18

So...

I am seeking a new job and several recruiters are helping me. Instead of saying 'Thank you', should I say 'I appreciate'? Which one is more polite?

Could someone please tell me how to express one's gratefulness to someone else in English?

Improve this question
4
  • 2
    Thank you. Thanks. I really appreciate your help. This really helps. Thank you so much. (...)
    – Adam
    Feb 28, 2011 at 1:19
  • "I am honored."
    – Mateen Ulhaq
    Feb 28, 2011 at 1:30
  • 3
    "Thank you" is a full sentence, "I appreciate" is not. "I appreciate your help" is ok. And FYI: The word is "gratitude", not "gratefulness".
    – Jim Balter
    Mar 20, 2011 at 21:17
  • 1
    Valar morghulis
    – Code Whisperer
    Mar 2, 2015 at 21:42

7 Answers 7

Reset to default
22

"Thank you" is serviceable in all contexts. Since it is so common, though, it may not feel like enough. In that case, you can say "I appreciate your help" or "Thank you so much" or "I'm very grateful" — there are many ways to express gratitude.

Nevertheless, remind yourself that recruiters are getting paid for their work, so you shouldn't feel you have to be too effusive in your thanks. A simple "thank you" will probably suffice.

Improve this answer
10

The best one is:

I am honored.

Longer ones describing what you are honored by are even better:

I am honored to be graced by your presence.

It reminds me of Tolkien and Paolini. :)

If you don't like being a hobbit, there's always "Thanks", which makes everyone but elves comfortable.

(Sauron doesn't like being thanked either.)

Improve this answer
2
  • 5
    "I am honored..." doesn't fit the example case at all. (It would probably work if the recruiters were elves and you were a hobbit.)
    – jbelacqua
    Mar 20, 2011 at 21:14
  • 5
    I fail to see why this reply has received so many upvotes. When applying for a job, “I am honoured to be graced by your presence” is a completely wrong thing to say to a recruiter helping you. You would be considered positively delusional if you went around saying such things.
    – Janus Bahs Jacquet
    Oct 31, 2013 at 1:59
6

In addition to @Robusto's answer, which I agree with almost completely, note that there may be regional differences in how effusive (or not) you might want to be with recruiters. It is their job, and you probably don't want to sound puppy-dog-like in your enthusiasm, but it is often generically expected to provide at least pro forma thanks (which may at least bias the recruiter towards suggesting some of the better bad jobs to you).

Definitely use at least "I appreciate it," instead of just "I appreciate" .

A few variations on "thanks", from most enthusiastic to least:

  • Thanks!

  • Thanks,
    [your familiar name, or first name, nickname, etc.]

  • Thanks,
    [your full name]

Some other variations I consider appropriate and acceptable:

  • Thanks for your efforts
  • Thanks for your help
  • Thanks for you time
  • Thanks for your assistance

Less formal:

  • Appreciate [it, your help, your time, etc.]

  • Thanks, [recruiter's name]

Compound endings.

  • That's great. Thanks.
  • Sounds great, thanks.

Special use, for when you've already used "thanks" six times:

  • Always appreciated, [your name]

or more familiar,

  • Always appreciated, [recruiter's name]

The "it" or "your help" is implied here, though you could also explicitly add it.

Improve this answer
1

I like to use obliged in these types of situations, although thank you really is sufficient.

Improve this answer
1

I tend to use thank you kindly a lot.

Improve this answer
4
  • But what does it mean? Are you being kind to the recipient by expressing your gratitude?
    – ADTC
    Jun 12, 2015 at 3:38
  • @ADTC Kindly here is an adverb: I'm thanking someone in a kind and warmhearted manner. It's more than a simple obligation, to me it sounds more appreciative.
    – ghoppe
    Jun 12, 2015 at 15:31
  • I actually don't understand what you said. "In a kind (snip) manner", meaning you are being kind to the recipient by thanking them? In any case, it sounds odd. Especially since kindly is normally used as a slightly more formal substitute for please, to mean you are hoping that the recipient shows kindness to you by performing the requested task. On a side note, could you actually be meaning to say thank you in kind (where kind means sameness or reciprocity)?
    – ADTC
    Jun 13, 2015 at 16:15
  • 2
    @ADTC Perhaps this question will help. FumbleFingers correctly notes that the usage of kindly in the phrase is a bit archaic, meaning "with goodwill and enthusiasm; very much."It does not mean thank you in kind, and it does not mean that I am pointing out that I am being kind in my thanks. It is simply an intensifier. It is equivalent to saying thank you very much.
    – ghoppe
    Jun 15, 2015 at 15:14
1

In Romanian, "thank you" is: "mulţumesc", the literal translation of which is simply: "I'm happy".

So I guess "I appreciate" is another way of expressing that you are happy.

"I appreciate..." is in my opinion more elegant than "I'm grateful" because "grateful" is closer to "I'm indebted".

However, I'd also consider "I enjoyed..."

I would rank things like this

  1. "I enjoyed..." which conveys a sense community of thought and possibly a convergence of interest.
  2. "I appreciate..." which is a less strong but could be misinterpreted as a "refusal" (as in "I appreciate the effort but..."). Consider that this phrasing is probably what you would use for instance if the offered opportunity came only as a second choice for you.
  3. "I'm grateful..." could sound like as "I didn't think I could make it !".
  4. "I'm indebted...". Use this and they will slash half of your wages off.

That's my 2cts of course. I any case you've probably finished that letter by now ;-).

Improve this answer
2
  • Hi! About your first line; could you clarify how "mulţumesc" means "I'm happy"? I am Romanian, and the only ways I can think of to say "I'm happy" are "sunt bucuros" or "sunt fericit". The only thing close to "mulţumesc" that I can think of is ""mulţumit", but I would rather translate that as "satisfied".
    – Ovi
    Aug 20, 2019 at 1:21
  • Fine "I'm satisfied". Big difference.
    – Alain Pannetier Φ
    Aug 21, 2019 at 18:27
0

For me, I personally prefer to use " I would really appreciate your kind assistance" or "I would like to express my deepest gratitude for your kind assistance".

I think it is more formal to express your gratitude towards the person as "thank you" is a general statement which does not explain in details for what you owed him/ her a thank you.

Improve this answer
1
  • 1
    Your first suggestion is not about expressing gratitude, it is in fact, asking for assistance, so quite the opposite. It should be: "I really appreciated your kind assistance". Your second might be construed by native speakers for sarcasm. "I'd like to express my gratitude for your help" is more than enough! :) You should edit your answer.
    – Mari-Lou A
    Oct 31, 2013 at 3:39

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.