Letter Writing Guide
The Career Center
The Florida State University
Objective
You will be able to write appropriate letters pertaining to
your job campaign.
Activities
The following activities will enable you to meet the
objective.
1. Develop an organizational system.
2. Study letter-writing suggestions.
3. Choose a format and review sample letters.
4. Write a letter which matches your goals.
5. Ask someone you trust to proofread and critique your letter -
The Career Center can help.
I. Develop An
Organizational System
Before you begin
sending any letters, it is important that you devise some way of keeping track
of when and what you have sent. For
instance, if you send a letter to Ms. X asking for an interview and offer to
call her during the week of June 6th, you need to have that date on record so
you can be sure to meet that commitment. Also, if you are sending out 40 letters to various employers, it can be
critical to know what you have said in a particular letter to be able to follow
it up with accuracy. Listed below are
two formats for organizing your letter campaign.
A. Create a chart
with columns for the prospective employer’s name, the person contacted, the
date sent, any commitments you made in the letter and follow-up. Make another chart showing the response you
received from each letter with column headings, such as prospective employer’s name,
person who replied, date of reply, and action taken. Keep these charts up to date and hold on to letters you receive.
B. Make copies of all
the letters that you send out and file them in a folder. Keep another file folder for the letters you
receive which call for further action to be taken on your part and a separate file folder for your rejection
letters. This method can be especially
helpful because you have reference to all your letters for use when composing
other letters. Also, you can look back
over the letters you have sent and see which ones were the most effective in
generating interviews.
II. General
Suggestions For Letters
Do
· follow rules of
layout and format of a standard business letter
· slant letter
toward what you can offer employers, not what you think they should be offering
you
· address,
whenever possible, to an individual, along with his/her correct title
· spell,
punctuate, and paragraph correctly
· write in your
own words and in conversational language
· hand-sign,
rather than type your signature
· print your
letters on good quality paper
· be brief,
concise and to the point
· close with a
direct request for some sort of action (i.e., interview appointment)
· take advantage
of any link to the employer that can put your foot in the door or give you an
edge over the competition (for example, mentioning the name of someone you know
in the organization)
Don’t
· use stiff
language or phrasing
· be gimmicky in
an attempt to be original or clever
· load with
constant use of the word “I”
· be lofty in
tone or indicate you will do the employer a great service by “considering” a
position
· be excessively
emphatic about your reliability, capacity for hard work or intelligence. This kind of self-appraisal is usually best
understated. The appearance and tone of
your letter and resume can say more about you than you can gracefully say about
yourself.
III. Choice Of Cover Letter Format
Although there are a
variety of styles, formats and content elements, there are two basic formats
which may aid you in writing your individualized letter of application.
Shotgun Letter
Used to broadcast
your availability to many employers in your field without composing a separate
letter for each one. Although it is not
usually used to pursue a specific job lead, it is wise to personalize it.
Examples: “I am writing to present you with my
qualifications for a position as a Guidance Counselor at....” or “I am very
aware of the changing role of the nurse in today’s (hospital, clinic,
etc.).” By inserting the appropriate
word or phrase, you can tailor each correspondence with much less effort than
individually composed letters.
Rifle Approach
Used to investigate a
specific job lead. You may be answering
an ad or following up on a suggestion offered by the Career Center, a relative,
friend, etc. Since the nature of the
opening is known to you, you would construct your letter to show how your
abilities can be applied to meet the employer’s needs. You also can make reference to specific
information you discovered through conversations or by doing research about the
organization.
Examples: “My academic background, together with my
work experience, has prepared me to function especially well as a Marketing
Specialist for IBM.” Or “I am impressed
by your continual growth through grant funded activities.”
See the sample cover
letter outline later in this Guide.
IV. Other Types of Letters
Inquiry Letter
After preparing a
list of organizations which complement the position you are seeking, as well as
your interest and training, a letter of inquiry in which you approach the
employer requesting employment information is the next step. It is important to research the organization
as much as possible to lend credibility and insight to your contact letter.
Format Suggestions
· Determine and
state your exact interest in the employer and explain why they, in turn, should
be interested in you. The more you know
about the organization, the easier it will be for you to tailor your letter to
their needs and interests.
· Emphasize your
positive assets and skills. Be as
specific as possible about the type of position you are seeking and tie this to
your knowledge of the organization and its business.
· Identify a
specific person within the organization to whom to send your letter. As a general rule, in larger organizations,
send the letter to the Personnel or Human Resources Department - the Manager of
Employment, Recruitment or Personnel. Also,
directing your letter to the key executive or manager in
· the department
to which you are applying is advisable. If the contact person's name is not
available, address your letter: "Dear Madam or Sir" or "Dear
Selection Committee Chair."
· State when you
would be available to meet for an interview and include a phone number and/or
e-mail where you can most easily be reached.
Response Letter To Help Wanted
· Thoroughly read
and reread an advertisement to aid you in determining what the potential employer
is looking for. Try to speak to the
“needs” of the organization evidenced through the ad - some reading between the
lines may be necessary so that you can tailor your response.
· Answer the ad
as soon as possible after it appears. However, make sure that you allow yourself enough time to prepare
adequately.
· Be as
innovative as possible to aid your letter in standing out amidst the wave of
response letters the organization is sure to receive.
· Follow the
advertisement’s instructions carefully regarding where the response should be
directed and what to include (i.e., resume, statement of geographic preference,
etc.). Answer all questions, with the
exception of responding to a request for salary requirements. In this case, it is advisable to avoid a
direct answer and simply indicate that it is open or negotiable.
· Be brief! Letters should be individualized, concise
and factual.
· Always consider
the reaction of the employer by putting yourself in his/her place. Try to determine what accomplishments and
skills would be most attractive to a particular employer.
· Be
straightforward, professional and businesslike - remember you are selling
yourself. As with the resume, stick to
the facts.
· Remember that
the primary purpose of the letter is to get you in the door for the interview -
make sure the letter has impact.
Interview Appreciation Letter
Interviews should
always be followed up with a thank-you letter expressing appreciation for the
interviewer’s time. Not only is this an
accepted courtesy, your letter can also serve to refresh your session in the
mind of the interviewer. When an
on-site visit to the employer is involved, the appreciation letter may
accompany your expense account for the visit.
Format Suggestions
· Express
appreciation for the interviewer’s consideration and arrangement of meeting.
· State the date
of the interview and name of the employer.
· Reiterate your
interest in the employer by mentioning new points or assets you may have failed
or forgotten to address in the original interview.
· Ask any
questions you may have which were not answered in the original interview.
· Express your
anticipation to receive word regarding their decision.
Letter Of Acknowledgement
Once you have
received an offer from an employer or institution, it is important to respond
as soon as possible. While an immediate
“yes” or “no” is not essential, acknowledgement of the offer is expected.
Format Suggestions
· Acknowledge
receipt of the offer.
· Express your
appreciation for the offer.
· Notify the
employer of the date by which you expect to make your decision.
Letter of Acceptance
Once you have decided
to accept the offer, the employer should be notified immediately. It is not necessary to wait until the
expiration date of the offer before contacting the recruiter and hiring officer
of the organization selected. Employers
will appreciate your promptness as it will allow them to assess the status of
their personnel selection process.
Format Suggestions
· Acknowledge the
letter, verbal offer or telephone call of dated offer.
· Be as specific
as possible, mentioning starting salary and supervisor’s name. Be sure to list and detail all items
(benefits, performance reviews, moving expenses, etc.) agreed to in the offer.
· State when you
will be able to report to work. Acknowledge if initiation is contingent on any events, such as award of
a degree, passing of physical examination, certification, etc.
· Express
appreciation to contact person and anyone else who has been particularly
helpful.
· Ask if any
other information is required or if additional details should be attended to
prior to reporting.
Letter of Declination
As a matter of
courtesy, a letter of declination is due to those organizations whose offers
you are rejecting. Despite the negative
nature of the correspondence, it is vital that other employers know your
decisions. Such a letter often follows
a telephone call - making your decision a matter of record and avoiding any
confusion arising from verbal communication.
Format Suggestions
· Express
appreciation for the offer.
· Mention name of
potential supervisor.
· State the exact
position for which you were being considered.
· Decline
graciously.
· Briefly explain
reason for choice, sticking to the facts.
· No profuse
apology necessary - re-express appreciation.
Sample Cover Letter Outline
Your Present Address
City, State, Zip Code
Date Of Writing
Ms. Jane Blank
Title
Organization
Street Address
City, State, Zip Code
Dear Ms. Blank:
1st Paragraph • Tell
why you are writing; name the position, field, or general career area about
which you are asking. Tell how you
heard of the opening or organization.
2nd Paragraph •
Mention one or two of your qualifications you think would be of greatest
interest to the organization, slanting your remarks to their point of
view. Tell why you are particularly
interested in the employer, location, or type of work. If you have had related experience or
specialized training, be sure to point it out. Refer the reader to the enclosed application form, resume or the fact
that the XYZ Career Placement Office has or will send full credentials to
provide additional information concerning your background and interests.
3rd Paragraph • Close
by making a request for an opportunity to visit the employer. Indicate that you will follow up with a
phone call about the possibility of a meeting. If, instead of wanting an interview, your request is for further
information concerning openings, it would be polite to enclose a
self-addressed, stamped envelope. Make
sure your closing is not vague, but makes a specific action from the reader
likely. Thank the employer for his/her consideration of your application
materials.
Sincerely,
(Your Handwritten
Signature)
Type Your Name
VI. Additional
Resources
For further
assistance in the development of your letter(s), the following resources are
available.
1. Sections I, IV and V in The Career Center
Library contain books, chapters or partial units on letter preparation. Check Career Key for specific resources.
2. Attend one of the combination letter/resume
writing workshops held in The Career Center periodically during the semester. A
schedule of these workshops is available on the Career Center Web site: http://www.career.fsu.edu.
3. Review “Sample Letters” in notebooks on the
Ready Reference Desk shelves in The Career Center Library, Room A4101UC.
4. Read Planning Job Choices, particularly the
letter strategy and sample section.
5. Have your letter(s) critiqued by a Career
Advisor.
Revised 7/03 by
Joanne Linville, Jerald Jackson and Joan Ford
