Would it be wrong to send gift as thank you for job interview?
Not a bribe exactly, but would it be wrong to send a dozen donuts or bagels a few days after the interview with a thank you note? I've already sent a thank you/follow up right after the interview, but they are taking 2 weeks to make their decision and I would like to stay in their minds. I'm up against 10 other interviewee's and there are 2 positions open. My interview was Tuesday, so I was thinking I'd send donuts or something the next Monday. ***Also, it's a job with the City (Public Works Department), if that matters. THANKS!
I sent a thank you card but is that considered bribery?
Not at all. It isn't considered bribery but it was inappropriate - a nice thank you CARD would have been sufficient. Governmental employees although there are some exceptions e.g. teachers and their apples, cannot accept individual gifts. People who work for most school systems are employed by the government. I once received a box of candy from someone I interviewed who was filing for social security retirement benefits. I thanked him profusely and after he left my supervisor came and took the box of chocolates into the break room to be shared with the staff. Right then and there I decided that the next time a claimant gave me a box of candy I wasn't going to tell a soul. Fortunately for my corruptibility I never got another gift again. The reason why governmental employees at high and low level alike are not allowed to accept gifts, however small, is because it CAN be seen as a bribe for a favor and the employee who accepts the gift can be seen as a person who is bribe-able. Whether that's the case or not. Do not hesitate to send thank-yous and if you feel that an email isn't enough, a handwritten thank-you card will do the trick - and it will always be appreciated. I've noticed that since the advent of the computer that many Americans have lost their manners - if they were taught them in the first place. My sister Susie was taught manners but she never even sent thank-you's to people who gave her wedding gifts and she didn't raise her daughters to be thankful either. She should be ashamed of herself. I sometimes wonder if the younger generation even knows how to write cursive anymore.
Should I give my law school letter of recommendation writers a thank you gift and a card?
I had two professors and a former manager write me letters of recommendation for law school apps. I am going to send them a note and I was thinking of sending the gift certificates to either a local restaurant or Kiva, but I wasn't sure if that was weird or not -- Any thoughts?
Have job interview..Is appropriate to send a small gift with the thanks for the interview letter?
I really, really have wanted to work for this company for along time. It is super hard to get in, now I finally have a chance. I have an interview next week. Afterwards when I send my "Thank you for the interview" letter, would sending a small gift be ok? Or would it be considered bribery? I just really want to stand out and make a nice impression. I was thinking something along the lines of a decorated cookie with the words "Thanks" or "Hire me" or what do you think? Something clever, any ideas? or should I scrap this idea all together?
How do you reply to someone thanking you for a gift you gave to her?
It is normal human courtesy to thank the gifter. You need to calibrate your response based on the tone of thanks received.A mere thanks means what you have gifted is something that she does not normally require but she does not want to disappoint you by not thanking you.“Thank you so much” means she values her relationship with you but you still need to determine what is the zone you are in.If the thanks is accompanied by, “I really appreciate it”, your gift has value for her.If the thanks is accompanied by, “it means a lot to me”, you are definitely in the friendship zone if not more. If you want to determine your zone, go and meet her personally instead of replying back to her.
Should we give a handwritten thank you note to the teachers who wrote recommendation letters to colleges or would an email would be better?
I got an Early Action admission from MIT.I immediately went and thanked, personally, each and everyone of my teachers and then helped my guidance counselor get off the floor…….And then, when I was at MIT I had a standing invitation to all of my teachers and one took me up on it, and “crashed in my dorm” for several nights while attending a science conference in Boston (saved him a bunch of money).And then, each vacation when I returned to my home town, I assisted in teaching courses at my high school and to grade final exams to give my teachers a break.I was and still am forever thankful to each and everyone of them.
Thank You note after interview?
Well it's a toss up really: 1) It could show your interested in the job appreciate and respect their time, which is a great thing. 2) It could come off as a cheesy, brown nosing, desperate bribe. It's good to follow up leads. Just don't go overboard with it, if you to decide to. If you actually went to the work environment and be personal about what you learnt about the company and during your interview, it's better. If they have asked you for more details, like a list of reference or additional info, you can also send it attached.
Is writing a hand-written thank you note (for a gift, dinner, visit, stay, etc) a uniquely American habit?
Yes thank you notes are an American custom. Of course, other cultures are just as grateful. They just express them in different ways.Writing by hand and mailing makes sense as a form of gratitude in the culture of the United States. Norms help us communicate. Just as we use certain words because others know what we mean. Other cultures don't speak our etiquette "language"In Japan, small gifts are appropriate thanks in networking situations. In the United States businesses, this would be frowned upon or seen as either bribery or just unusual and out of touch with norms after an interview.Europeans also don't send thank you notes. They may happen in the UK, but have become rare and note expected. Usually a business is expected to handle business operations, not prospective employees. For gifts, the relationship is considered thanks enough.In the 1800s, the United States postage stamp made sending mail easier. This is when American paper companies started marking thank you notes as required. They hired artists and designers to decorate them based on German holiday cards.Following cultural cues shows respect, consideration and politeness for the way they culture operates. A very thoughtful question, thanks for the opportunity to answer
What is a good thank you gift for a lawyer?
My husband is a lawyer. He has received everything from liquor to more liquor to even more liquor (we don’t really drink). Cookie baskets. Fruit baskets. Meat/cheese/wine (yes, more liquor) baskets. So many gift cards that we end up re-gifting them. We’ve received tickets to shows and baseball games and concerts. There was one special time when a client, who was a chef at a restaurant, made a reservation for us and came out to talk to us about what we like to eat. Then he created a special dinner for us, several courses with dessert. That was lovely and special.One woman bought him a shirt and tie, which he didn’t like and re-gifted.My husband always appreciates a good cigar, especially if its something that is difficult to obtain or rare.If you know your attorney likes a particular band or is a Star Wars fan or plays soccer, well, that doesn’t always help. If they like a particular band, in all likelihood the attorney, family & friends have already bought him/her a bunch of stuff. Hard to guess what s/he may already have. One client put together a cute Star Wars basket for my husband full of tchotchkes that were SW related: a writing pad, sticky notes, pens, funny little chocolates …. all SW related.To be perfectly frank, the best thank you gift you can give your attorney is to pay your bill on time, leave a good AVVO rating and recommend him or her to other people. A note, especially to the support staff, is also appreciated.Other than that, if people insist, the hubs asks clients to donate to one of several charities he supports.