6.2.11. Thank you Letters

These letters are usually written after an interview, upon receiving required information or advice, or as a job offer acceptance notification. In all cases, and hereby mentioned ones are far from final, thank you letters are formal in register. They follow the usual letter format. Here are the samples of the mentioned kinds.

Sample post-interview thank you letter

ADDRESS OF THE RECIPIENT YOUR ADDRESS

DATE

Dear _________,

Thank you again for the opportunity to interview for the ________ post. I appreciated your hospitality and enjoyed meeting you and the members of your staff.

The interview convinced me how compatible my background, interest, and skills are with the goals of your company. I am confident my work for you will result in increased profit and recognition.

I look forward to seeing you again.

Sincerely yours,

YOUR SIGNATURE

Sample post-information thank you letter

ADDRESS OF THE RECIPIENT

DATE

Dear __________,

Your advice was most helpful in clarifying my questions on careers in your sector. I am now reworking my resume and have included many of your thoughtful suggestions. I will send you a copy next week.

Thank you so much for taking time from your busy schedule to see me. I will keep in contact and follow through on your suggestions.

Sincerely,

YOUR SIGNATURE

Sample job offer acceptance thank you letter

ADDRESS OF THE RECIPIENT

DATE

Dear ___________,

I am pleased to accept your offer, and I am looking forward to joining you and your staff next month.

This position is ideally suited to my background and interests. I assure you I will give my best effort in making this an effective position within your company.

I enjoyed meeting with you and your staff and appreciated the professional manner in which the hiring was conducted.

Sincerely,

YOUR SIGNATURE

6.2.12. Memorandum

A common form of inter- or intradepartmental communication in business and academia is the memorandum^, usually called a memo. Memo­randa are written by everyone, from junior executives to engineers. Hence, it is essential to master this basic communication form.

Memorandum Format

Although memoranda are ordinarily formal, there has recently been a trend toward a more personal style, yet without sacrificing clarity, grace, or precision. Unlike letters, which include inside addresses, salutations, and complimentary closings, memoranda have just two sections: the heading and the body. To simplify the communication process, many firms and or­ganisations use memoranda pads with predesigned formats. If you need to construct a memorandum, use the vertical format shown below:

Date: To: From: Subject:

Memorandum Content

Two words characterise a well-written memorandum: informative and concise (J.D.Bates 1980, J.S.VanAlstyne 2001). Make your memorandum informative by observing the same principles that govern any writing proc­ess, the most important of which are preparation and organisation.

Preparation: Determine the exact objective. You should be able to state this objective in a single sentence. Know your reader(s), and determine whether or not you need to cover fundamental issues or define technical terms.

Organisation: Keep things under control. Present your material coher­ently, and decide on the pattern of organisation that best suits your purpose. The two most common patterns of organisation for business and technical memoranda are deduction (decreasing order of importance) and induction (increasing order of importance).

- Deduction: presenting ideas in decreasing order of importance, gener­ally assumes that the reader is well acquainted with the topic under discus­sion. In writing a deductive memorandum, present your most salient point first (but do not simply repeat the subject statement). This strategy spares readers needless loss of time wading through data they may already know. Place supporting facts in subsequent sentences for readers who may be un­familiar with the subject. Place the background data last. Those who want or need to read this information to understand the message will take the time to do so; others may scan it or bypass it entirely. Most business memoranda use this pattern of organisation.

- Induction: presenting ideas in increasing order of importance, draws upon a different set of assumptions than deduction. The reasons to use in­duction vary, but they may include the following: you have to announce bad news or your reader(s) may not understand the main idea without significant prior preparation. In such cases, organise your thoughts by leading up to the most forceful idea, and present that idea at the end of the memorandum. Keep in mind that such memoranda often take longer to write.

Memorandum Style

Strive to be plain, direct, and concise while using a comfortable, natural style. In its final form, the memorandum should be clear and informative. Generally, your tone will be neutral or positive, but you may occasionally have to issue complaints or reprimands in the memorandum form. Use cau­tion in negative situations, and be aware of the effect of your correspon­dence. Ostentatious language, excessively technical jargon, or complicated syntax will make you sound pompous. Hence, try to be cordial, straightfor­ward, and lucid, avoiding chit-chat, but striving toward a relaxed and con­versational style. If you project an image of consideration, you stand a much greater chance of being viewed as knowledgeable and competent in carrying out your professional responsibilites.