words Al Woods
There are so many wonderful things that our loved ones do for us and it is so important to show them how much we appreciate them. Sending a thank you note is sadly becoming a bit of a dying art, but it’s such a lovely gesture.
Equally, a note or email thanking a potential employer for a job interview is a great way to show that you are professional and can make the difference between being hired or being rejected. The most important thing to make sure of when you are writing a thank you note is that it is personal as this shows that you didn’t just write 50 notes the same.
This article is a step by step guide on how to write a thank you note to show your appreciation.
1. Write an Appropriate Greeting
Your thank you notes greeting will depend on who you are sending the note to. If you are writing a note to a family member or a really close friend you can write an informal greeting like “Hi Jenni” or “Hey Grandma”. If on the other hand, you are writing a thank you note to a potential employer after a job interview then you should write “Dear…” followed by the name of the person who interviewed you. Whether or not you use their first name or you write “Ms. Jones” depends on how they introduced themselves to you and how formal the interval was.
2. Say Thank You
The second step and the most important part of a thank you note is thanking the person for whatever you are grateful for. The folks at https://tonsofthanks.com/ told us that you should mention specifically what you are saying thank you for so that the recipient knows that you have written the note personally for them. It is important to write your thank you notes very personal so that it fully reflects your gratitude.
For example, a perfect start to an informal thank you note would be:
“Dear Grandpa,
Thank you so much for the new scarf! Pink is my favorite color so I love it!”
If you are sending a formal thank you note after a job interview then you can write:
“Dear Sarah,
Thank you so much for your time today during our interview.”
3. Add Extra Details about the Gift or Gesture
We all love to hear that a person we have given a gift to or have helped in some way appreciated it. To show that appreciation, the next step of writing a thank you note is to add extra details to explain how you are using the gift or how the recipient helped you out. Whether it was an actual gift, whether it was time, money, or hosting a party or event, you should mention exactly what they gave you or how they helped you.
A good example would be:
“Dear Nana,
Thank you so much for hosting the Christmas party! I really appreciate spending time with you and your gingerbread cookies were a smash hit!”
This note shows your grandmother that you thought about her and that you didn’t just write a quick note because you have five others to write.
For a job interview situation, thank the person for something specific that happened in the interview. A good example of this would be:
“Dear Sarah,
Thank you so much for your time in today’s interview. I appreciated learning more about the data analytics that your company works on and I think I’d be a really good candidate for this position.”
This shows that you paid attention during the interview and that you are knowledgeable about the potential position.
4. An Appropriate Closing
The correct closing to use in your note will be dependent on who you are thanking and what you are thanking them for. If it to thank an interviewer then you should end your note with:
“Sincerely,
Charles Davies.”
If it is a thank you note to a friend or family member then you can sign off more informally, but try to express your gratitude one last time in the end. For example, you might say:
“Thank you again,
Looking forward to seeing you soon,
Jenny.”
Writing a thank you note is so important for showing your appreciation. Whilst nobody gives a gift or does a favor just to receive gratitude, it still feels nice to be appreciated. Thanking someone for conducting a job interview can go a long way to deciding if they hire you, and it will be a good start to your new working relationship. If you are writing a thank you note, be sure to follow this guide.
