Letter Archives - Page 2 of 6

The Power of the Unsent Letter for Those in Recovery

Throughout the ages, people have used unsent letters for healing and renewal. Therapists tell us to write to our deceased parents, pour out our hearts and burn the letter. Friends tell us to “write off” unhealthy relationships. Even businesses “write off” bad debt.

To write an unsent letter for personal wellness, simply address a sheet of paper or a page in your journal to the intended receiver. Then take 15 to 20 minutes to really let go and explore your feelings and thoughts. In your writing, you might tie your emotions to various situations or experiences. How has your relationship with this person affected who you would like to become, who you have been in the past, or who you are now? Is there any unfinished business? Are there questions that have been left unanswered? What are the most significant positive experiences with this person? How will you as the writer of the letter change as a result? The point is to be completely honest with yourself. Remember that the entire purpose of the writing is for you and you only. When you are finished, you may choose to reread the letter, or not. It’s your choice. Either way, simply fold up the paper. Burn it. Tear it. Shred it. Flush it. Toss the pieces into the ocean or let the wind take them away. Just do not mail the letter.

The power of the pen, and especially the unsent letter, is especially meaningful for people in recovery from substance abuse. Be it alcoholism, drug addiction, food addiction or gambling trouble, expressive writing can assist in one’s recovery journey.

For this article, I have outlined the 12 steps from Alcoholics Anonymous and juxtaposed the writing opportunities in each step – several of which include the Unsent Letter.

Step Number

Step Description

Writing Opportunity

We admitted we were powerless over alcohol – that our lives had become unmanageable.

Write out your drinking/drugging biography since the beginning. It could take the form of a letter to your former “drinking self,” or to a bottle or drug.

Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity

Write a letter in gratitude to your Higher Power.

Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.

Again, writing to God – this time writing the Third Step prayer.

Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves

Step 4 is one of the steps that has the most writing involved. Writing in this instance is in the form of lists and explanatory sentences.

Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.

While the actual step work is usually face to face, write in your journal about your feelings and emotions after taking this step.

Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.

The writing here is listing making of character defects.

Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.

Again, letter writing to God is an acceptable way of completing this step.

Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.

Writing the list here helps in personal willingness and faith.

Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.

The unsent letter is a powerful means of making amends in many cases. If someone is deceased, an unsent letter is a positive way of expressing remorse and asking forgiveness. If a direct amends would injure someone, an unsent letter describing the incident in question is a perfect way of making amends.

Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.

Developing a regular journaling practice is a positive, healthy way of tracking personal inventory. Further, journaling entries can provide valuable insight into recurring themes and growth.

Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.

Writing your own prayers, poems and even songs is a wonderful way to explore meditation and one’s relationship with a Higher Power.

Having had a spiritual awakening as a result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

Visit http://www.writetohealth.com and the Write to Recover workshop for ways to explore the Recovery principles and practices in our lives through the written word.

In almost every step, recovery work involves expressive writing, and most certainly the Unsent Letter. Write on, everyone!

Simple Cover Letter Tip – "Gratitude" Magic

Spring is in the air and the songbirds are on the way back to there seasonal homes. A new season awaits you. Time to make plans for your new career and get after your to-do list. It is also time to say thank you to everyone who you have spent the winter and holiday season with and do not forget the Hiring manager at the company you want to start your new career at.

This is a great time to share your appreciation to all of your business acquaintances and contacts. When ever you write a cover letter to any prospective employers, it is very smart to include a few words of gratitude for the chance to introduce yourself and your skills. Do not forget to ask for that interview for the job you want to land.

Always keep one thing in mind though, the hiring manager has no obligation to respond to your cover letter. But if you sprinkle your cover letter with some gratitude he or she will not be able to resist contacting you.

Why?

Because you will be one of the very few that show you are more concerned with gratitude than greed. By showing a little gratitude, you display your good heart and your interest in others, not just yourself. This very small addition to your cover letter will put you in a class by yourself. It will be a sure sign that you are someone who would be a welcome addition to any company and its staff.

Simple Ways to Say ‘Thanks’ in Your Cover Letter:

Make sure that you use clear and simple language in your cover to convey your gratitude but also at the same time shows your talents and skills for the job you are applying for.

1. “Thank you for taking a minute to consider my cover letter and resume for your open position, I really appreciate how busy you are.

2. I am grateful for the time you give to your prospective employees such as me. I never take this for granted.

3. I welcome the chance to speak to you about my skills and your expectations. Thank you for this chance to hear about your company and to share how I might be a great fit into your future plans.

4. I really appreciate the job description that you provided online. I would like very much to have the opportunity to show my gratitude in person for letting me introduce myself and my background and to find out how I can contribute to your company.

Never be too gushing or sentimental, it may come off as insincere, instead, focus on clarity and sincerity. You know that you have what it takes to land that job you want, just make some small gratitude a high priority and you will succeed.

A Great Cover Letter Is Your Escort to More Job Interviews

Creating a compelling cover letter is a vital step in the job application process. Your letter should have a professional, yet naturally flowing conversational tone. Never underestimate the power of a cover letter to make or break your submission to a particular company, which is assessing your fitness as a candidate. Call it a resume cover letter; it’s nearly as important as the resume itself. The cover letter can create either a favorable or sloppy first impression-it’s up to you. Crisp, compelling and persuasive prose can make an enormous difference. Do you know what a cover letter looks like? If you can’t do it right, then you should consider hiring a professional resume writer and professional cover letter writer to do it for you.

The functions of a cover letter are as follows:

• To not only introduce yourself to a potential employer, and reveal appealing aspects of your personality, but to sell yourself, just as if you were a product: You, Inc.

• Set you apart from other applying for this job. If your letter is impressive enough, it may be placed in the “to call first” pile.

• Demonstrate your effectiveness as a corporate communicator, which is an important skill to employers

• Explain why you are interested in a particular job.

• Complement your resume by intriguing the reader sufficiently to continue the process by perusing your resume.

• Display your intellectual prowess

• Demonstrate your knowledge of the company

While time consuming, it is also absolutely necessary to write a unique cover letter to each company. You should learn enough about the product or service, internal challenges, values and goals to be able to tailor each letter accordingly.

Here are some methods that wise job applicants use to turbo charge their cover letters:

• Make the appearance of your letter clean and simple. Do not right justify margins or make the letter look mass produced.

• Keep it to one page.

• Address your letter to a specific person, either the person mentioned in an ad, or the person that your research has demonstrated might make the hiring decision.

• Always write an employer-centric letter, concentrating on how you can meet a need, solve a problem and/or explain why you are the best candidate to join the corporate team. In other words, how can you be of service to them?

• Use your first paragraph to state the job that you are seeking, and how you found out about it. If someone within the company referred you, this is the place to give their name.

• Express an interest in the company’s product, service and/or a specific project currently in the works.

• Consciously match your job experience, positive personality facets and transferable skills with those that the company is seeking. This step may require information that was not in the job announcement or want ad.

• Sketch any information in intriguing outline form-you want to whet the recipient’s appetite to learn more by studying your resume.

• In the last paragraph of your perfect cover letter, directly ask for an interview to discuss the position further. Either include your contact information in the last paragraph, or in a block with your name and title. Thank the recipient for taking the time to consider your letter and resume.

How To Write A Cover Letter For A PQQ

Completing a Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ) in itself is a challenge. It involves days, if not weeks of difficult and time-consuming paper work. So, you are done with weeks of hard work on the PQQ, you have completed it, collected all the required legal policy documents and have signed all the relevant Appendices.

Now, the final task remaining is to write a cover letter before you send your documents to the company for review.

The PQQ letter matters a lot. For, it’s the first thing that is read in your proposal.

It needs to be impressive and should make your proposal stand out amongst the others. It should be written in such a way that the company should think, “I want to read more about this.” A PQQ covering letter needs to be professionally written and it should be very precise without getting into the unwanted details. In other words, it should have only what’s required and what works for you. It should portray a professional image of your hard work and your company.

There are a few things that need to be kept in mind whilst writing a cover letter. There are the things that are professionally required of your company to adhere to and it shows that you take your work seriously.

A cover letter should always be written on your company’s letter head. This gives it a professional look and helps in providing credibility to your proposal.

Use your company or organisation’s VAT registration number, if your company is VAT registered. The quality of paper used for this purpose should be very good and the print quality should be great too.

You sure don’t want to let your hard work on the PQQ down by the quality of paper or print used for your cover letter.

Write the contract reference and the title for your PQQ covering letter as a header in bold ad underlined. Always choose the title for your cover letter with utmost care.

You shouldn’t sound like a typical salesman. No-one likes the hard sell!

The letter should introduce your company in a precise and professional manner explaining how you are suitable for the tender convincingly.

The address of the procurement team needs to be written clearly as in the PQQ specification documents. Also, you should write your personal details such as phone number and email address which is helpful in case the procurement team requires contacting you. Also, write an index for the list of accompanying documents. Never forget to sign the letter.

Business Letter Writing – Writing a Business Letter, Offline or Online II

Whenever you are writing about an action that the company, or a department, as whole is taking, use ‘we’, and whenever it is you personally taking the action, use ‘I’. In the examples above, the first is an action on behalf of the company, and the second is an action taken by you personally. “I will talk to my colleagues” is correct in that case.

When writing in a business style, you should do so in such a way that there is no possibility of ambiguity, and that your message is clear and easy to understand. Don’t make the mistake of believing that senior personnel in your, or any other, company is educated and can understand the nuances of vocabulary, grammar and punctuation. Most can’t. Most business leaders are not English language majors. All they want is clear writing that they can understand without having to reach for a dictionary. They also want clear information, and never make excuses: provide reasons.

For example,

“Dear Mr. Customer, I am sorry that your order is late. It will be with you shortly” is not acceptable, whereas “Dear Mr. Customer, We apologize for the lateness of your recent order. It was held up due to a problem with our production unit but will be with you by the 17th of this month” is more acceptable.

Business letters should never tell lies or prevaricate. They should be short and to the point, and make an honest statement of the facts. Lies and prevarication have a habit of biting you later, so leave them alone. Put yourself in the position of the person you are writing to and write accordingly.

Business letters relevant to internet businesses are no different, only that you must not assume that just because it is the internet then you need not be so formal. Many internet entrepreneurs are very educated people who run their internet business in the same way that offline businesses are run.

The best approach you can take when writing a business letter relating to either an online or offline conventional business is to stay formal, do not use too many long words and keep to the point. State what has to be said and no more. Businessmen want the facts, not the waffle.

Law Librarian Cover Letter

A cover letter is a letter of introduction to the employer that persuades the employer to consider you further for a particular post. A law library provides necessary study and research material to the law students and staff members. A law librarian has to perform a large number of tasks in the law library. He has to provide research and examination assistance to the entire law faculty. They even help the students and staff in various types of legal research. So, we can conclude from here that it is not an easy job to perform. Only a highly qualified individual can work as a law librarian.

Now, given below is a sample law librarian cover letter for your help:

Your Name

Your Address

Your City, State, Zip Code

Date

Employer Name

Company

Address

City, State, Zip

Dear Mr. / Ms. Last Name,

With reference to your ad posting in The Daily Times Newspaper for the want of a Law Librarian, I hereby present my job application for the desired position. I have all the necessary qualifications and skills to be an effective law librarian. My strong professional background and skills make me an apt choice for this position. Therefore, I would be very grateful to you if you consider me for this important position.

I am an experienced individual in this field. I have a good amount of knowledge in providing necessary support to the staff and law students in various legal researches. I have exceptional creativity, flexibility, and teamwork abilities that are quite necessary in this field. I have done a Master degree in Library Science. This really provides me an edge over other candidates. I could really be of great benefit to your law institution.

I have ample amount of knowledge in all types of legal terminologies and providing guidance to the law students in choosing the right study material. So, if you feel that there is mutual interest then please contact me on the numbers given above. I really look forward to meet you as soon as possible. I have enclosed my resume along with this covering letter for your review.

Thanks for considering me for this significant position.

Sincerely,

Signature

Typed Name

How to Write a Cover Letter for a Job Application: 10 Easy Steps

Learning how to write a winning cover letter is easy and so important! We have 10 simple steps to show you how to write an awesome cover letter so that you stand out when applying for your next job. Apply for you next job with confidence.

Provide your contact details at the top of the Cover Letter – make it easy for an Employer to contact you! These should not take up half the page either. Just list them in a couple of lines. Be sure to include your first and last name, don’t worry about your middle name, a contact phone number (don’t provide multiple numbers, just one will do), and your address.
Personalise the Cover Letter by using the Company name AND the name of the person in the company if possible. Take the time to address the letter to the person who will be reading it. This shows that you are prepared to pay attention to detail. Many people do not do this, so by making sure that you do, you are already showing that you are better than your competition!
State the job title and reference number of the job. The company may be filling more than one role. This is usually stated in the job ad. Look for it and use it. Again this shows excellent attention to detail and will suggest that you will be an efficient employee!
Customer your Letter and make sure you match the skills and experiences in the job ad. If the job ad asks for someone to be enthusiastic, make sure you tell them that you are enthusiastic. If it asks for someone with good people skills, make sure you state that you have good people skills. Use the same words that they have used. This is a sure-fire way to ensure that you tick the boxes and get short-listed.
ALWAYS state your key qualifications such as degrees, diplomas and certificates. If you have them you must boast about them! Sure they are in your Resume, but you MUST mention them in your cover letter too. Don’t leave them guessing, tell them your strong points.
ALWAYS state how many years of experience you have in a similar role. Don’t wait for them to figure it out from your Resume, tell them how many years you have. The more the better. You do not need to be exact, you can say things like over 5 years, or almost 3 years.
Describe your current job and the main duties you perform. Again try to match the duties to the duties that they have listed in their job ad where possible.
Sell Yourself! Include some compelling reasons why you are perfect for the job. Are you highly productive, a great communicator, highly experienced with skills that match the job perfectly?
In your closing sentence, you need to have a Call To Action – request an interview or a time to meet.
Finally, check your Cover Letter length. It should not be longer than 1 page.

Tips for Writing a Cover Letter for a Teaching Position

The teaching profession is a very competitive one and when applying for a new teaching post either as an experienced teacher or as a newly qualified teacher, making the right impression from the outset is vital. And the first impression, when applying for a teaching post, is made by the cover letter.

Many teaching posts require applicants to write long, in-depth personal statements to support their CV or application. However, where this type of statement is not specifically requested then a more standard cover letter should be written.

A top tip for writing a cover letter is to split the letter into three paragraphs. The first should be a short summary of the purpose of your letter and any enclosed attachments. This does not have to be complicated, simply a sentence to detail the exact post you’re applying for, perhaps where you saw the job advertised, and then what the rest of your letter will be aiming to do.

As an example;

I am writing to apply for the position of Year 2 Teacher, as advertised in the Primary School News. I am very keen to become part of your school community and I hope that my enclosed CV will demonstrate that I have the appropriate skills and experience to fulfill this role successfully.

Paragraph two should be the bulk of the letter and should aim to demonstrate how the vision and ethos of the school, and the requirements of the job specification and/or person specification, align with your aims and experiences. You should therefore write one or two sentences which demonstrate that you have knowledge of the school and its values, and then pull out a few significant points from your CV to illustrate how you would be suited to that post and to the school.

The final paragraph is simply a section where you can sign off and clearly point the reader to the ways in which you can be contacted, either by email, telephone or post. These details should be provided at the top of your letter, in the right hand corner. Always remember to provide as many different contact routes as possible. Your final paragraph can also allow you to reiterate once again how passionate you are about that specific role and/or school.

Once your letter is written, be sure to check the contents for spelling mistakes and grammar errors, as a teacher who can’t spell, or indeed, can’t ‘correct’ their own work, will not stand up well against the competition. Finally, format your letter to ensure that it does not exceed more than one page of A4; this can be achieved by decreasing the page margins, decreasing the font size and adjusting the paragraph spacing; always remember that for ease of reading, the font size should never fall below 11pt.

Your perfect cover letter is now ready to be submitted, and you should be on the way to securing your dream teaching post.

Job Placement Officer Cover Letter

A Job Placement Officer is a person who is responsible for providing candidates to the organization according to the requirements of employers. He or she is responsible for achieving job placement targets and providing effective delivery of employment services to the clients by sourcing vacancies and matching eligible clients to these vacancies.

A sample of a Job Placement Officer Cover Letter is as under:

You’re Name

You’re Address

Your City, State, Zip Code

Your Phone #

You’re Email

Date

Employer Name

Company

Address

City, State, Zip Code

Dear Mr. /Ms. Last Name,

I am responding to your advertisement in the XYZ newspaper for the post of Job Placement Officer. I consider that my experience and interests match with your requirement and want to apply for the same position. I am pleased to submit my qualifications in the attached resume.

I am looking for a decent job that will utilize my six years of experience. Following are few highlights of my experience that strongly matches with the objectives that you are seeking:

1. Responsible for conducting job placement activities consistent with employment services.

2. Liable for negotiating employment opportunities with employers and promoting job seekers for vacancies.

3. Responsible for maintaining and reporting statistics relating to employment services to the supervisor.

4. Maintaining good relationship with employers, community groups and local centerline offices.

5. Liable for providing professional training and development program from time to time.

I am a focused, self-directed and competent person with lot of experience in this field. I am very efficient employee and I have dedicated myself completely to the placement related activities. I am a mature minded person with a high level interpersonal, analytical, communication and organizational skills. I am a very creative and innovative individual possessing a can-do attitude.

I have made numerous contributions to my previous organization. You will come to know about them after reviewing my resume. I have gained strong position in my previous company due to my excellent leadership qualities. I have even accelerated the achievement of my goals and positioned myself as a valuable resource in a variety of situations.

I am eagerly looking forward join your reputed company. I think my skill set and experience would be beneficial for the growth and integrity of your organization.

I would appreciate the opportunity to discuss how my education and experiences will be helpful and useful for you. Thanks for considering me and for taking out time for reading my cover letter.

Sincerely,

Your Signature

Your Typed Name

Cover Letter Tips

Cover Letter Tips Can Provide Valuable Pointers to Enhance Cover Letter Writing

In the case of a cover letter for a resume or a CV, then it is directed to the prospective employer that is looking to recruit the most suitable person to do carry out certain duties and assume certain responsibilities. This will be a crucial element in the employment application kit that represent the candidate. Therefore, an effective cover letter should convey a clear and accurate image of the applicant to the prospective employer. Writing a cover letter for even the most coveted and high profile job is not a difficult task, if the correct methods are applied. Therefore, it is essential to know few key cover letter tips that can enhance the quality of a cover letter.

1. It should be original and not copied. This is very important as it is something that most applicants do. It will be more effective if it was thought out and written by the applicant. The letter must be targeted and highlight the strengths and skills of the applicant.

2. Keep to the facts. It is not required to go in to great lengths when writing a cover letter. Ideally it should be limited to one page. It should be kept in mind that the person reading it has many other important works to attend to. Therefore, keeping it short and accurate will enable the reader to assimilate the key points. The main point to highlight is the fact that the applicant meets the job requirements specified.

3. If asked to specify the salary expectations it is better if a range is provided and not the amount expected. Unless specifically prompted, do not include this item within your letter as it is against the recruiting etiquette for an applicant to talk about remunerations prior to establishing whether he or she has the skills to meet the job requirements. .

4. Write in a positive manner. Be clear and concise. It will not be necessary to write about why the applicant has been unemployed for a while. Be confident in how it is being written, this will show the applicant’s personality to the reader.

5. Another important tip is that the stationary used to write the CL should be white with a matching white envelope, which should be crisp and the quality should be up to standard. No fancy fonts should be used in typing this sort of formal letters. Use black ink and not colors and will be more professional if printed on a laser printer.

6. It is recommended to always request for an interview.

7. Proofread the document. If a CL is free of errors of any kind, be it grammatical or spelling, it proves that the applicant is thorough, and this will reflect well on the applicant

8. Always keep copies of whatever is sent.

Apply these tips to enhance your writing skills. However, we understand that an effective cover letter will bring you that much closer to getting the job you want.