Help Me Understand.. Why do we use Thank -You notes?

Today I went to the Unemployment Office. I have to take 1 class each day and post 2 job searches each day in order to collect $135 a week. Today, we learned how to apply for a job. IT was great fun. We all sharpened our pencils and sat on the long benches and talked to each other. I met a very nice lady from Chicago. She had a Masters Degree and had worked for TransUnion for many years. She was so nice. She had 2 kids and could not find a job. We hit it right off. The instructor told us to: 1.) make sure we had clean finger nails, 2.)to show up on time for the interview (if we were lucky enough to get an interview) and 3.) to send a "Thank-You" note after the interview. Funny, even though I have a MASTERS DEGREE, I had never heard this wisdom before? It seems like just yesterday that Papa Bush was telling us in his "Thousand-Points-of-Light" speech to re-train, try harder and believe in the American dream. So I sold my beautiful house, moved my family cross country and went back to school for Computer Networking. Then, they brought in HB-1V workers and sent my job to India. Next, they told me that Real Estate was they way to go. So I got my Contractors License, busted ass, worked hard and they rewarded us by bringing in Mexican Workers. They told me I wasn't "Productive" enough. (Well, I really didnt want to build houses anyway.) So now I'm 65 years old. My Point is....I'm getting tired. I just want to know what Good American's are supposed to do to survive? I can't take many more years of Trickle-Down survival. Good news though, if you are a "Senior" you can get a cup of coffee at McDonald's for the Senior price. Take care. See you Monday morning on the long Bench by the green wall in the back of the hall. I'll bring coffee and extra #2 pencils so we can fill in the circles on the forms.

It's been common courtesy for some time, to send a thank-you note after a job interview. Unless you're applying for a McJob, of course...even if you got that job, you couldn't afford a thank-you note anyway. I guess that's why such jobs are exempt from that piece of advice from Miss Manners. :)

.... the hardest sales job you'll ever have because the stakes are so high. You use them to stand-out, because you want your application/resume to still be in the stack when decision time comes.

but we have to play along to get along.

So write a thank-you note. Make it as good as your post is, and I'll wager something positive will come of it.

I'll be pulling for you.

Dear lib2DaBone,

Thank you for asking that question. It's actually a very good one. In its simplest terms, some people need to be taught the absolute basics about social interaction, so the employment counselor is trying to help out.

1. You only get one chance to make a good first impression (sit up straight, don't chew gum, clean your nails).

2. But you do get a chance to make someone remember you kindly and to attach those kind feelings to your name and face (write a thank you note).

Of course you didn't learn that in college. Your mother was supposed to teach you those things, and you were supposed to remember them.

Oh, and by the way, Spell Check is another way to make a good impression. I wouldn't mention it here except you are applying for professional jobs and you want to look as intelligent and detail-oriented as possible.

I'm sure you are tired of the BS that passes for our nation's economic and foreign policy. It's been hell on a lot of people.

Best of luck to you.

Very sincerely yours,

Hekate

and remember, the people to who (whom? i never get that right) you are applying for a job, already have jobs. they probably couldn't fathom what you are going through.

they are looking for folks they can work with. and common, social, friendly customs help assure them that you will be someone they want to work with.

think of it more like trying to get a date. you don't just toss your resume at a pretty girl/handsome guy and expect that to seal the deal. a little confidence, some niceness, pleasantries, etc. go a long way to make a connection.


you are not just applying for a job. you are trying to get that job in the sack...

for whom the bell tolls
to whom it may concern
by whom it was written
at whom I tossed the ball

who is cooking dinner - who = subject

but I'm not 100% sure.

but i have no idea what your point is.

so help me out, you know. explain your post in words a regular shlub that posts here might understand...

So you say who is coming to dinner not whom is coming to dinner because who is the subject of the sentence.

You could say "who made dinner?" or ask "By whom was the dinner made?" but the latter sounds silly even though it's grammatically correct.

You said something about the who/whom rule and since this was an etiquette thread I was trying to be helpful. Sorry.

thank you, kind sir/madam.

who/whom explained. i will never make that mistake again because of your kind post.

and I am only 44. I have worked in construction for all of my adult life. I looked at the people around me who had been working for years and they had a good life. So I applied myself to learning everything about woodworking and building.

I started my own one man business when I was 38. Shortly thereafter they changed the rules for sub-contractors. I could not afford to comply so I had no choice but to go get a job and leave the dream of self employment behind. Jeb Bush did that with the stroke of a pen, he put thousands of us out of business and sent us back to working for the man.

Where is the American dream? It was acquired by Walmart in a hostile take-over and sold off piece by piece to china.

Thanks for nothing.I would not send a card to someone for rejecting me, but that's just me. Something like that is too much like ass-kissing and I cannot bring my lips to pucker-up for ass under any circumstances. I have tried but I can't pull it off.

I cannot imagine the horror of trying to get a corporate, suit and tie job, or working such a job. I don't make as much money but not having to show false respect to some desk jockey is worth it......most of the time.

and I have gotten in trouble or left behind for not knowing them. So I've learned to try to pay attention.

I understand what you are saying. I sort of feel that way. If you have 500 people applying for one job, I would think your qualifications would matter most? But as other posters have said, it is a common social skill and we have to go along to get along. SO I understand it works both ways. Thanks for all the advice and kind words from DUers. I guess that's all we can do is "Hang in there".

More people care than you know.

NGU!

I know it's a bitch. I wish I could offer something substantive. In my case, I got lucky literally at the very last minute. I had given up. I had a degree and 12 years experience in biomedical research at top tier academic institutions. It wasn't enough. I got laid off and was out of work for a total of 13 months, and yes, I had to fill out those stupid forms. I am 59 now - soon to be 60. After you're 50 it's really tough. I worked briefly driving school buses when I got a call from a local lab and was hired by that company. I know I got lucky. It was very close for me. All I'm saying is, don't give up even when it seems like all is lost. You can send me a private message anytime you want. Maybe I can't offer answers, but at least I can offer support.

but I have to say I've had better luck when I've done it. It makes sense to me for two reasons now.

Partly it's a sign that you're really interested in the job - not using it to try to get a raise at your current job, and you didn't lose interest upon meeting the current boss, seeing the place, etc.

Second, if the job you'll be doing requires social graces of some sort (dealing with clients, sensitive information, nurturing relationships, etc.) it's a way to show that you're tuned into that sort of thing.

It doesn't come naturally to me because I'm a pretty straightforward person not trained in all these rituals by my family, but it's part of the hurdles to jump if you're in a competitive market.

Good luck!

I've always done it because some high school counselor told me to do so in 1960 or 70 something. I always thought it one of those meaningless things that was just expected. The owner of this business told me when he offered me the job that was the deciding factor. I about fell out of my wheelchair.

And are just nice. Plain old nice.

And I don't give wedding or shower gifts a second time to any of my relatives if I don't receive one for the first gift.

I'm such a bitch I know, but I can't believe these young people whose mothers (and why not fathers?) let them get by without sending thank-you notes.

But on to more substance. Bless your heart for having to suffer this at this time in your life. The American Dream began to fade during the Reagan years for me. That's when it seems to have begun to be harder and harder for regular folks to plan to work for the same company as a loyal employee and expect to be rewarded when it came time to retire.

I have honestly never heard of it in Canada. In fact, it smacks of a subtle form of social bribery to me.

They work a lot better than phone calls asking, "Did I get the job or what?"

Although, if you do get the job they will generally let you know about it anyway.

I imagine it also has a lot to do with the state of the job market. These extra flourishes seem to be more common when the market is in the employer's favor.

It's a good chance to reinforce points you made at the interview: nothing overpowering, just a few lines.

It's not about kissing up as some have posted. It's as you and others have noted: a way to stand out and a part of the marketing of yourself for the job.

She sent her thank you note in a fashionable shoe. Everybody remembered the shoe and she got the job.

It's weird.

I'd never send one. I don't believe in kissing corporate ass just to get some crappy job I don't really want anyways.

It sounds like a bureaucratic game to increase the american obsession with competition.

If I were hiring, I wouldn't hire based on a thank-you note. I'd hire based on qualifications, experience, and references.

Don't listen to me, though. I vote based on issues and record, which means my candidates are guaranteed to lose.

The short cover letter you send with your resume should present the one or two points about why you are a great candidate for the job -- but not too detailed because you don't yet really know what the job really is.

The follow-up (thank you for the opportunity...) letter gives you a means to re-state your case after you have met with the management and possible co-workers. You can use it to make a point or clarify an issue with one interviewer in a way it will be seen by others. Maybe include a comment about something positive you saw or learned during the interview, but only if it really resonated with you.

If you get to the interview stage, you have already done quite a bit right. For 3-5 people we might interview, we have typically sifted through 50-500 resumes. We try to keep the number of applicants lower by putting more details in the job description. Remember that we try to send at least a form letter to each applicant (unless our ad disavows that); we try to call those we interviewed as soon as we have filled the position.

All this takes time; interviews for a position might be spread over a week or two because of scheduling issues, especially if applicants are not local; a first choice might take several days to decline an offer; and on it goes.

Most important is doing a good, solid resume. Format it cleanly; avoid using too many fonts or some overly-clever style; keep it to one or maybe two pages; do a most-recent-first list of employment history with 2-3 lines for each, same for education.

Present yourself positively, but honestly; don't lie about anything, don't try to BS anyone -- after you have seen thousands of resumes, you can spot problems within seconds. Time-lines trip up many applicants.

Be aware that there are often hidden connections between where you are applying and where you have previously worked and studied; employees, family, or friends who know the other situations and provide an informal background check -- true even from one side of the country to another. Make sure you know what an internet search could easily find about you.

Good luck to each DUer, hope you get the jobs you want and need.

3 years ago, there were about 10 openings, and 60 - 90 applicants for every opening. I didn't know that, though. Where I was coming from, there was a teacher SHORTAGE.

I had 3 interviews, didn't get picked up, and began to get nervous. I contacted one principal who had an opening, not the best fit for me, but I was willing to take anything at that point, by email. She responded quite courteously, and with interest, but that position was filled.

I got an interview with her for another position 2 weeks later. I didn't have enough time to write a thank-you note for the interview; the phone range to ask me to come back and sign a contract as soon as I walked in the door, returning from the interview.

I'll certainly keep this in mind for the next time I want to make a move.

I work for the NHS in the UK. Not only is it very easy for me to find a job in the same sector almost anywhere in the UK (I could probably literally walk out tomorrow, get a train ticket to London and get a different job there the next day at the same pay) it's almost impossible to get fired.

Corporations don't care about Good Americans, they care about profits.

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