FINISHING TOUCHES The things that make employers remember you!

You have now, at your disposal, several tools in your portfolio. The tools that you have developed so far focused on marketing you and your skills. The next tools you are going to develop will be the finishing touches – the little “extras” that will help you in your quest for employment. The little “extras” that you will be working on developing are the thank you note, letter of acceptance and letter of resignation. These are the types of things that make employers remember you, even if you did not get the position. You never know when your extra effort will pay off!!!!

The Thank You Note Thanking people is probably the most important factor in the category of good manners. Did you know that focusing on the other person, that is treating them with courtesy, manners and thoughtfulness does wonders for increasing the opportunities for success in your job hunt?

What do I thank the interviewer for? * The time of the interviewer * The hospitality of the receptionist, interviewer and others * The consideration of the organization to be hired as an employee * The information you received in the interview * The opportunity to possibly be hired and take an important step in your career.

Is there any specific way to write a thank you note? * Thank you notes should be written personally. If you have poor handwriting, then print. * You should write a short message on the bottom part of the inside panel of the card. ( Do not write on the back side) * Choose a conservative style paper. * Choose a plain color (white, off-white, cream, ivory or very light gray). Dark colors are not considered professional. * Thank you notes are smaller than personal size stationary and much smaller than business size stationary. ‘ * Address the note “ Dear Mr. or Mrs. “ rather than by the first name. * Spell everything correctly. * Write about something special, something which may not relate to all other applicants.

* Time your thank you note to arrive on a good day ( Friday for example) * Put a return address on the envelope. * Use an attractive commemorative postage stamp. * Don’t use politically controversial stamps for postage or decoration. * Use a good quality pen with business color ink. * Don’t oversell yourself. * Sign your formal name.

September 17, 2009 Dear Mr. Hasjob, Thank you so much for the interview and the market information you provided. I was most impressed with the city, your station and everyone I met. Working at WRJV with you and your team would be both interesting and exciting. I look forward to your reply and to the possibility of helping you set new records for the next year. Sincerely, Anne Wantajob

The Letter of Acceptance: An acceptance letter acknowledges the job offer. This letter should express appreciation for the job offer, restate the terms of employment, and indicate the date you are available to start. Example: The position you offered me as clerical and sales trainee sounds very appealing. I am impressed with AB&C and would be pleased to accept. On Monday, June 17, I will report to work as requested. I am looking forward to learning how I can be of service to your station.

The Follow Up Letter: Sometimes we do not get a position that we wanted. Even though we may be disappointed and want to forget the situation, we still need to follow up. You never know where it could lead !!!! You should thank the employer AGAIN for the interviewing process. You should also restate your interest in other opportunities within the organization. You should close your follow up letter with a “statement of possibility”. State that you would like the opportunity to stay in touch with the interviewer over the next few months.

The Letter of Resignation: When you have an opportunity to advance sometimes it is necessary to resign your position in one organization to accept one in another. It is always polite to write a formal letter of resignation. The letter should state that you are leaving the organization and the date of your last working day. You should also make a statement mentioning that you enjoyed your time at the organization. It is also acceptable to comment on something you learned during your time as an employee with the organization.

Finishing Touch Assignment 1.Pretend that you have just interviewed with a company called Band- Aid Inc. The company specializes in the manufacturing of medical supplies. Your interviewer is Mr. Sam Computer. 2.Write the following letters/notes in reference to your pretend interview: a. Thank you note b. Letter of acceptance c. Follow-up letter d. Letter of resignation 3.Save your letters/notes to your flash drive or hard drive. 4.Turn a copy of the letters in to your teacher. 5.Once your teacher has proofed your letters/notes, put them in your portfolio.

Every job is a self-portrait of the person who did it. Autograph your work with excellence!