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likely to have additional contact with your reader, but successful networking de-
pends upon it. Do not miss an opportunity to send a thank-you note—you may be
repaid with unexpected surprises later on!
At its most basic, a Thank-You Letter is an expression of feelings. These let-
ters should be short and, contrary to popular belief, they are easy to write as long
as you state your message simply. Your primary goal is to thank someone for her
time, assistance, or support. You should have no secondary goal; if you do, it’s like-
ly that the letter you should be writing is a Follow-Up Letter (see Chapter 6) or a
Make Something Happen Letter (see Chapter 8).
STEP 1: STATE THE OCCASION

Open your letter by referring to the occasion that inspired it. Tell the reader why
you’re writing. Be clear, direct, brief. A few examples follow; you’ll find plenty
more in every sample letter in this chapter.

Sample Openings
Thank you for your time and advice.
Thank you for seeing me yesterday.
Your time and advice are most appreciated, and I thank you for meet-
ing with me earlier this week.
Knowing how busy you are at this time of year, I am grateful that you
were able to make the time to meet with me this past Wednesday
morning.
Thank you for fitting me into your busy schedule. I appreciate the
suggestions you made regarding my search for work and have al-
ready begun to contact the organizations we discussed.
I appreciate your willingness to help me in my job search and thank
you for passing my name along to your associates.
Thank you for serving as a reference for me in my job search. Your
contribution will certainly prove valuable as your name is so highly
regarded in our field.
Thank you for introducing me to Dr. Beatty. I appreciate your assis-
tance and the referral to such an outstanding professional.

STEP 2: PROVIDE INFORMATION OR STATE YOUR
FEELINGS

The body of your letter is the place to provide a bit of detail. This is where you’ll
tell your reader how his or her assistance was valuable to you.

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