Make Your Gratitude Memorable

In the professional world, there will always be an occasion when you will have to thank someone for putting in a word for you, for giving you a reference, or for recommending you for a job or a project.

If the case is that you are working your way up in your career, and you are completing an application for a post graduate program of any kind, then you will find yourself asking former supervisors, or professors for favors; just make sure you remember to say thank you.

Saying thank you is the most basic way of showing gratitude, yet it might be a good idea to step it up a little. For some reason, I used to feel a bit awkward when I had to ask for references or recommendation letters. In fact, I tend to be a bit uncomfortable asking favors to people who are not friends or family, but I still had to do it. Fortunately, I realized it would make me feel better if I showed my appreciation with more than the standard thank you note.

After I finished with the hectic task of completing my application, I sent each of my recommenders not just a Thank You card, but also a big bar of dark chocolate. You might want to choose something else to send, it depends on the person and how well you know them, of course. If you go with chocolate, it might be wiser to go with dark chocolate, as it has a reputation of having healthy benefits. You can find affordable gourmet chocolates in discount department stores like Marshalls or TJ Maxx, so your gesture will stay within budget as well.

Even if you don't feel any awkwardness like I do, this little tip will make you memorable in the mind of your recommenders, and the best part is when you get a thank you note for sending the chocolate.