The document discusses different types of letters that may be used in a job search or employment process. It identifies 7 types of letters: application/cover letters, appreciation/thank you letters, prospecting letters, networking letters, acceptance letters, withdrawal letters, and rejection letters. It then provides examples of common purposes for business or professional letters and guidelines for an effective letter, such as identifying the purpose, organizing content, being professional, addressing the reader, being succinct and positive, catering to the reader's interests, and signing and keeping a copy.

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Part of total job search process
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Communication skills indicator
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No single correct way

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Application/cover – to apply for a specific
position
Appreciation/thank you – to follow up
Prospecting – to inquire about general
availability of positions
Networking – to arrange an informational
interview/meeting
Acceptance – to accept and confirm a job offer
Withdrawal – to remove your job application
from consideration
Rejection – to decline a job offer

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Purposes:
To present a sales proposal to a customer.
To present a financial proposal to a customer.
To set up a committee meeting.
To set up a business meeting.
To offer a position to a new employee.
To communicate to fellow employees a new company policy.
To write a letter of recommendation in support of a colleague for a
new job.
To request and justify company support of a specific departmental
proposal (e.g. new equipment, additional funding).
To request information or additional information.
To respond to an inquiry.

5. Identify purpose, at the beginning
 Organize material into paragraphs
 Be professional
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◦ High quality paper
◦ Error free
Address to specific individual
 Be succinct, get to the point
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6. 
Be positive
◦ (optimistic, productive, reasonable, responsible)
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Cater to reader’s interests
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Sign and keep copy

7. 
Handwritten
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Sent via e-mail

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Center letter (side to side, top to bottom)
Capitalization
◦ Don’t overdo it (e.g. no need to cap job titles, seasons of the
year, courses taken, senior, agriculture, etc.)
Punctuation
◦ Don’t overuse commas, semicolons; use periods to avoid runon sentences; no need to use period after two-letter
abbreviation of state or street
Spelling
◦ No mistakes (use spell check); pay attention to hyphenated
words (e.g. in-depth, two word adjectives preceding noun).

9. 
Small words better than big words
◦ Examples:

try vs endeavor
end vs terminate
begin vs commence
Short sentences better than long sentences
◦ Example: ‘That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for
mankind.’ – Neil Armstrong
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Use consistent verb tense (active preferred)
◦ Example: don’t write ‘consistent verb tense should be used’

10. 
Use conversational style
◦ Example: ‘There has been an affirmative decision with
regard to program termination’ vs ‘The company is
ending the program’.
◦ Example: ‘Enclosed herewith is the aforementioned
and requested information’ vs ‘I am enclosing the
information you requested’

11. indepth
 first hand
 alot
 all around
 midwest
 coop
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12. in-depth
 firsthand
 a lot
 all-around
 Midwest
 co-op
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13. 1st – purpose, interest, position, source
 2nd – qualifications, evidence, refer to resume
 3rd (+) – sell yourself
 4th – suggest action (interview, meeting, phone
call). Show appreciation.
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14. 1st – purpose (express appreciation, follow up)
 2nd – reemphasize qualifications, reiterate interest
 3rd – provide supplemental information (if any)
 4th – reiterate thanks
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15. 
1st – Purpose
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2nd – Confirmation of terms, action to be taken
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3rd – Express appreciation, reiterate interest