Job Tuition

How To: Write A Thank You Note

December 29th, 2006 by Andrew

During the course of your life, many thank you notes will need to be written. Whether you are searching for a job, interviewing with employers, building your personal network, or just being nice to Aunt Polly, thank you notes are key. This article will give you the essential tools you need to write a professional thank you note.

Get your supplies

Cards - You can’t write a good thank you note without good cards on which to write. Thus, you should go to your local office supply store and start shopping. For your career needs, be sure to pick out a professional-looking card. Feel free to express a little personality, but be cautious. You might want to save the dancing monkey cards for your personal thank you notes.

Pen - You don’t need a special pen for writing thank you notes. However, do make sure your pen writes well. And make sure to use a pen. Don’t use marker, crayon, or map pencil. Even though it may be tempting, steer away from pink glitter pens. Stick with blue or black ink.

Stamps - What good is a thank you note, if you can’t mail it? Unless you get odd-sized thank you notes (which you shouldn’t), a regular, first-class postage stamp will do fine.

Be ready - If you have these supplies on hand at all times, you can dash off a quick thank you note when needed. One idea would be to have a little box near your desk where you store these things. You also should take a few cards and stamps when you go on a business trip; you never know who you might want to follow-up with before you return home.

Know the recipient

This may sound like a stupid thing to point out, but know to whom you are sending the note. Be sure you know how to spell his/her full name. Also, verify the recipient’s correct mailing address. You definitely want the note to arrive correctly.

What to write

In a business thank you note, you should open with a formal greeting - something like “Mr. Doe,”. If you really know the person well, or he requested that you use his first name, then do that.

Include the date on your note, to help the recipient understand your frame of reference. If you write the note today, and you talk with the recipient before the note arrives, the date of the note will show him when you wrote it.

The body of the note should say whatever you want to thank the recipient for. Be specific in your note. Thank him for the interview, dinner, advice, etc. Provide enough details so the recipient can easily remember the situation to which you refer.

In the last bit of the note, you should let the recipient know that you are looking forward to future interaction with him. Whether this is a hopeful follow-up interview, a luncheon down the road, etc. Be sure to let the reader know that you want to continue the relationship.

Close the note with a kind, professional closing. Use something like “Best regards” or “Respectfully” or, simply “Thank you.” Be sure to sign your name.

Write a draft

To keep from wasting your cool new thank you cards, always write a draft of your note first. You can do this on your computer or plain paper. It helps formulate your thoughts and correct errors ahead of time.

Another great part about writing a draft (especially on the computer) is that you can check for proper spelling and grammar. By using your word processing program, you have a good check on these simple things. But be sure to proofread yourself! Never rely completely on your computer.

Put the card together

Once your draft is perfect, write the note on the actual card. Hand-written notes are more personal than computer-printed ones. But if your handwriting is totally illegible (and you can’t even print), consider using your printer.

Carefully address the envelope, put on the stamp, insert the note, seal it, and you’re done! Get it in the mail ASAP, so the recipient doesn’t receive it 2 weeks after the date you put on the card.

You now have a new weapon in your career arsenal. Used effectively, thank you notes can be very powerful. They help you connect with others, and can help you stand out from the pack. Thank people; your career will thank you.