Are you a PNM wondering what you can do to "improve your chances" at recruitment?
 

Here's a suggestion: If you have not yet sent the sorority alumnae who have written your recommendations a personal, handwritten thank-you note, this is the time to do so.

I am writing a rec for a local girl (I don't know personally) who is going to a school with an extremely competitive recruitment. She sent me a packet a couple of weeks ago that was extremely polished and professional, but not over-the-top. What she could have done, but did not do, was include any sort of personal note or thank you to my attention.

To date, I haven't received a thank-you note, and I'm not holding it against her nor will it affect my recommendation of her. However, I have a lot more "fun" things to do with my time than write recs and a thank-you would be a nice touch. Had I forgotten about it (certainly possible when alumnae have children and are dealing with end-of-the school-year busyness), it would serve as a reminder, and as it is, it might improve my opinion of her and therefore increase the time and effort that I put into writing her rec.

So, if you are a PNM, wondering what to do, write those thank-you notes. It doesn't have to be complicated, and they can all be the same. ("Dear Mrs/Ms. Alumna, I so appreciate you taking time to send a recommendation letter on my behalf to University. I am really looking forward to recruitment! I hope you enjoy your summer. Sincerely, Polly PNM"

Wow. A month or so back I wrote a rec for a PNM planning to attend a super competitive school. I did not know her personally, she contacted me via our local alumnae Panhellenic. I happily sent her information off to the chapter, and shared with the PNM the information I knew about this particular campus' recruitment activities. She thanked me immediately, I wished her well, and added that I hoped she would let me know how it all worked out!

I'm completely confident she's going to have a great experience if she does her own research, presents herself to the best of her ability, keeps an open mind, and truly wants to join a sorority. That's my formula for improving your chances.

I read my post several times before I actually posted it, because I didn't want it to sound snippy. The point that I wanted to make is that it is good practice in life to thank those who are offering you assistance. In a situation like this, a note can serve as a reminder to someone that she has agreed to lend assistance.

This time of year, we get lots of questions like "Should I wear the blue dress or black for pref?" "Should I list xyz on my resume?" My point is that it is always a good idea to practice good manners (you received a thank-you immediately, I received none), and that if a girl is wondering how she should prepare for recruitment, brushing up on social graces is a good base to cover.

A few years ago, I did on-campus interviews for my company's summer internship. I interviewed 12 people, and got zero thank-you notes. Seriously?

You didn't want to sound snippy? Mission not accomplished. Passive-aggressiveness IS snippy. Plus, your getting or not getting a thank you note has as much chance of affecting her recruitment as my dog getting on Broadway. Unless you actually no-rec her for not sending a thank-you, in which case, you'd be a total bitch with less social grace than that which you complain about.

People, if you EXPECT a thank-you note and are going to get POed for not receiving one, do everyone involved a favor and refrain from doing favors.

I've re-read my post, and I disagree that it sounds snippy, but I do think that I mistitled it. Sending a thank-you note will not likely affect a PNM's recruitment, unless (1) their packet got lost en route to the alumna's house and slips through the cracks, in which case the note would alert that alumna to the problem (2) the scenario above, in which an alumna didn't send the rec (which I can't even imagine someone doing).

I do not write recs because I want to receive thank-you notes in the mail. However, just as I expect that I'll receive a thank-you if I give someone a gift or hold the door for someone, I expect that I should receive some thanks (even a post-it attached to her resume) that says "Thank you for your assistance" (or something similar).

I should probably admit that I just finished reading a Miss Manners book. That has probably influenced me!

I'm with KD on this one. I've been helping a few girls get their recruitment packets together for RIF and letter writers. The absolutely FIRST thing on my list for them is thank you notes. I'll help them with a script (so they're not reinventing the wheel with each one) but they're mandatory.

In my mind, if we're (sororities) helping groom women to go out into the world, then it starts here.

And yes, if I were interviewing someone and they did NOT send me a thank you note - it would affect my decision about them. Think how they would treat clients once they got into your workplace?

Maybe I'm too southern, though. Meh.

KD's post wasn't snippy, but mine might be... :D

Well, I'm a northerner and I think it absurd. No thank you = not that interested in the job?

Seriously. That's what I think it means. Someone took an hour out of their day to interview you and you can't take 5 minutes to write a note? Emily Post in me would prefer handwritten, but even if it's an email...it shows your level of interest or lack thereof.

I swear I'm not trying to snark, it's just what I know.

maybe this is one of those southern things.

i agree with the ladies who are suggesting to the pnms that they take the time to write a note(it can be brief) of thanks. The alumna is doing the pnm a favor and it is considered good manners to thank her.

people interviewing for jobs should also write a note of thanks. it shows that you have been "raised right" and may put you back in the thoughts of the interviewer.

I do live in the South. Perhaps it is a regional thing. Our Alumnae Panhellenic does stress to PNMs that they should send thank-you notes.

As for the thank-you after job interviews, I agree that it is necessary. I was taught in college that the post-interview thank you note is a way to stand out (guess this means that everyone doesn't write them, come to think of it), reiterate your interest and enthusiasm for the job, and to clarify/minimize any of your weaknesses that you felt might be a hindrance to your obtaining the position. For that reason, I have always made sure they are in the mail pronto (next morning at latest) because I want the interviewer to see my note before the final decision is made.

If I were doing the interviewing, I wouldn't eliminate someone who didn't send a note or hire someone obviously less qualified who did, but I would think twice before hiring someone who didn't send a note. Not because I love getting thank-you notes so much, but because I have always (and continue to) hear those advising job-seekers to send post-interview notes. Seems that if someone really wants the job, that he or she will try to make the effort to stand out.

All of this discussion about thank you notes has reminded me that I have one of my own to write. I'd better get to it, right now!

I'm a Southerner, and if I interviewed 12 people, 11 didn't send me a thank you note and one did... guess who seems more interested and on the ball?

It may not be "fair" - and maybe it is just regional, but I've never dinged anyone for being "too polite".

^This.

If you want to stand out and show interest and gratitude, it's the simplest way. If I were considering two absolutely equal people for the job, one wrote a note and one didn't, the one who did would get the job. Plain and simple.

Thanks for this thread - it's interesting to see that maybe it's just a regional thing. Not that I love writing them or getting them, but it's just nice to be personally acknowledged.

It's not necessarily a regional thing.

I remember being taught in Illinois to send thank you notes for job interviews.

I interviewed at least 15 southerners for an Admin job here in NC - not one thank you note.


Also, my original point still stands: Yes, thank you notes are polite and SHOULD be sent, but if you're going to get pissed off about NOT getting one, then don't do the favor to begin with.

My aunt told my mom that she would only send my kids a Christmas gift if I sent her a Christmas card (I'm not at a point in my life where I'm doing Christmas cards en masse, and I'm not really all that close to many people in my family due to age difference and geography). My aunt is fairly well off and would have probably sent my children very expensive gifts. She did NOT get a Christmas card - and no, my kids didn't get gifts from her. I hate when people determine that generosity should have stipulations.

Jinx! We sent that example at the same time!

1) Define "pissed off"...does that mean not send the RIF? Then, yes you're right, that's dumb. Is "disappointed" ok? I'm sorry, but if I'm going out of my way to do something nice and somewhat time consuming for someone (particularly if you're asking me to do it and I didn't volunteer to do it) and you don't bother to thank me for my time, then yes...I'm disappointed. If that's also defined as "pissed off" then so be it. :cool:

2) Your aunt reminds me of a cousin...she told my sister that if she didn't get a HS graduation announcement, she wouldn't be sending a gift. Stoopid reasoning. My sister doesn't even order grad announcements because it looks like you're fishing for a gift.