Touch base/follow up with alumni during Thanksgiving

I wanted to touch base with some alumni, as well as follow up with some alum I have not talked to for a while during the Thanksgiving occasion (just to have an excuse). anyone has recommendation on what I should write in the email, to make it personal but also not too uncomfortable/fake. Thanks!

43 Comments
 
BTbankerGetting an email about work over Thanksgiving dinner is an auto-ding.
Was just about to say this. Really, contacting people about your career over the holiday (you know, one of the rare days of the year where they aren't required to work)... frankly makes you seem like a tool.
Currently: future neurologist, current psychotherapist Previously: investor relations (top consulting firm), M&A consulting (Big 4), M&A banking (MM)
 

I'd say it sounds thinly veiled at best, unless you have a good relationship with your contacts (i.e. they're like a mentor to you, or via family/close friend connections). Even if it's not your intention, it still seems like attempts at schmoozing. Look, if I got an email from a college kid I met only a few weeks ago via informational interview wishing me a happy Thanksgiving and asking "how's it going"... I'm going to delete the damn thing. Bother me some time when I'm not trying to take a break from the onslaught of communication and obligation?

That -may- just be me, though.

Currently: future neurologist, current psychotherapist Previously: investor relations (top consulting firm), M&A consulting (Big 4), M&A banking (MM)
 

is waiting 3 years and 5 days the optimal thanksgiving networking strategy? No harm in trying, what have I got to lose right?

**How is my grammar? Drop me a note with any errors you see!**
 

Seriously? The best time to send the email is yesterday.

Otherwise just send it on the Monday immediately following. It's just an email...you can always follow up if you need to.

 

Absolutely terrible idea. People do read their emails, so I don't think emailing over a holiday will catch anyone that wouldn't have responded on a workday. The only thing it will do is make people mad because they are enjoying a holiday with their family and see their blackberry blinking and it turns out to just be some kid cold-emailing. I did a fair bit of cold-emailing when I was trying to break into SA programs but was always firmly of the opinion that it should only be done on weekdays during business hours.

 

The "benefits" you speak of are not benefits. Like others have said, it's a terrible idea.

I can't understand your line of thinking here. You think because they're feeling festive and aren't as busy, that they'd be more willing to help you out?

No. The last thing these people want to see while they're enjoying some time off is some random email from you.

 

are you serious?

think for a second, please. do you want any emails from random kids on a holiday from your shitty-ass 100hr job to talk about the one thing you promised yourself to forget? not even a single ugly fatfuck spending thanksgiving by themselves would want something like this.

while i support networking, there are many things that, if someone thought to use a brain first, should never be done. take a couple minutes and think...common sense, use it! you're smart, apply it!

 
Best Response
etherlord
chicandtoughnessSee: http://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forums/touch-basefollow-up-with-alumni-d… I got my first cold-email today from a kid at my alma mater doing the "I'm really interested in consulting, can I ask you some questions? Can you tell me what you do in consulting?". I deleted it.
Ughh... First year analyst with an attitude. You just barely got in the door yourself, and now you are shutting it in someone's face!
I wouldn't expect anyone - first year analyst or otherwise - to respond to me if I sent a half-hearted mass email to a bunch of alums. You don't know what we do in consulting, but you want me to believe you're interested in it? What are you interested in, the 4-day-a-week travel, the Starwood points, or the exit opps? Because believe me, I don't want to talk about many of those topics. It's not hard -- do your research like everyone else. Come up with something besides "tell me what you do?" And then I'll respond to you - hell, if it's interesting enough I'll respond to you -and- forward it to my director. It's the same thing as when I was an undergrad and high schoolers emailed me asking "I'm really interested in Top Tier University, can you look over my essays?" There's legit networking and then there's thinly veiled half-ass attempts.
Currently: future neurologist, current psychotherapist Previously: investor relations (top consulting firm), M&A consulting (Big 4), M&A banking (MM)
 
chicandtoughnessSee: http://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forums/touch-basefollow-up-with-alumni-d… I got my first cold-email today from a kid at my alma mater doing the "I'm really interested in consulting, can I ask you some questions? Can you tell me what you do in consulting?". I deleted it.

The other side of that is that they really didn't give a shit to hear what you had to say about consulting. They wanted to know if your company was hiring and obviously not if you deleted the e-mail. I'd say that was mission accomplished with efficiency by both parties.

 
SwaGGeReRWhat are your thoughts on sending networking emails over thanksgiving? Some have said it's a bad idea, but there are potentially benefits to doing so as well. People are generally in a more festive mood, aren't as busy, etc.

Opinions?

Terrible idea.

Competition is a sin. -John D. Rockefeller
 

I actually had to send out a bunch of emails after I got out of exams on Tuesday...I figured I should just wait for Monday so some poor chap doesn't have to leave late on Wednesday or worry about taking care of some bullshit on Friday.

The working man doesn't get a lot of days to spend with his undersexed wife and his rebellious kids with facebook mobile up their anus. The one day he gets, I'm going to do everything in my power to maximize its efficiency. This is my gift to everyone. Happy holidays

 

Nothing better than your blackberry buzzing during a Thanksgiving meal. You feel a slight moment of panic, and then realize it's just a college kid emailing you. You smilingly delete the email as you curse the mother of the person who interrupted one of 5 days of peace each year.

"Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face."
 

On an another note, received an email from the MD at 4:45 pm asking us if we will be free to discuss a project on Friday or Monday. Stupid ass associate said yes for Friday and now I have to bring my sorry ass into work on the only Friday where I could have took off..... silly rant and unrelated to your post...... it's a stupid idea to email anyone on Thursday through Sunday if it's not super urgent / important.

 

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