The Art of Thank You Cards

Writing thank you cards isn’t as common as it once was, but there are still some occasions where sending a thank you card is really necessary, if only to be polite. Today we’re going to discuss the appropriate way to send thank you cards, depending on the type of cards you are sending.

The most common thank you card (or email) is sent after a job interview. Now while an email is more common to be sent, sending a thank you card can really make you stand out. It is important to make the thank you card personal. Use points you made in the interview in your note. What’s important to keep in mind is that you want the interviewer to get this card fast, so make sure you get that thank you card mailed the day of the interview, or at least the day after.

Wedding, graduation, and baby shower gifts are another one of those occasions where you should get thank you cards out pretty fast. When you are getting gifts for a big celebration, everyone should receive a thank you card, including your parents or bridal party. Sending a thank you over Facebook won’t cut it. Ideally you’ll want to send out these thank you notes within several months of the occasion, but that’s just a rough timeline. After big events like this, you are going to be busy. You’ll be heading to your honeymoon, moving off to college, and of course being pregnant can make it difficult to get tasks like this done. Make a note of who got you what, and send out a personalized thank you card within a few months of said event.

Grey areas when it comes to thank you cards are Birthday and Christmas gifts. What it really comes down to is if this gift is opened in front of the giver or not. If you open the gift in front of the person it is nice to send a card in the mail, but it isn’t a requirement. If someone mails you a gift, then you should send a thank you card. After all, shipping costs aren’t cheap, the least you can do is mail them a card expressing your gratitude! Try to send out a thank you card within a couple weeks of getting the gift. Life moves fast, so do it before either of you forget!

If you have received some sort of award, scholarship, letter of recommendation or something similar, while it’s not necessary to send a thank you card, it really is a good idea to. Not only because it is polite, but because this is a great networking opportunity. Showing your gratitude will be appreciated, and may cultivate a relationship that can serve you in the future. Now don’t send a thank you card just to try and get ahead. Remember that you must be thankful for receiving one of these things.

When it comes to cards and gifts during a death or illness, this can be a bit tougher. If someone takes the time to send a card, a gift, or helps you, it’s a good gesture to send a thank you card in return. You may not be feeling up to it and that’s okay. People will understand getting a thank you long after the fact. Maybe you’ll find writing these cards of gratitude may make you feel better. If you want to express your thanks but can’t handle writing out cards, ask a close friend or family member to do it for you.