The art of the thank you note is something that is dying out of our culture. People just don’t write thank you notes on the regular anymore. But you should, because it can really set you apart from others around you. Thank you notes aren’t just for gifts either, you can and should write them for the opportunities that someone gives you. You finish an awesome internship or even an interview, you should write them a note. It makes the reader step back and remember why they hired you or why they should. It’s crucial to know how to write a good thank you note: it’s more personal, shows genuine gratitude and is just a classy move.
The first step to writing the perfect note is to find the perfect stationary. Every Christmas I get stationary to write thank you notes on. Go to a store like the Paper Place or Papyrus and pick out something that speaks to you. A good rule of thumb is to pick out a professional one, something fairly plain, and then a jazzy one that you can send to friends and family (I usually like them to have a quirky animal pun on them).
Secondly, think about who you’re writing to and what. You aren’t going to talk to someone you just interviewed with the same way you’re going to talk to Granny. Be respectful and use proper grammar. After all thank you notes are a classy move and they should look that way.
Next put the pen to paper (always write thank you notes in pen that’s black or blue). Start your letter by thanking them for whatever they’d given you or done for you. If it’s a gift say what you’re going to do with it (especially if it’s cash) or where you’re going to wear it etc. If it’s an opportunity like an interview make sure you acknowledge that they’ve taken time out of their schedule for you, bonus points if you can mention something you talked about and found especially interesting. Keep in mind that your thank you note should sound like you, don’t make it overly formal and stiff (especially not with family). A thank you note should feel like you wrote it effortlessly.
Wrap it up – thank you notes aren’t novels but they should fill at least one side of the card. (And don’t write unreasonably big just to take up space, that looks cheap.) Thank them again and tell them that you are looking forward to seeing them or hearing from them again. If it’s a letter to Granny (or a friend/family member) you can sign off with ‘love, ____’. If it’s an interviewer or someone you don’t know well don’t sign it with “love” because that might be weird, instead use something like “sincerely”, “truly”, or “regards”.
Once you get into the flow of writing thank you notes it will be a no-brainer and the recipient of the note will think all the more of you. You may find that you actually like writing them – I find there’s something about writing a good thank you note.
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