Is it appropriate to email the search chair a "thank you" and a reaffirmation of interest after a brief first round skype call?
Yes, you need to thank the committee after each interview. Tell them you like the place thus far, and hope to learn more in a campus visit, if possible. Also email them quick.They usually meet right after they have talked the last candidate. Also personalize those thank you emails; people forward their emails to each other. Btw, keep your email short….
meh. It strikes me as unnecessary. I have had a bunch of interviews, and I have never sent thank you emails. Think about it from their end - they might be giving a dozen phone interviews. Do they really want a dozen 'thank you's? It's not like it's that big of a burden for them.
Different story for site interviews. The search chair is especially inconvenienced, but so is everyone else. And money goes into it. Totally proper to thank them.
I agree with pete - "thank you" after phone/Skype interviews seems unnecessary. Just be sure to end the conversation on a gracious note, re-expressing your interest. For in-person interviews, definitely email a thank you though!
I would have to disagree with Pete and anon2 above. First, it never goes wrong to send a short thank you note. Second, when two or more candidates are about equal, small things like this play a role in the decision. I was on the job market twice (was successful in both) and also served on search committee for 3 times.
I've been on a lot of search committees and we have negative perceptions of candidates who do not send thank you notes. It takes 5 minutes, it shows you are considerate and gracious and interested in the position. Not doing it could easily be perceived as someone who is not considerate, not gracious, or too busy going on other interviews to be bothered. (You can just send to search chair, not everyone on call).
You would be amazed at the small things that affect hiring decisions when 3-10 candidates are equally strong. Here's the thing: to get to the interview phase you all have great CV's. At that point, a lot of what is being assessed is likability and collegiality. If anyone is perceived as at all arrogant (eg too busy to write a thank you note?) that can make a difference in favor of an equally qualified, gracious person. I'm not necessarily saying the lack of a thank you note kills someone but that on top of any perception of "attitude"? It's another data point.
There are some data points you can't control and others you can. Like writing a 5 minute thank you note!
I sent TYs to schools after in person interviews but only if I wanted an offer from them. I didn't send it if I didn't like the place. Fwiw, I received offers from schools I sent TYs to. But… I'm sure that's self-fulfilling. I'll do it again this way if I ever look to make a move. Never sent any after phone or Skype but I'm sure it's not looked down on if you do/don't. Might be looked down on if you don't after in person and add to a generally negative impression that I'm guessing non-senders give off anyway