sent your thank you email from? Save the thank you email to that account—don’t use a different one.
Second, keeping in mind that this is a law firm job we are talking about, you do not want to candy-coat the message so that it sounds too emotional. It’s probably important to you to get the job and to work at this law firm, but you don’t want to express yourself in a way that sounds desperate or needy. You want to sound like the kind of person that the law firm wants—confident, friendly, kind, generous, etc.
The third rule of thumb relates to the formatting of your thank you email. Brief is better, but you do need to say something that informs the power players of your interest.
The general rule is the shorter the email, the better. Use the subject line as a guide, keeping in mind that few people have the time or inclination to read long emails—so keep your thank you email short. You need to include the reference name you were given when being interviewed in the subject line, but there is no reason to go beyond that.
The goal of your thank you email is to convey your interest in the position and to keep yourself "front and center" in the hiring process. A thoughtful, brief and polite thank you email can achieve that pretty easily.
Structure of a Thank You Email
The typical structure of a thank you email after a law firm interview consists of a greeting, an expression of thanks, a recap of your strengths and how you can add value to the firm, and a closing statement.
The first section of your post-interview email template should be a simple greeting:
Hello (interviewer’s name)
The second section of your post-interview email template should be an expression of thanks:
Thank you for taking the time to speak with me about the (position) with (law firm name) this (morning/afternoon).
The third section of your post-interview email template should be a recap of your strengths and how these relate to the prospective position.
I really enjoyed the opportunity to discuss the firm’s approach to (practice area) with you. Given my background in (law school name or previous firm), I believe that I would be able to (achieve specific goals for the firm).
It is also a great idea to re-emphasize your enthusiasm for the prospective position at this point:
I would be excited to join (law firm name) as a (position) and I hope to get the opportunity to do so in the future.
Finally, you should close out with a polite sign off.
Thank you again for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
(your name)
Tailoring Your Thank You Message
Personalizing your thank you note is a critical step to helping it stand out. In addition to thanking your interviewers for their time, an effective follow-up email includes notes about particular topics you discussed. Referencing recent cases or deals shows you were paying attention and that you did your homework by researching the firm prior to your visit . Strong candidates connect the dots between their skills and the needs of the firm expressed by the interviewers. You take this a step further by including an offer to address any other questions the interviewer might have – even staying in touch if he or she would like to reconnect in the future. This conveys your enthusiasm for the work at the firm and your business savvy.
Common Thank You Email Errors
There are also a few common mistakes I see candidates make, and you should try to avoid these at all costs:
Mistake #1 – No Thank You Email at All
While it is important to meet with a firm face-to-face, it is also critical to continue the conversation once the interview ends. If you are not sending a thank you email, it belies a lack of interest in the firm, your interviewer, and the job opportunity overall. Saying "thank you" at the end of an interview is not enough. Think of it as a first step to the next phase – or even closed – door.
Mistake #2 – Being Generic
Conversely, there is also a risk of being too generic. Many thank you emails I have seen are simply rehashes of the candidate’s resume, or say thank you so broadly to the entire firm, it hardly looks like it was created for a single interview. Make sure that each email you send thanks the interviewer specifically for time and the conversation, and that you reference the discussion you had. If you connected over a love of CrossFit, mention that! Did you bond over your shared distaste of Donald Trump? Say that! I’m not saying you should regurgitate the entire conversation, or thank the interviewer for every single thing they said; simply be sure to reference something specific during the interview, and clearly reference the interviewer by name.
Mistake #3 – Grammatical Errors
I get it – sometimes we all make silly typos when we are sending off multiple emails a day. In my rude old days at my law firm, I would blast off a thank you email the second I left the interview. I can assure you that while I have come a long way since then and don’t do that anymore, I would be horrified at the state of my communication back then. At any rate, if you are going to craft a thank you email, given how short and concise it should be, make sure you do not press send until you read the email out loud to yourself! This will help you catch those pesky typos that would otherwise slip through the cracks.
Mistake #4 – Not Sending a Handwritten Note
It should go without saying that just because you are sending a thank you email does not mean that you have let off the hook on sending a handwritten note! These are very important to send when you are interviewing with a law firm at multiple offices, when you suspect to be competing against another candidate in the firm, and for even more "old school" professionals.
Mistake #5 – Not Responding After Receiving a Rejection
In addition, I cannot express enough how important it is to respond graciously to any rejection letters you receive from a law firm – even if the process of rejection is done via a system or a template letter. I have seen many a candidate burn bridges when they were sent a rejection email and responded in a huff, or did not say anything at all, and ended up working with an attorney at that firm years down the line.
Our Favorite Thank You Email Template
Subject: Thank You
Dear (Interviewer Name),
Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to meet with me (at the (law firm name) office) (this morning) (this afternoon) (last (date)). I truly appreciate the opportunity to share my legal training and experience with you and the (firm name) team.
As I explained during our conversation, I have (professional background) , and have developed specific skills in (describe as relevant to the interview) that perfectly align with the (position). I am a (identify with conviction) (believe in the firm) (team player) and look forward to the opportunity of working with (team members and explain how you can add value) on (practice or industry group, etc.) (as may be relevant for the position).
Thank you again for the opportunity to share my legal skills and practical experience with your team. (Close it up as may be relevant for a book report)! I look forward to hearing from your soon.
Best Regards,
(Your Name)