My daughter’s high school graduation class had 1,200 graduates in it. It took 2 full hours for them all to march across the stage and receive their diplomas. This year there was a change in venue. Graduation was moved to the Dallas Convention Center and it was impossible to hold every family member and guest who might have wanted to attend the big event. And so, each graduate was allotted 6 tickets.

Frantic phone calls began the minute this plan was announced. There was a mad rush to secure extra tickets for aunts, uncles, cousins, family friends and everyone who wanted to come and join in the celebration. I’m told some students were even selling their tickets if they had extra ones on hand, but I can’t confirm that!

I was approached by many, asking if I had any extras. As it turned out, I did have extra tickets to give to those in need and was happy to accommodate them. What surprised me though was the lovely Thank You Card I received following graduation day from one of those I shared a ticket with. With out of town guests to entertain along with all the hoopla that goes with graduation, how this lovely lady managed to find the time to write and mail a thank you card for my unused ticket was a delightful surprise.

Thank YOU, Andrea!

So folks, do you remember to send Thank You Cards when a nice gesture of appreciation is called for?

My daughter recently graduated from high school, hooray! She proudly sent graduation invitations to many friends and family members, not fully realizing the many well wishes that would soon come her way. The truly exceptional remembrances came from those not even on her send list. Those unexpected congratulations were a true delight.

What impressed me though was her unprompted sending of thank you cards! What a proud mom I was when I noticed her writing thank yous before I even had a chance to suggest it. Of course, at an early age she was taught to write thank you cards for birthday and Christmas presents, often with constant reminding, but I was pleased to see she, on her own, realized that graduation presents called for this same courtesy.

How about you? Do you and your children send thank you cards? A thank you doesn’t have to be just for gifts received. Thank you cards are great whenever a show of appreciation is called for. Set a good example and remember those deserving with a thoughtful greeting. It will bring a smile to you and to the lucky recipient as well as set a great example for your children!

College graduates this year will be challenged to find employment in an extremely competitive job market. For those willing to venture from their hometown, here is the just released report from CareerBuilder naming the top 10 cities for recent college graduates.

The report takes into consideration cities with the highest concentration of young adults ages 20 – 24, jobs requiring less than one year of experience, and the average rent cost for a one bedroom apartment. So, if you are a recent graduate willing to relocate, consider these cities and the job categories with opportunities:

1. Indianapolis (sales, customer service, health care)
2. Philadelphia (sales, customer service, management)
3. Baltimore (sales, customer service, health care)
4. Cincinnati (sales, customer service, health care)
5. Cleveland (sales, marketing, customer service)
6. New York (sales, customer service, admin-clerical)
7. Phoenix (sales, customer service, marketing)
8. Denver (sales, customer service, health care)
9. Chicago (sales, marketing, customer service)
10. San Antonio (sales, customer service, management)

Remain positive and you are sure to land the starting point for your career path to future success!

Graduation invitations and graduation announcements send word of your accomplishment. One is for inviting friends and family to the ceremony itself or a party afterwards. The other lets everyone know you have achieved a goal.

See this helpful article regarding Graduation Invitation Etiquette as you get ready to mail both out.

Congratulations, graduate!

Graduation is a year round event. True, the majority of students graduate in May or June but many graduate mid-year and plenty graduate from all sorts of programs with all kinds of degrees or certifications all year long. A graduation signifies an achievement to be celebrated.

It is an honor to be included on a graduate’s mailing list and although gifts should not necessarily be expected, it is proper etiquette to remember someone special with at least congratulations cards. A small gift is nice as well if you choose to send one. See the complete article here and this recap for popular graduation gift suggestions:

•Money. Who wouldn’t appreciate a bit of cash?
•Jewelry. Something personalized marking the date of graduation is a keepsake to last a lifetime.
•Practical. Gifts that help the graduate along their next step in life are useful and appreciated.
•Books. Books are nice remembrances and I don’t mean textbooks.
•Personalized. Note cards with their name personalized on them make great thank you cards or cards for any occasion.

However you choose to honor the graduate, keep it heartfelt and include best wishes for their future. They deserve it!