Part of the CS Internship Guide

Thank You Notes

Should you send a thank-you note after an internship interview? And if so, how should it look?

Views may vary from company to company, but I think that most tech recruiters don’t care about thank you notes. By the time the interview is over, the recruiter will already know whether to mark you down as “hire” or “no hire,” and a thank you note is unlikely to change that.

I have sent thank you notes after a few interviews, and I don’t think they changed anything. Maybe the note would be more effective if you’re dealing with a non-technical 50-year old HR professional. But when you’re talking to a 28-year old engineer who wears a sweatshirt and flip flops, they’re going to see your note as noise in the system.

Though you may not send a thank you message, get an email address before you leave the interview site. You’ll need a contact to send a follow up email in a week or two. When it’s time to ask the interviewer questions at the end of your interview, consider asking for their email address or business card. If they’re an engineer, they may not have authority in the hiring process and can’t help much. If they’re HR, they usually love to share their business card and can give you more insight into your status in the pipeline.

Once again, a thank you note is unnecessary in most situations. If you really want to write a thank you note, keep it brief. It’s even better if you can mention something interesting about your interview. Double check for spelling mistakes and send it via email.

Jason,

Thanks for inviting me to your office for an internship interview. I’m glad you use a ton of Java, since it’s my favorite language. Once again, I appreciate you taking the time to interview me.

Sincerely,

Sheldon

Do you think CS internship candidates should send thank you notes after an interview? Why or why not?