A thank-you note got me my first real job. As a newly minted college graduate with no work experience, I was having a tough time finding my first grown-up gig. I thought I’d never get a break until I ...

Whether you're writing a thank you note for a gift, a favor done by a friend, or for someone's presence, we can all admit that thank you notes are the first thing to be read (and, sadly, thrown away).

College and business-school applicants, it’s time to learn to write a thank-you note. The samples below will help you complete this task before it’s time for turkey—or tofu. Across the United States ...