Thank You Writing Tips for Better Thank You Notes

Do you worry about how to thank someone for a gift, kind gesture, or job interview?  Thank you writing doesn’t have to be a chore if you follow a few important principles.

A thank you note is best when it is handwritten and mailed as soon as possible.

(After a job interview you need to send a thank you within 24 hours.)

Take a few moments to think about the gift and the effort put in to selecting it, how your friend or neighbor was inconvenienced when they helped you out, or something specific from your interview.

Thank you note writing doesn’t have to be wordy or overly sweet, but it should be sincere. 

Recognize the person (“Dear [name],”) and thank them for the gift, favor, or interview specifically.  Mention what you like about the gift, how their action helped you, or how your experience will make a difference in the new job.

Thank them again before closing. Use whatever phrase fits (like “Love,” or “In thankfulness”) except when thanking an interviewer—then use “Sincerely.” Sign your name and get your thank you note in the mail!

Thank You Note Examples

Dear Aunt Amelia,

Thank you for the colorful (and very warm) mittens.  I will think of you every time I put them on.  You are so sweet to think of me and I appreciate the effort you made to knit them.
Love and hugs,

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Sally and Rick,

John and I appreciate you looking after our place while we visited our grandkids in Wisconsin.  You went the extra mile watering our flowers too. 

It looks like they’ve survived the heat spell during our time away.  We had a wonderful time; it was even more relaxing knowing we didn’t have to worry about our home. 

Thanks for being such good neighbors!

Gratefully,

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Mr. Johnson,

Thank you for interviewing me yesterday for the technician position.  I noticed the customer pictures you had posted outside your office.  Your company does a great job keeping the customers happy.  That is very important for me, too.

My experience fixing computers while I was in college helped me learn how to deal with frustrated users.  I know I can contribute to keeping your customers satisfied.

I am grateful to be considered for this position.  Please feel free to contact me if you have any other questions.  I am available right away.

Sincerely,

Interested in more thank you notes for personal use? If so, check out our sample thank you notes page.

For notes you can use in your business, please see our business thank you notes page .

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