Organizing a conference (inquiry)

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Business correspondence serves a variety of purposes throughout the career cycle, but most of all it reflects professional courtesy during the job search.

It can be quite time-consuming to correspond personally with everyone you encounter during a job hunt, but each person has the potential to play a role in your job-hunting network. While generally not required, correspondence through formal letters, memos, or email also provides an opportunity to remind the company and the people you have contacted of your interest.

Cover letters

More than a mere formality, a cover letter can spark interest in your special skills and give extra information. Cover letters help explain anomolies that may stand out in a resume, such as a move or career change, salary requirements, or your special link to the company.

Keep the letter to a few brief paragraphs. Avoid generalizations, even when you send out a mass mailing. Be clear about where you are, what you have to offer, what you want, and when you want it.

Mention only positive things. For example, instead of stating: "Even though I only have two years experience in the industry,…" leave out the negative clause and write: "I doubled my experience in the industry by spending two years in a highly competitive company."

Be formal, yet friendly and open. Use statistics, highlighted statements, or bullets. Because recruiters often skim, make sure vital information can be easily spotted.

Personalize

Address the cover letter to a specific person if you can. Use the head of human resources as a contact if you cannot pinpoint the manager for the particular job you want. If you know someone at the company, or if you have some recognizable and attractive qualification the recruiter would jump at, put it in the first sentence.

Vary your approach

There are a number of reasons why you might be contacting an employer during a job search and it is important to highlight the strengths of each approach in your cover letter.

• When responding to a job posting, refer to where and when you saw the advertisement. Tailor your letter to the job as described by showing how your skills and experience perfectly match its requirements.

• If you send a resume blindly, you have the opportunity to show off your ambition as a proactive rather than reactive job seeker. This drive could be something potential employers applaud. Point it out.

• Your best shot at being hired comes from someone referring you to the job or by using a mutual contact's name. Include in your job search people your friends have mentioned, people you have met or heard about at a social gathering, and professional contacts from your current job. Mention the contact's name in the first sentence and refer to any previous meetings or conversations.

Say why you fit

Explain what intrigues you about the position and the company. If there are aspects of the job that would enhance your career, state them.

Use the cover letter to show how and why you are a perfect match. Highlight a couple of skills from your resume. Get specific. If you are answering an ad, respond directly to the points raised in the job description.

Keep an eye on the industry and the companies you are looking at to spot trends or developments. Mention a company's recent media exposure or incorporate relevant industry news into your cover letter. Be creative.

Start the communication ball rolling

Sometimes a cover letter is just a heads-up that you will be calling. Add a paragraph at the end saying when you plan to follow up and how you can be contacted.

Say thank you

Thank-you letters remind employers of your presence in the applicant pool. If eloquently written, they might help tip the balance in your favor. They cannot hurt, even if the company has already settled on you. They restate your interest in the position, give thoughts in response to the interview, and reaffirm the next step. The thank-you can be handwritten, typed, or emailed, but should be brief.

Respond to rejection

You are not expected to respond to a rejection letter. But if you get one, the company clearly values formality and a response would show your professionalism. The letter should be brief, leaving open mention of the future.

Decline with finesse

If you have more than one offer, or you feel that a position does not meet your satisfaction, send a letter politely declining the job. You may need or want to communicate with this employer in the future and you will want to maintain good relations. In a couple of short paragraphs, thank the recruiter for his/her time and be vaguely positive about future contact.

Formally accept

Beyond the obvious statement of thanks for having been offered a position, the acceptance letter formalizes your agreement to the terms of the job as described in the offer letter. It can be a good legal move as well as a polite one. After the statement of thanks, briefly restate your duties, salary, and benefits package as you understand them.

Resume Writing

The purpose of your resume is to make the reader want to interview you. Resumes should be informative, concise, consistent, and should highlight intriguing skills and experience. They should grab attention early and provide a concentrated, convincing argument that you perfectly match the position at hand.

The basics

Those who have been in the workforce for several years would customarily list professional experience first, followed by education and other elements such as publications or skills. Most resumes use reverse chronological order, listing the most recent experience first with the rest following chronologically. This type of resume gives a prospective employer a sense of where your career is headed and how it evolved into what it is today.

For entrepreneurs, sales personnel, recent graduates, and others with less-than-standard experience, an alternative format called the functional approach might make more sense. This format puts an emphasis on your abilities and achievements, categorizing your experience by industry, type of position, skill, and what you did rather than when you did it.

There is no right or wrong way to write a resume. Whatever sets you apart from the masses while requiring a minimum of effort for the recruiter will probably be your best bet. Here are some general guidelines to follow.

• Be concise. Unless you have been working for a long time, stick to one page. Even with extensive experience, a resume should rarely exceed two pages.

• Use vivid language. Include hard facts showing your impact on the company. Employers want to know what you did and how closely that experience matches their needs. Use action verbs and eliminate pronouns. Be grammatically consistent and proofread rigorously for mistakes.

• Go easy on the eye. Graphics in a resume should make it easy to read. Use topic headings and lots of space. Forget clip art. Use one typeface. Pull the reader in from the top. Be creative, but clean with the layout.

Tell them what they need to know

Resumes should start with your name, address, e-mail, and phone numbers. Include your education, accomplishments, and related experience. List unique talents or specialized skills in hot demand, like those related to computers.

• Objective. Write one line stating your career direction and the job title you seek. It will direct your resume to the proper department and provide a key to interpreting the contents. This statement will be of greater strategic value if you have a specific focus or are in the midst of a career change rather than if you are just starting out and unsure of your career path.

• Education. List schools, years attended, graduation dates, degrees, majors or concentrations, and awards. Highlight a master's thesis topic or academic honors. Put your most recent or most impressive educational achievement first. If it is not your highest degree, leave out high school unless it's extraordinary.

• Experience. List your employers, job location, employment dates, job titles, and descriptions of your tasks, accomplishments and skills. Use statistics.

• Skills. Highlight your computer, language, or other technical skills. List software you have worked with including any unique programs or expertise. For an Internet job, list any certifications or Web programs and computer languages you are familiar with.

Title the sections of your resume as you prefer, but remain consistent grammatically.

The order of the resume should reflect the position being sought. If your computer experience is more relevant to the job than your work history, put your computer skills first. If your educational achievements outweigh your actual experience, put them up higher. List other personal information at the bottom.

Use discretion beyond the basics

Include a personal summary to provide a concise rundown of your career, particularly if you are an established executive or have an array of job experiences. Highlight volunteer work or memberships in nonprofits if you are applying for a related position. Include a brief section on your hobbies to present a more complete and interesting picture, although you run a risk that the information could prejudice your resume.

Leave out overtly personal data, salary information, or negatives like health or legal problems.

Customize as needed

When you are ready to apply for a position, tailor your resume to that job. Highlight your qualities by addressing the specific needs listed in a classified ad or employer's description. If you have no direct experience in the field, pay special attention to related skills. Even with experience, show how your talents suit the position.

Update constantly

Update your resume every time you accomplish something new to capture what's important and remain ready for new opportunities, without struggling to get something together under a tight deadline or stressful circumstance.

Check resources

The following references provide solid examples of objectives, layouts, and other aspects of resumes, as well as further commentary.

References

References can have a significant impact on the final hiring decision. Be ready at a moment's notice to provide potential employers with at least three solid ones.

Approach only your natural contacts, the people who would unquestionably offer a glowing report about you. You want people who know you well professionally and can relay information about your proficiency, skills, attitudes, and behaviors.

Consider mentors, bosses, or coworkers in positions of authority. Also look at professors, coaches, or counselors. Steer away from family and friends, who may be biased or unaware of your work habits.

Ask early and carefully

Ask for references before you leave your current job. Say something like, "If I need a reference, would you feel comfortable offering a positive recommendation?" If there is any hesitation, avoid using that person. If he or she is a solid mentor, talk about the type of position you are seeking, your hopes, and your goals. Asking for advice educates and engages your references in your efforts.

Do their work for them

Make it easy for your references to say good things about you.

• Provide an updated resume.

• Give them warning that a potential employer has asked for references.

• Describe the job you are seeking, the challenges it might provide, and your ability to meet them.

• Outline why you are the best candidate for the job.

• Ask them to let you know when/if they've been contacted.

How HR managers use your network

Human resource managers almost invariably ask for references when seriously considering someone. For liability reasons, if for no other, they will probably call each one. They will look for inconsistencies between information gleaned from your interview and from what your references say. They may ask about the following.

• Promptness or tardiness

• Interactions with coworkers

• Attitude

• Competency

• Weaknesses

Thank your references

After your job search is over, contact your references to let them know how their referral paid off. Ask if there is anything you can do in return.

UNIT 1

Structure and Presentation ……………………………...

7 - 30

Sender’s address …………………………………………..

7

Date ………………………………………………………

7

Inside address ……………………………………………..

8

Order of inside address ……………………………………

11

Style and punctuation of addresses ……………………….

15

“For the attention of” ……………………………………...

17

Salutation .…………………………………………………

18

Body of the letter ………………………………………….

19

Complimentary closes …………………………………….

19

Signatures ………………………………………………...

20

Letterhead ………………………………………………...

23

References ………………………………………………...

25

Per pro …………………………………………………….

25

Company position …………………………………………

25

Enclosures ………………………………………………...

26

“Private and confidential” ………………………………...

26

Subject titles ………………………………………………

26

Copies ……………………………………………………..

28

Addressing envelopes ……………………………………..

28

UNIT 2

Content and Style ………………………………………..

31 - 42

Length …………………………………………………….

31

Order and sequence ……………………………………….

32

Planning your letter ……………………………………….

32

First paragraph …………………………………………….

33

Middle paragraph …………………………………………

33

Final paragraph ……………………………………………

34

Style and language ………………………………………...

34

Courtesy …………………………………………………..

35

Idioms and colloquial language …………………………...

35

Clarity ……………………………………………………..

36

Abbreviation ………………………………………………

36

Redundant and deadwood words ………………………….

Figures ……………………………………………………

37

38

Prepositions ………………………………………………

39

Accuracy …………………………………………………..

39

Titles, names, addresses …………………………………..

39

References ………………………………………………...

40

Prices, measurements, etc. ………………………………...

40

Enclosures ………………………………………………..

40

UNIT 3

Letters on Business Situations …………………………..

43 - 95

Letters requesting information/ service ……………...……

45

Letters providing information/ service ………...………….

58

Letters confirming plans …………………………………..

71

Letters canceling plans ……………………………………

78

Claim letters and Complaints ……………………………..

84

Adjustment letters …………………………………………

90

UNIT 4

Electronic Letters ………………………………………..

96 - 114

Telex messages ……………………………………………

96

Faxes ………………………………………………………

108

E-mails …………………………………………………….

111

UNIT 5

Conference facilities ……………………………………..

115 - 121

UNIT 6 ………………………………………………….

122 – 129

Personal file

Bibliography ……………………………………………..

130