Thank-you notes are a polite way to express your gratitude, but a boring thank-you note ruins all the fun! At the end of your internship, you want to give your boss something to remember you by that shows how grateful you are to have had this opportunity. And what better way to do that than with a gift that shows creativity at the same time? Give your boss a gift that will make you stand out. These gifts are totally awesome and entirely memorable—your boss will never forget you!
1. Thank-you ball
A simple thank-you note looks pretty boring compared to a bouncy ball that says the same thing! Sending a ball is a funky way to show your gratitude, and your boss can play with it, too! Sendaball has options for every occasion, even one ball you can put your own words on.
To send a ball, choose from the selection of balls they have and customize your message (up to 75 characters). The ball is 10 inches in diameter, so think of it as sending a volleyball to your boss. The balls cost $16 plus shipping. Send your boss a colorful bouncy ball, and she’ll definitely remember how much she had with your fabulous thank-you!
2. Gift basket
Everyone likes to receive a little basket of goodies at the end of the day. Fill a basket or bag full of your boss’s favorite candy, a magazine to read and other fun items that he or she would like. Items such as candy, hot chocolate packets, tea and other non-perishable items make for great gift-basket fillers. Attach a little thank-you note and a ribbon, and it’s good to go!
Cindy Harrington, an intern manager at Save the Children, says, “Last year my interns got together and they made a little gift basket for me. … That little gift basket is such a nice way for them to thank me.”
3. Personalized mug
Having a cool mug on your desk makes you 10 times more awesome, and your boss thinks no different. Stand out from the crowd and make your boss a mug that holds coffee and reminds him or her of your internship. Websites like Vistaprint and CafePress make it easy to print your own photos and words onto a mug for your boss.
“Every morning at my internship last summer, my boss would give us our daily assignments, then would tell us, ‘Let’s do this, team!’ So I got him a mug with those exact words when the summer was over,” says Julia Cabot, a junior at Oregon State University who interned with Nike last summer. “My boss just laughed when I handed it to him, getting the joke. A mug is a great gift for your boss.”
Put an office inside joke or a picture of all the interns on a mug for your boss to really show your appreciation!
4. Autograph frame
Sonia Barter, a sophomore theater major at the University of Oregon who interned with a New York theatre company, tells the story of the thank-you gift she got her boss. “When the term was over … I gave the company director an autograph frame,” she says. “The director was almost in tears because she thought it was so sweet!”
You can follow Sonia’s example and get your own boss an autograph frame with a picture of all the interns and sign the frame with your names. Your boss will definitely appreciate the gesture, and he or she can hang it in the office to remember you all by!
5. Edible Arrangement
We all like to eat, so why not give your boss a thank-you that’s edible? Send your boss a beautiful fruit arrangement to serve the dual purpose of saying thank you and filling his or her stomach! They come in plenty of different arrangements with different fruits, so make sure to ask what kind of fruit he or she enjoys.
“Every once in a while you’ll see an Edible Arrangement being sent around the office, and we all look around to see who gets it. It’s definitely the best way to say thank you because it’s so delicious!” says Olivia Stonewall, an adviser at the University of Oregon’s admissions office. “The time I received one, the student who sent it to me really stood out.”
Giving an Edible Arrangement is a fun, yummy way to tell your boss thank you.
Showing your gratitude toward your internship supervisor is important, and doing it in a fun way is great! Giving one of these gifts will put a little personality into your thank-you and make you stand out from the other interns. Thank your boss with one of these fun ways, and he or she may have to send a thank-you note, too!