what do you give

Finding the right gift for a good friend can be a real challenge but for colleagues, my oh my, that's a whole different ball game. You see each other every day but you probably still don't know what that person really likes. And what would you consider a fitting going-away present? Let me help you find the perfect gift.

1. Notebook

No not the DVD but the note-taking kind, always nice. If your colleague is the preppy type, get her a Moleskine, but girls like me are more into Alexander Wang, I'm just saying...

2. Coffee table book

Always appreciated. Now you need to know something about your colleague's interests but overall these books are hardly ever read. So if the cover looks great you're on the right track. Books by Taschen are always a good choice. You can order one here.

3. Office gadgets

Of course it's very practical to give each other office supplies as a present but let's keep it stylish. What about this memo block by the Scandinavian brand Hay? Or a pencil holder by designer brand Alessi? Très chic

4. Vase

Your first thought might be: corny. But it's not. Many people tend to suffer from vase-shortages, besides it doesn't really matter if you find a place for it a home or on your future ex-colleagues desk; multi-functional both ways. The vase doesn't even have to be expensive to be pretty, and you can buy one fair-trade.

5. Voucher

You can always go for a luxurious massage voucher. I mean really, who wouldn't appreciate that? You can even add a cute card saying, “You'll really need this after your first day on the new job.” Or you can come up with of a more catchy text if you like.