Using Letters Effectively In Your Job Search

Active Writing

Use colorful, active verbs. Another practice which dates letter writers is the form of their sentences. Writers actually make two different kinds of mistakes here. First, they use colorless and imprecise verbs. They write the verb think when they could use a meaty and more interesting verb such as confirm, verify, conceive, judge, corroborate, decide, settle, resolve, surmise, discover or determine. Using any of the other words would have shaded the meaning of the sentence and given a much clearer picture of their intent. If you are using a computer with a word processing program that has a thesaurus function, use it to find the better, more precise word. If you don't, purchase a paperback thesaurus and use that. Your writing will be much more interesting. Some common examples of overused words and clearer, more precise substitutes:

Second, older writers use too many passive verbs and passive sentences. When you're looking for a job, you're trying to tell what vow can do. You should be the subject of your writing, even if you is implied. By using passive verbs and sentences, you lose your personal claim on the action and remove yourself from the arena. For instance:

The defective design of the pulverizer was corrected before installation by the contractor, saving $10,000.



You aren't even in the preceding sentence. The reader is left to wonder who corrected the design. The contractor? Notice how much clearer the meaning is in the rewritten sentence:

I corrected the defective design of a pulverizer before the contractor installed it, saving $10,000.

But the real problem with passive verbs is deeper than this. Letters filled with passive verbs may give the reader the impression that:

1. The writer is not accepting responsibility.
   
   
2. The writer is dull and long-winded.
   
   
3. The writer doesn't have anything important to say and/or is uninteresting.
   
   
4. The writer was not involved and doesn't care.
   

Why do people continue to write with passive verbs? They confuse passive writing with objective, businesslike writing. Or somewhere along the line, they were brainwashed into thinking that using themselves as the subject of a sentence is bragging.

Ronald E. Dulek and James A. Suchan, writing in the November-December 1988 Business Horizons suggest four credos to follow in writing application letters:

1. will always keep in mind that employers want to examine my credentials and get a sense of the kind of business person I am. I will therefore avoid manipulative organizational strategies such as gimmicky opening paragraphs and the transparent hype that characterizes many application letters. Instead, I will stick to clearly and precisely presenting my qualifications.
   
2. I will remember that employers are busy readers who don't have time to leisurely peruse my letter. I will therefore state in the first paragraph why I am writing and what my major qualifications are. Also, I will do everything I can to make the letter as easy to read as possible.
   
3. I will remember that employers are intelligent, shrewd readers of application letters and not easily susceptible to insincere flattery. I will therefore not patronize them or massage their egos.
   
4. I will have confidence in my own qualifications; consequently, I will not feel compelled to rely on exaggerated language and complex sentences to showcase my talents.
   

Other Uses of Letters in Your Job Search

Letter of transmittal. Sometimes after your initial contact, potential employers contact you asking for more information or for a more detailed resume. They may send a company application, a survey or a test of some kind for you to complete and return. Write a letter stating simply what you are sending. Include other information in the letter only if it's germane to what you're sending. Restrain your fingers. The letter of transmittal could be as simple as: "Enclosed is the application for employment you asked me to complete. I have listed all my past employers and included the references you asked me to supply. If you need any further information, I'll be happy to send it."

Thank-you letters. Job-hunters all too often fail to thank those who have helped them. Resolve not to fall into this category. Write thank-you letters in the following instances:

1. To people who have helped you. Send them to friends who have given you leads; to executives who have been willing to give you suggestions for your job campaign; and to receptionists, secretaries and/or assistants who were especially nice or helpful to you when you went on an interview. These letters should be short, should mention what they did that you appreciated, and should be sincere.
   
   
2. To interviewers after an interview (especially if you had a good interview and you really want the job). Thank them for their consideration, summarize the main points you made during the interview. If you thought of something that you should have covered during the interview, but didn't, include that. Close the letter with a positive statement that you would really enjoy doing the particular job for them, and look forward to hearing from them soon.If you don't want to be considered further, write the interviewer and thank him or her for interviewing you, and graciously remove yourself from contention for the position.
   
   
3. If you felt your interviewer didn't think you were qualified for the job, or the interview was generally unfavorable, you may not want to spend the time to write the interviewer. However, if you are still interested in the position, take advantage of a thank-you note to say you're still interested in the job and bring out additional reasons why you could provide the kind of services the company wants and should be considered. In the following letter, a human resources manager made several points which she felt might gain her further consideration, even though the interviewer had obviously been looking for someone with a very narrow and focused experience.
   

Letters of acceptance. You've received a job offer. A formal notice of acceptance simply states your willingness to accept the position at the salary offered, and lists what that amount is as well as what other perquisites were offered. It should also state when you can begin work. If you have negotiated the job contractually, the letter of acceptance should include the signed contract.

Letters of rejection. Write these when you can't or don't want to accept a job offer. The key is to refuse the position graciously so that you don't antagonize the person who made the job offer. Things might change in the future, and you might want them to consider you again at a later date.

Informational letters. These run the gamut from letters giving names and addresses of references to information on your plane schedule when you're flying in for an interview. Keep the letters short and courteous; include only necessary information; and don't try to write an omnibus letter.