You’ve probably noticed that the job search process is heavily dependent on written correspondence. While email has relieved much of the clerical monotony of retyping letters, it also has raised expectations for clear and constant communications.
To give you a helping hand, here are five common pieces of job search correspondence and the main points each should cover.
Networking letters. When writing to a networking contact, ask yourself: Why am I writing? and What do I want this person to do? Common purposes for a networking communication are to stay in touch, to request information or to request a meeting. Once you know why you're writing, the action you desire should be evident. Your next step is to make both points evident to your recipient, while using a warm tone appropriate to your relationship.
Cover letters. When responding to a job posting, your task is clear: identify the key requirements for the job and present your ability to fulfill them. You might do this with bullets, narrative paragraphs or even a T chart listing each requirement on the left and your corresponding experience on the right.
When introducing yourself to managers who may or may not have current openings, you are prospecting. This can be a highly effective job search method, particularly when it’s combined with a follow-up call to request a meeting. Once you identify the type of position you are inquiring about, present five or six bullets to highlight your related strengths.
For both types of cover letters, standard rules of business correspondence apply. Greet the recipient formally (Dear Mr. / Ms. _____), write a short introduction stating the purpose of the correspondence (I am writing in response to … or, I am writing to introduce myself and inquire about potential employment as …), write a middle paragraph or bullet list to present your argument, and conclude with your call to action.
Post-interview thank-you notes. Since hiring decisions are partly based on emotion and etiquette plays to that element, there's a very strategic reason to conduct this ritual.
Short and simple notes are best, and physical mail has more impact than email. Using a simple thank-you note card from the office supply store, write one or two sentences expressing warmth and gratitude for the recent meeting — one card per interviewer by the way. Then hand-address the envelope and find yourself a blue box on the corner.
Follow-up letters after an interview. Where thank-you notes play to emotion, follow-up letters leverage the logical side of the hiring equation. These are full business letters, usually emailed for efficiency and timeliness, and never handwritten. Unlike thank-you notes, it's fine to cc all members of the panel. Including both the note and the letter in your follow-up process is also fine, as they serve different purposes.
The content of the follow-up letter should be directed by the interview it references. Start with “Thank you for our meeting this week …” or something similar. The body of the letter then extends a particular point of the meeting, or one which didn’t come up at all.
To conclude, simply state your ongoing and increasing interest in the position and your excitement about participating in the next stage of the process.
Sorry-Charlie response letters. Getting turned down for a position may seem like the end of the relationship, but you'd be surprised how often a first-choice candidate doesn't work out. To increase your odds of being remembered later, email the department manager a brief, formal letter: "While I was disappointed not to receive an offer, I want to reiterate my deep interest in ___ company, and your department in particular. Your team is doing very interesting work and I'd like to continue our connection in hopes of being considered for a future opportunity. I'll stay in touch, and hope you will as well. Best wishes …"
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