Writing Thank You Letters After Interviews

How to Write a Thank You Note

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Few items show how much you appreciate a gift or favor more than a handwritten thank you note. Even in today's world of texts, emails and social media, taking the time to actually put a pen to paper and explain just how thankful you are for another person shows them just how much they mean to you. It doesn't take much time, effort or money, so there's really no excuse not to do it. Take a look at the basic steps for writing a thank you note.

Select a Card or Stationery

The first thing you'll want to do before writing a thank you note is decide what you're going to write the note on, usually either a card of stationery. You can find thank you cards at almost any supermarket, office supply store or gift shop, and you can buy them individually or in boxes of multiples if you have many people to thank. They can be funny, sentimental, simple or designed with multiple prints and colors. If you don't have cards or stationery, a simple piece of paper will work just fine.

Choose a Greeting

Now that you have your thank you note ready, it's time to start the actual writing. you'll want to begin with a proper greeting in the top left corner of the card or paper. What you choose is up to you, and it may even depend on your relationship with the person. If you're sending something to an acquaintance, boss or co-worker, you may start with something a little more formal like "Dear Mrs. Quinn." If you're sending it to a relative, you can may want to keep it casual and start with just the name, like "Aunt Sadie" or "Grandma." Whatever you decide, make it as personalized as possible to show you put some thought into the effort.

Thank the Person First

Next, you'll start on the body of the thank you note. As a general rule, you'll want to thank the person as clearly as you can in the first line. don't forget to also add what you're thanking them for. Some examples are "Thank you so much for sending me that gift certificate to my favorite store for Christmas" or "Thanks for feeding my pets while I was out of town." Again, how you say it will depend on your relationship with the person and your own personality.

Add Some Personalization

Of course, you'll want to add a bit more wording to the body of your note. Short and sweet is fine, but you can make it as long as you want if you're writing to an old friend or loved one whom you don't see often. Most people add some information about the gift, such as how they used it, or why they're thankful for the favor they received. For example, if you said "Thank you so much for sending me that gift certificate to my favorite store for Christmas," you can follow up with a line like "I used it to buy a new sweater and boots so I'll stay extra warm this winter." If your first line was "Thanks for feeding my pets while I was out of town," you can follow it up with something like, "It's nice to know they were in such good hands so I could relax and enjoy my vacation." You may want to add a few lines asking how the person is doing, telling them if they ever need a favor to call you or simply catching them up on some of the details of your life.

Close the Note and Sign It

Once you've finished the body of the note, it's time to close and sign it. You may want to reiterate the point of the note with a one last single line like "Thank you again for the gift card — it was so nice of you to think of me." Next, you'll choose a closing to write at the bottom right corner of the note, just below the last line. Depending on your relationship with the recipient or how formal the note is, closings can range from "Regards, Brian" to "Love, Brian." Below the closing, you'll sign your name. Keep in mind: There is no spell check or backspace for a handwritten note. Be sure to proofread it before you send it off to its recipient.