Do we still send thank you notes after interviews?
I (F34) just interviewed for a 6-figure salary position in the finance/ banking industry. I remember being taught as a young adult to send thank you notes to prospective employers after interviewing. Is this still encouraged or does it look desperate? Also, if it’s encouraged, do we send thank you notes by mail or in a brief email? At the close of my interview with the VP and another officer of this company, they gave me their business cards and told me should I need anything between now and the 2 week deadline by which they hope to have a decision, don’t hesitate to reach out. Should I take this as an opportunity to email them thank them for their time and say that I look forward to hearing from them soon?
Jobadvisor
In short: Yes, absolutely. In high-stakes fields like finance and banking, it doesn’t look desperate—it looks professional and detail-oriented.
At a six-figure level, the interviewers are looking for more than just technical skills; they are looking for "executive presence." Following up shows you understand corporate etiquette and can manage high-level relationships.
1. Email vs. Snail Mail
In 2026, email is the standard. Physical mail is a nice gesture but often arrives too late. Decisions in banking can move quickly, and you want your "thank you" to land while your conversation is still fresh in their minds.
Timing: Send it within 24 hours of the interview.
The "Reach Out" Card: Since they explicitly gave you their cards and invited you to reach out, an email is the perfect way to "accept" that invitation. It proves you can follow instructions and take initiative.
2. How to Structure the Note
Avoid a generic "Thank you for your time." Use the note to reinforce why you are the right fit. Since this is for a VP-level or high-salary role, keep it brief, polished, and specific.
The Template
Subject: Thank you - [Your Name] - [Position Name]
Dear [Name],
Thank you again for the opportunity to interview for the [Job Title] role today. I truly enjoyed our conversation, particularly our discussion regarding [mention one specific topic you discussed, e.g., the team's strategy for the upcoming fiscal year or your thoughts on current market volatility].
Our conversation reinforced my interest in the position, and I am confident that my background in [mention a key skill] would allow me to contribute effectively to your team.
Please let me know if you need any additional information from my side. I look forward to hearing from you.
Best regards,
[Your Name]
[Your Phone Number]
3. Why This Works (The "Hidden" Benefits)
The Memory Anchor: It reminds them of a specific moment in the interview (the "specific topic" mentioned above).
Damage Control: If you felt you stumbled on a question, the thank-you note is a subtle way to briefly clarify a point or provide an answer you wish you’d given.
Culture Fit: In banking, relationship management is everything. This note is your first "deliverable" to the company.
A Few Tips for Finance:
Proofread twice: In a 6-figure role, a typo in a thank-you note can be a "red flag" for attention to detail.
Individualize: If you interviewed with two people, send two separate emails. Don't copy-paste; change at least one sentence in each so if they compare notes, they see you took the time to address them personally.
The common denominator for all the applications that have gotten me interviews: follow-up emails/messages
I've been actively applying to jobs since mid October. I've now gotten called back for interviews with four companies, and three out of the four I landed after messaging the hiring manager directly or sending a follow-up email. I saw so many posts here and on LinkedIn about how people felt like their applications were just disappearing into the ether, and I just had a feeling I was going to need to do something to stand out besides optimizing my resume/application and hoping for the best. Because the fact is, even if it's a strong application, sometimes you still get lost in the pile due to the sheer amount of applications that every single job posting receives now. So now, I've shifted my strategy from volume to focused effort on the job postings that I really think I'm a strong fit for. Here are the steps I follow to try and get a real person to look at my application:
When applying, I search LinkedIn to see if I can find the recruiter or hiring manager for the role. Often times, one or both of them have posted something about how they're hiring for the role, what they are looking for, etc. I comment on the post saying something along the lines of "What an exciting opportunity! I just submitted my application and would love the chance to discuss the value I could bring to the team." (Fun bonus for this one is that your network might see the comment, like it, or better yet, put in a good word for you. I even had a former supervisor see one my comments like this and decide of his own volition to message the hiring manager and put in a good word for me)
10-14 days after applying, if I still haven't heard back, I send a follow-up email/message. Personally, I have found that I am more likely to receive a response when I email. Not sure why this is, but I think on LinkedIn it's more likely now that the recruiter or HM is getting a lot of spam in their inbox. If you can't find the email for the hiring manager or recruiter, see if you can find an email at the bottom of the job posting (something like careers@companyname). If all else fails, I just try different combinations of talent@, careers@, jobs@, hr@ until one successfully goes through. The template I use is:
Hi there,
I hope you're doing well! I'm following up on an application I submitted for the (Position Title) at (Company Name) on (Date). I noticed the position is still open and wanted to see if there might be a chance to discuss the value I could bring to the team. I really admire the work you all are doing at (Company Name) to (unique thing you like about the company) and am excited about the prospect of working for an organization where my contributions could make a real impact.
I've attached an additional copy of my resume for your convenience. Thank you in advance for your time and consideration!
I really think the key for this job market is finding a way to stand out. I don't think it's enough to just create a strong resume/application anymore. A lot of people will recommend referrals, and I think that's also great for similar reasons. But personally, my network is small, and this is what has been working for me. Good luck and I hope this works for someone!
Jobadvisor
This is such a refreshing and practical perspective. You’ve touched on a fundamental truth of the current job market: resume optimization is the baseline, but personal connection is the differentiator.
The "volume approach" (applying to 50+ jobs a week) often leads to burnout because it treats the hiring process like a lottery. Your shift to a "focused effort" strategy treats it like a relationship, which clearly yields higher ROI.
Here is a breakdown of why your specific tactics are working so well, along with a few "pro-tips" to refine them even further:
Why Your Strategy Wins
The "Human" Element: Recruiters are often overwhelmed by AI-generated resumes. A personal comment or email reminds them that there is a thoughtful human on the other side of the screen.
Proof of Soft Skills: By reaching out, you are demonstrating communication skills, persistence, and proactive problem-solving—traits that are hard to gauge from a PDF resume.
Overcoming the "Black Hole": Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) can sometimes filter out great candidates for arbitrary reasons. Your follow-up bypasses the algorithm and puts you directly in the recruiter's line of sight.
Pro-Tips to Level Up Your Follow-Ups
| Tactic | Why it helps |
| The "Value-Add" Follow-up | Instead of just "checking in," share a relevant industry article or a brief thought on a recent company milestone. It shows you’re already thinking like an employee. |
| Verify Emails Silently | Use tools like Hunter.io or RocketReach to find verified work emails rather than "guessing" and potentially hitting a spam filter. |
| The 2nd Follow-up | If you don't hear back after your first email, wait another 7 days. A simple "Hi [Name], I'm still very interested in this role and wanted to keep this at the top of your inbox" works wonders. |
A Small Note on LinkedIn vs. Email
You mentioned that email seems more effective than LinkedIn. You are likely right! Recruiters often have "InMail fatigue." A professional email feels more formal and is easier for them to forward to the rest of the hiring team than a LinkedIn DM.
One quick tip for your template: In the section where you mention "the work you all are doing," try to mention a specific project or recent news from the last 3-6 months. It proves you didn't just copy-paste the template to 20 different companies.
Congratulations on the four interviews! That is a massive achievement in this environment.
How are people finding the time and energy to send out hundreds of job applications a week?
Whenever I see posts about job hunting on Reddit people will insist that it’s pointless if you’re not applying to hundreds of jobs every week unless you’re in a highly competitive field with like ten years of experience.
Where are you finding that many jobs fitting your experience and field that you’re able to reliably commute to?
How are you not bashing your head against a wall if you’re doing basically nothing from the time you wake up to the time you go to bed for weeks on end filling out job applications?
I’m assuming they’re not customizing their resumes if they’re spamming that many resumes a week, but wouldn’t you start to get sloppy after filling so many out in a day and make mistakes that would hurt your chances anyways?
It makes me feel absolutely hopeless to hear people say with complete sincerity that hundreds of applications a week should be your absolute, lazy bare minimum.
And the physical acts of entering in all your information, finding a relevant job on the board, making minor tweaks to your resume and cover letter when needed, copying down any follow up info, etc end up eating time even though on their own they should be really quick.
Jobadvisor
It is completely understandable why those Reddit posts make you feel hopeless. There is a massive "hustle culture" in job seeking that equates quantity with effort, but in reality, sending out hundreds of applications a week is rarely the most effective path to getting hired.
The short answer to your question? The people applying to 200 jobs a week are usually not doing it manually, and they are usually not doing it well.
Here is the reality behind the "hundreds of apps" phenomenon and why your focused approach is actually more sustainable.
How they are doing it (The "Spam" Method)
People who hit those massive numbers are generally using one of three methods:
"Easy Apply" Loops: They spend hours clicking the LinkedIn "Easy Apply" or Indeed "Quick Apply" buttons. This takes 10 seconds per job but has the lowest success rate because recruiters are flooded with thousands of these low-effort entries.
AI Automation: There are now tools (like Simplify or various browser extensions) that auto-fill Workday and Taleo applications. Some people even use scripts to apply to anything with a specific keyword.
Zero Customization: They use one generic resume for everything—from "Marketing Coordinator" to "Customer Success Manager"—and hope the law of large numbers eventually works in their favor.
The Cost of the "Volume" Strategy
You hit the nail on the head: the mental toll is staggering.
The "Wall": Bashing your head against the wall is exactly what happens. It leads to severe burnout, "application fatigue," and a feeling of worthlessness when the 500 generic applications result in 500 automated rejections.
Sloppy Mistakes: When you apply to 40 jobs in a day, you will accidentally leave the wrong company name in a cover letter or miss a key requirement in the job description.
Irrelevant Leads: Most people hitting these numbers are applying to jobs they aren't qualified for or roles that are "ghost jobs" (postings that are no longer active but haven't been taken down).
Quality vs. Quantity: The "Third Way"
There is a middle ground between "one a week" and "one hundred a week." Most successful job seekers find their "sweet spot" at about 5 to 10 high-quality applications per week.
| Metric | The "Spam" Method | Your "Focused" Method |
| Weekly Apps | 100+ | 5–10 |
| Time per App | 2 minutes | 45–60 minutes |
| Strategy | Luck & Volume | Networking & Follow-ups |
| Success Rate | Very low (<1%) | Much higher (as you've seen!) |
| Mental Health | High burnout / Despair | Higher agency / Control |
Why your "Hopelessness" is actually a "Competitive Edge"
If you feel like you can't keep up with the volume, don't try to. The fact that you are finding it hard to find hundreds of relevant jobs within commuting distance means you are being discerning. That’s a good thing! Employers can tell when an applicant actually understands the role versus someone who is just "spraying and praying."
The truth: Most of the people claiming "hundreds of apps is the bare minimum" are likely in a cycle of frustration because their method isn't working. You have already landed four interviews using your focused strategy. That is more success than many "volume" seekers see in months.
How to keep your energy up
Since you are focusing on high-value applications, try setting a "Finish Line" for the day:
Goal: "I will find 2 roles today that I genuinely like, tailor my resume for them, and find the hiring manager."
Done: Once that’s done, stop. Close the laptop. You have done more effective work than the person who clicked "Easy Apply" 50 times while watching Netflix.