Maintaining professionalism is always important no matter where you are in the job process. Here are 3 types of professional letters and guidelines to help you write them.
Maintaining professionalism is always important no matter where you are in the job process. We talked about how to write a cover letter in this blog post but that is not the only kind of letter you will need. Here are 3 types of professional letters and guidelines to help you write them.
Whether you are sending a physical letter or attaching it as an E-mail, these letters all have the same format. A header, body, and closer.
- The header includes: The date followed by your name and contact information followed by the contact information of the employer you are communicating with. It will look something like this:
Name
Your Address
Phone or Email
Date
Employer Name
Company Address
Company Phone or Email
Greeting
- The body includes all the main information you are communicating. The body is typically between 1 and 3 paragraphs.
- The closer is your signature.
Thank You’s
You’ve submitted your application and resume and aced your interview – now it’s time to say thank you! Professional thank you letters are important to the job search process. They are a way of saying you value the interviewer’s time and that you are interested in in the job. Some employers will pass over a candidate because they did not send a thank you. Ideally, you want to send one within 24 hours of your interview. The sooner you do it, the better!
You want to start your letter with a header and a greeting. Next, you want to thank them for their time and the conversation you had. Include some details here about a specific thing you talked about. This shows you were engaged in the conversation. Then, add your excitement for the job opportunity. End the letter by saying you look forward to hearing from them and how they can contact you if they need anything else.
Accepting/Declining
When you are offered a job, you always have the option to accept it or decline it. Whatever you choose, it is best verbally tell employers your decisions and then send a form of written confirmation just so they get confirmation in writing.
Acceptance– Acceptance letters are important because it helps everyone be on the same page of accepting the job as well as the other details associated with it. You want to start your letter with a header. In the body section, you want to state that you are accepting the job. You also want to include the details about the employment you have agreed to, such as benefits and salary. After that, you can state your gratitude for the opportunity and then write your closing.
Declining– Sometimes during the interview process you realize a job is not for you. That is okay. It is important to decline in a way that won’t burn bridges. You don’t want to ignore the offer as people can see this as rude and unprofessional. You want to start you letter by thanking the employer for their time and then state that you are declining the job. You want to give a brief reason for declining. You don’t have to be detailed here, it can be something like you have accepted a job elsewhere or this job does not align with your goals.
Resignation
Sometimes you have to quit your current job. Whether it is because you are moving, you got a new job or this one is not working out, you want to try to maintain as much professionalism as you can when leaving a job.
You never have to explicitly say why you are leaving. The main things you need to include is that you are leaving and when your last day will be. Optionally, you can include a paragraph that tells your gratitude for your time there. These letters are kept in your file and can be shared with future employers so keep your letter positive and don’t bash the company or employees.
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