Confidently Spoken
You might be surprised at how your choice of words can imply either confidence or insecurity. Many folks version politeness with insecurity. They write words such as if, might, could, and maybe in an effort to be polite when those words often ring of insecurity. Instead, choose words that send signals of confidence: when, will, would, and certainly. It’s important that employers get the sense from your letter that you believe in yourself. After all, if you don’t, why should they? The following examples contrast insecure and confident writing styles:
Insecure: If I don’t hear from you, I’ll call to see if we can meet.
Confident: I’ll call you next week to see when we can meet.
Insecure: I hope that you will find my qualifications suitable for the job.
Confident: I’m confident that I can do the job.
Insecure: I might be a good candidate for the job.
Confident: I’m the one for the job.
Insecure: Hopefully we can get together to talk.
Confident: Let’s get together to talk.
Insecure: Perhaps I might meet with you.
Confident: I’d like to meet with you.
Insecure: Maybe sometime next week we could find time to meet.
Confident: Next week is a good time for me to meet with you.
Insecure: I was wondering if you have any job openings inhales.
Confident: I understand that you need a good salesperson.
Get the point? If you’re tempted to write a word or phrase that rings of insecurity, resistant opt for the confident approach.
Career Casualty
Don’t use polysyllable words as a gimmick to impress the reader when a shorter word will work For instance, write use instead of utilize.
Job-Hunt Hint
Although exclamation marks can be effective in giving your writing dynamism, use them sparingly in your letter! One or two per letter is plenty! Too many are distracting and create an overly excited tone! (See what I mean?)
Most Sincerely
Showing sincerity can be a tricky thing. You want to use words and phrases that imply sincerity without your letter sounding contrived. These seven tips will help you express sincerity in your letter:
- It’s okay to start a few sentences of your letter with I, but don’t overdo it. A letter that becomes too I-focused (especially by having I at the beginning of each paragraph), is apt to draw a response like, “I, I, I! Doesn’t this guy ever think of anyone except himself?”
- Use concrete terminology in with letter. Refer to specifics you’ve learned demo your research or can version from your own experience. Whenever appropriate, use exact numbers,names, and places instead of generalities. For example, “I can envision a 10 percent growth in sales in each of your 25 branches” is much better than “I can envision sales growth in your various offices.”
- Speak specifically to the employer’s goals, challenges, mission statement, or anything that’s relevant to your work for the company. For example, “I’d like to be a part of opening your four new plants in Illinois.”
- Weave the employer’s name into the text of your letter so it’s clear this letter is truly for her. For instance, “Ms. Reinhardt, we met at the last U.S. Shipping Convention in Miami.”
- If your letter has a humorous tone throughout, break that tone from time to time with a comment such as “Seriously, I know I can …” or “Joking aside, there are several issues ….”
- Use an assertive (but not aggressive) tone in your closing paragraph that lets the employer know you’re sincere about wanting the job. For example, “I’ll contact you next week to follow up on this proposal.”
- Say thank you in a simple and honest way toward the end of your letter. Let your potential employer know that you appreciate her attention.
