Thank you notes

[J.NordicSkier7]

When writting thank you notes, who should you send them to? If I didn't get a nom, should I still send it to that office? Thanks.

 

[America's Finest]

I don't know who to send them to (either the selection committee or the MOC himself).

It's never a bad thing to thank them even if you didn't get the nom. They still went through the trouble for looking at your file and interviewing you.

 

[Antoinette]

You are nice, J.NordicSkier7, to think of thank you notes. Did your MOC notify you by letter about the nomination? If so, then send the thank you note to your MOC.

 

[bigcox]

i sent thank you letters with a senior pic to both MOC's and one of them sent a personal letter back to me thanking me for the letter. doesn't hurt to thank them for their time...

 

[xTxMANx]

I did not send a letter, I called the office and talked to them

 

[flieger83]

I think a "thank you for the opportunity" to your MOC, regardless whether or not you received a nomination, would be VERY well received.

 

[LineInTheSand]

I never thought to write to my MOC. Probably could have, although I would have been creating more work for the staffers who received it. I always that that if Congress wants oversight over service academies, it was their duty to conduct interviews (as part of that oversight). That might be wrong. Could always make it up to them by voting for them though....

 

[Luigi59]

I think a "thank you for the opportunity" to your MOC, regardless whether or not you received a nomination, would be VERY well received.

Or could be seen as bootlicking.

 

[flieger83]

Or could be seen as bootlicking.

No, I really don't think so.

Thank you notes are VERY commonplace in industry. One of the first things you learn about job interviews is that a "thank you" note as a "follow up" is a good thing to do. In some industries its almost expected.

And it's just a decent courtesy. I know my MOC pretty well as I serve on his military board (he went to HS with my wife, we use the same gym, etc.) and he's a down-right "old fashioned courtesy guy." He even wrote me a thank-you note for serving on his board again this year, even though he saw me that very day!

Nope...I think it's a decent idea.

 

[America's Finest]

Or could be seen as bootlicking.

It's not going to be seen as bootlicking if the decision has already been made and the noms have already been given out.

 

[wannabe2013]

I sent a thank you note to my MOC and the staff members of his who were involved with the interview the day that I had the interview so they got the letters before they made a decision hopefully. I ended up getting the nomination...
I got the idea from my Uncle who does a lot of hiring for Neman Marcus and other high-end retailers and companies such as Villeroy and Bach and he said that since receiving a nomination and eventually an appointment is basically like being hired for a job as an officer, you should do all of the things you would do to receive a good job that you want which includes sending thank you notes which are apparently looked on very well.

 

[bruno]

Wannebe2013- your Uncle gave you good advice. Basic etiquette and courtesy is never out of place. It probably on its own never got anybody a job (or a nomination)- but I guarantee being seen as ill mannered has cost plenty of folks a second look. Sending a thank you note is a nice touch which indicates that you are familiar with basic professional courtesies. That thought process ought to be followed even prior to your interviews- dress up not down, be overly polite in addressing the interviewer, etc... Does everyone look for this or even make note of it? Obviously not- but the person who is looking for these things will use them as a discriminator if you fail to follow these basics. It would be a shame to hurt yourself because you failed to do something so small- and conversely doing them is both simple and makes you look professional- which of course is the whole impression you are trying to make -right?