JOB INQUIRY LETTER AND INTERVIEW

 Job Inquiry Letter and Interview

Some organizations require you to fill out and submit an application form before considering you for a position. It is a standardized data sheet that simplifies comparison of applicant’s qualifications. To request such a form, send a job-enquiry letter. You can also go to the organization and pick up the form.

Organizations use this form for information about your qualification so try to be accurate when filing it out. Your care in filling out application form suggests to the employer that you will be thorough and careful in your work. When writing a job-Inquiry letter, plan for direct requests: main idea, necessary details, and specific request.

Application Follow-Ups

Even if you’ve received a letter acknowledging your application and saying that it will be kept on file, don’t hesitate to send a follow-up letter three months later to show that you are still interested. Look at the following.

 

Three months have elapsed since I applied to you for an accountant position, but I want to let you know that I am still very interested in joining your company.
 Please keep my application in your active file, and let me know when a position opens for a capable accountant.

 

Unless you state otherwise, the human resources office is likely to assume that you’ve already found a job and are no longer interested in the organization. Moreover, requirements change. A follow-up letter can demonstrate that you’re sincerely interested in working for the organization, that you’re persistent in pursuing your goals, and that you’re upgrading your skills to make yourself a better employee. And it might just get you an interview.

If your application letter and resume fail to bring a response within a month or so, follow up with a second letter to keep your file active. This follow-up letter also gives you a chance to update your original application with any recent job-related information.

 

Since applying to you on May 3 for an executive secretary position, I have completed a course in office management at ABC College. I received straight A’s in the course. Now, I am a proficient user of MS Word, including macros and other complex functions.

 

            Please keep my application in your active file, and let me know when you need a skilled executive secretary.

Understanding the Interview Process

It is very important to understand the interviewing process as well as the hiring practices of the big and small organizations. For this purpose study the following.

	Big Companies	Small Companies
Number and type of applicants sought	Consistently hire thousands of new employees each year; have relatively specific hiring criteria, depending on the position; tend to be highly selective.	Hiring requirement fluctuate, often looking for flexibility, versatility; often somewhat more open-minded.
Person or department in charge of recruiting	Handled by human resource or personnel department	In really small companies, the founder/top manager makes all hiring decisions.
General recruiting and interviewing style	Governed by formal policies and procedures; typically involves series of several interviews; approach is generally systematic, well planned, and well financed.	Conducted informally on an as-needed basis without a standard procedure; hiring decision may be made after first interview or may drag on for several months.
Where/how they advertise	Use national and local newspapers, trade journals, campus placement offices, word of mouth, online job banks, company websites.	Rely heavily on word of mouth and local newspapers
Use of employment agencies, search firms	Roughly 60 percent use employment agencies; whereas 40 percent use executive search firms.	Agency use varies widely among small companies; cost may be a factor.
Responsiveness to unsolicited resumes	Received hundreds of unsolicited resumes, which typically get less attention than resumes obtained through departments’ own planned recruiting program; most companies will scan unsolicited resumes into a database if they maintain one; best to send resume directly to line manager or potential co-worker in department where you want to work.	Receive relatively few unsolicited resumes, so they pay close attention to them; however, given limited hiring needs, chances are slim that your resume will arrive when company has a corresponding opening.
Reliance on campus recruiting	On campus recruiting programs, relatively small in number	The smaller the company, the less likely it is to recruit in this manner.
Best way for candidate to approach company	Use campus placement office to schedule interviews with companies that recruit on your campus. If company does not recruit on your campus, call the person in charge of college recruiting, explain your situation, and ask for advice on best way to get an interview.	Check with campus placement office; try to make direct personal contact with owner/manager or department head; get names and addresses from chamber of commerce, business directories, send resume and application letter.

Understanding the Interview Process

An employment interview is a formal meeting in which both employer and applicant ask questions and exchange information to learn more about each other.

           

Dual purpose

1. The organization’s main objective is to find the best person.

2. The applicant’s main objective is to find the job best suited to his or her goals and capabilities.

Organizations hiring hundreds of new employees every year take a more systematic approach to the recruiting and interviewing process. Adjust your job search according to the company’s size and hiring practices. Start seeking jobs well in advance of the date you want to start work. Begin job search as much as nine months before. During downturns in the economy, early planning is even more crucial.

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JOB SEARCH AND EMPLOYMENT

Job Search and Employment 

For most business students one of the most important communication tasks is preparing your resume. This document will represent you in offices you have never seen. The resume is just one aspect of a complete communication package that everyone must put together before he or she enters the business world. This package should also include a healthy amount of career planning and self-assessment before you even start thinking about a resume. In addition, after you have written a resume you need to think about writing cover letters, preparing yourself for interviews, and planning strategies for follow up interview with letters and telephone calls. This job-search communication package ends up looking very much like the following figure. 

The Job Search Communication

Plan Your Career

Before you can sell a product, you need to know what product is all about. Similarly, before selling your expertise you need to know the following.

Understanding Today’s Changing Workplace

Today, work place is influenced by numerous forces such as globalization, advancing technology, information overload, grown diversity, and team based organizations. Certain other issue such as corporate downsizing, cost-cutting initiatives growing dependency on flexible employment techniques such as outsourcing and increasing entrepreneur are fast influencing the workplace.

How Changing Workplace Affects Job

Employment is more flexible. Today, lifelong employees are less in number, only, temporary workers & consultants are working project by project basis.

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SALES LETTERS

                                                          sales letters

Sales Letters

To some extent, every letter is a sales letter. You are selling your organization’s image and goodwill. These letters are an easy and effective way of securing business. No other type of letter influences so many people or brings as big a return in terms of money as this letter.

 

More so than other letters, the sales letter is highly specialized, and its writing require exceptional ability and experience.

 

There are two kinds of sales letters:

(i)         Solicited letter (the organization is invited to respond to sales messages.)

(ii)        Unsolicited letter (the organization sends out uninvited messages to sell a product or service)

            Writing whatever type of sales letter, follow these principles.

1.         Know your Buyer

•        First identify the characteristics that describe the most likely buyer for your products or services. From research or experience, build a “composite” buyer. The sex, age, occupation, geographic location, financial situation, and other characteristics of the “average” buyer. Determine what appeals will be used in letter. Defining your targeted buyer’s characteristics helps you discover the needs and desires of these prospective buyers.

For example, you wouldn’t try to sell a “Sixty-Five Plus” insurance plan to college students.

The writer of sales letters has a choice of many different appeals. Those used depend upon the aim of the letter, the nature of the product, and the market – the people who will receive the letter. Buyers usually spend their money for these reasons:

•        For comfort (air conditioners)

•        To make money (stock)

•        To escape physical pain

•        To save money (storm windows)

•        To save time (microwave oven)

•        To protect family (smoke detector)

•        To imitate others (sunglasses)

•        To be in style (new coat)

•        To be different (exclusive hat)

•        To avoid trouble (casualty insurance)

•        For health (toothpaste)

•        To take advantage of opportunities (investment property)

•        For enjoyment (television set)

•        To enhance reputation (charitable contribution)

•        For cleanliness (soap)

•        To satisfy appetite (candy)

•        To avoid effort (power lawn mower)

•        For beautiful possessions (new cell phone)

•        To be popular (dancing lessons)

•        To safeguard possessions (fire insurance)

•        To be attractive (jewelry, garments)

•        To be adventurous (travel)

2. Prepare a List of Buyers

Next, you need a good mailing list. The obvious place to start is your organization’s own list of buyers. You can also buy lists from organizations that specialize in compiling and selling them. For sales effectiveness, a good mailing list must contain the correct names and addresses of people or organizations that have in common characteristics that make them likely buyers for your products or services.

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COLLECTION LETTERS

collection letters

Collection Letters  

No matter how carefully a company chooses its credit customers, there will be times when a bill goes unpaid and steps to collect must be taken. The problem when writing a collection letter is how to get payment and at the same time keep a customer. The writer of a collection letter wants to get the money owed and maintain goodwill.

       

      Collection letters, therefore, should be persuasive rather than forceful, firm rather than demanding. A fair and tactful letter gets better results than a sarcastic or abusive one. In fact, collection letters should be “you-oriented”; courteous, considerate, and concerned about the customer’s best interest.

       

      The purpose of collection letters is:

1.      To get the money.

2.      To keep the customer and future business.

3.      To build goodwill.

Collection is a sensitive issue so the following practices may be avoided

·         Falsely implying that a lawsuit has been filed

·         Contact the debtor’s employer or relatives about the debt

·         Communication to the other persons that the person is in debt.

·         Harassing the debtor

·         Using abusive or observe language

·         Using defamatory language

·         Intentionally causing mental stress

·         Threatening violence

·         Communicating by postcard (not confidential enough)

·         Misrepresenting the legal status of the debt

·         Communicating in such a way as to make the receiver physically ill

·         Misrepresenting the message as a government or court document

·         Communicating by postcard (not confidential enough)

·         Misrepresenting the legal status of the debt

·         Communicating in such a way as to make the receiver physically ill

·         Misrepresenting the message as a government or court document

·         Any emotional reaction on the part of the debtor may reduce the chances of recovery.

Successful collection depends to on the following factors:

·         Understanding of Human Nature

·         Knowledge of collection policies and laws

·         Using persuasive / positive appeals effectively

     The following appeals are generally used:

·         Appeal to fairness & justice

·         Appeal to pride

·         Appeal to Goodwill

·         Appeal to sympathy

     Right attitude for successful collection:

·         Begin with assumption that most people will pay

·         Give no impression that you doubt the honesty of the debtor

·         Use a courteous, reasonable tone but become firmer

·         Be more demanding during the later stages of the series

·         Remain with the law, don’t harass

·         Show understanding and flexibility while writing delinquent accounts

·         Send collection notices quickly and regularly

·         Never imply in you messages that payment can be avoid or postponed.

·         Retain goodwill throughout the series

·         Present your evidence and stick to the facts

·         Persuade the debtors of the benefit he will receive by paying

·         State clearly the specific action the debtor must take

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ADJUSTMENT LETTER

adjustment Letter

Writing Letters Refusing Adjustments

When The Buyer Is At Fault

1. Support the Reader’s Point of View in Your Buffer Paragraph

Since the customer probably thinks he or she is right, try to make him or her accept the logical solution. Be sure the customer realizes that you understand the problem and that you will be fair.

2. Assure the Customer That the Request Is Appreciated and Has Received Individual Consideration.

The requested adjustment is important to the reader in your letter; show that the reader’s point of view is also important to your organization.

3. Present the Explanation before the Decision

Stress what can be done and emphasize your purpose to be fair to all customers. Don’t blame and don’t argue. Avoid unfriendly, negative expressions, such as your complaint, your error, you misinterpreted, you neglected, your claim, you are mistaken, our records show, and your ignorance. With a truthful and tactful presentation, lead the customer to accept your solution as the only reasonable one.

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Claim and Adjustment Requests

Letter Writing 

Claim and Adjustment Requests

Ideally, everything runs smoothly in the operation of an organization -- no mistake, no problems, no defects, and no misunderstandings. However, even in the best-managed organizations, dissatisfactions are bound to occur. In recent years both buyers and sellers are more aware of problems caused by business errors. When a product or service does not meet customers’ expectations, the customers are disappointed and usually complain.

 

Their complaints should not be called complaint letters, because complaint connotes irritation, unpleasantness, negativism, and even anger. Using a word with such negative connotations could lead to a bad attitude towards customers. Letters about such complaints should be called claim letters.

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MINTUTES OF THE MEETING

Minutes of the meeting

Preparing Minutes of Meeting

In a typical business, many committees and task forces operate within the company. The purpose of committees is to discuss various problems and to make recommendations to management. A standing committee is one that operates permanently year after year, although its members may change. A task force is a group of people who are appointed to solve a specific problem; when they make their recommendation on the ‘task’ assigned to them, the task force is disbanded. Each department may have several committees that meet periodically – usually once a week, every two weeks, or monthly. For example, if you are working in a sales department, there may be committees on advertising, sales conferences, commissions, product development, public relations, and so on.

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MEMORANDUM & CIRCULAR

Memorandum & Circular

Purpose of Memo

When you wish to write to someone within your own company, you will send a memorandum. Memos are used to communicate with other employees, may be located – whether in the same office, in the same building, or in a branch office many miles away.

 

Because the interoffice memorandum form was developed to save time, the formalities of an inside address, salutation, and complimentary closing is omitted. Otherwise, however, office memos and letters have a great deal in common.

Formality is omitted

The memorandum or ‘memo’ is a very flexible form used within an organization for communication at all levels and for many different reasons. It performs internally the same function as a letter does in external communication by an organization. It is used for reports, briefings or instructions, ‘notes’ and any kind of internal communication that is more easily or clearly conveyed in writing (rather than face-to-face or on the telephone).

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PHYSIOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY

PHYSIOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY

PREFACE IT is now generally recogni-/ed that all students of the mind should have some knowl< dge of the structure and functions of the nervous system. Unfortunately it is not usual, and in many cases it is not possible, tor students of psychology to make that thorough study of the nervous system which is desirable, and even those of them who are fortunate in this respect find some difficulty in bringing their physiological and anatomical knowledge into relation with that which they acquire by the study of works on psychology.

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INQUERIES AND GENERAL REQUESTS

INQUERIES AND GENERAL REQUESTS

Let’s look at two very common guidelines necessary for writing general request and inquires and then examine a few examples.

Guidelines

1. Use common courtesy in your request – ask rather than demand

2. Include all the information the recipients will need in order to give you maximum help, but don’t waste the readers’ time with irrelevant details.

Letter (A)

Dear Sir

   Send me the latest catalogue of your office supplies

  

Yours sincerely

Analysis of the Letter (A)

What do you think of Letter A? Very poor, isn’t it? Why?

The letter demands rather than asks (Guideline 1)

The writer has not supplied sufficient information (Guideline 2). So you can see that such a letter cannot fulfill its purpose. Now look at the following letter and see whether this is written according to the guidelines given.

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COMMUNICATING THROUGH TECHNOLOGY

Communicating through technology

Challenges to the organization Made by New Technologies

Defining Email

Email refers to messages sent over computers and includes everything from causal notes to friends to multimedia presentations sent across the world.

Electronic mail (email) lets you send a message to a person without your making direct contact or knowledge where the person is located. Subscribers to electronic mail services are called users, and as a user, you can access messages on your system from your home, office, hotel, or anywhere you happen to be.

Several basic components make up email systems, including:

            1. Users

            2. Messages

            3. Senders’ and Recipients’ Addresses

            4. Protocols

            5. Messaging Transports

            6. Gateways

            7. Value-added Networks

            8. Directory Systems

1. Users

Users are often people, but users can also be other computer application programs.

2. Message

A message is the actual information send by one user to another.

3. Addresses

Part of the email information included in a message is the addresses of both sender and receiver, which include their unique identification codes along with another identifier such as the email systems, the mailbox number, or the organization.

4. Protocol

Each email system uses a protocol that describes the structure of the message, generally with a header of TO; FROM and SUBJECT; followed by the body, which may include text, images, graphics, video and audio.

5. Message Transport

The software that moves the message from one system to another in called the transport.

6. Gateways

If the message sent from one system must get to a user on another system, it must pass through a gateway to be delivered. A gateway is an application program that translates between two protocols of different email system.

7. Valued-added Networks (VANs)

Valued-added Networks (VANs) are public telecommunication companies, such as AT&T or PTCL, that handle email services to users for a fee.

8. Directory Systems

As a user, you can access directory that contains names, addresses, and sometimes other information about each user to find the email address you need to send a message.

Using email:

With email, you can reach individuals, groups, or other computers anywhere in the world to share information, files of data, spreadsheets, videos, music and anything else that can be sorted on a computer. Email can save your time in printing, copying and distributing your message. You can use email to send and receive faxes and telexes. Email is also useful in your personal communications.

Writing conventions for email are still developing, but one character is its being informal. The traditional conventions of writing are not followed in email. Capitalization can vary from one email user to another; all punctuation and capitalization except for periods at the ends of sentences are omitted. The immediacy and perceived informality of email compose rambling messages.

Understanding how Email Works

To send an email message, you do the following:

Log on.

This means connecting to a computer, network, or email program. It requires the user’s name and a password. Choose the receivers of your message. For this step, you need to know the email addresses of your recipients. Compose the message and instruct the program to send the message.

Email offers speed, low cost, better access to other employees, portability, and convenience (not just overcoming time-zone problems but carrying a message to many receivers at a time). It’s best for communicating brief, non complex information that is time sensitive, but its effectiveness depends on user skills. Because the turn around time can be quite fast, email tends to be more conversational than traditional paper-based media. 

Email Etiquettes:

Planning

Be clear, concise, and polite when you send an email message. Plan your email like letters and memos.

•        Decide on the purpose

•        Decide on the content

•        Write all the ideas in point form

•        Put these ideas into sequence appropriate to the purpose

Advantages and Disadvantages of Email

Advantages	Disadvantages
Email is a faster and more efficient channel than regular mail (sometimes referred to as snail mail). Most messages reach anywhere in the world within minutes of being sent.	It can be difficult to distinguish between casual and formal messages because of their similar layout
It can be sent at any convenient time	There may be a time lag if the receiver does not read his email for a few days
It can be sent to different receivers at the same time	The system is inaccessible to those who are computer illiterate or not online.
Email can be stored and sent at off-peak telephone rates	Its contents may reappear later in a variety of printed forms.
It saves paper	It lacks nonverbal communication cues to add meaning.
A message can be written and edited quickly by several people before it is sent.	It can be overused.

Elements of a Good Online Writing Style

Key element	Purpose	Strategies
Clarity	To communicate clearly	Create single-subject messages whenever possible. Open the email message with a sentence that either: connects it to previous correspondence, or identifies its purpose, or reflects an awareness of the reader’s needs. Focus on the subject and purpose. Show the reader how the content affects them. Present new ideas clearly Arrange ideas in a logical sequence

Key element	Purpose	Strategies
Readability	To make information accessible	Use about 15 to 20 words per sentence. Limit each sentence to one idea. Use complex sentences of 25 to 35 words sparingly as they require a high level of reading skill. Vary the length of sentences to add rhythm and interest to your writing. Use the active voice. Avoid slang. Remove ambiguous and unnecessary words Avoid technical terms unfamiliar to the reader.

Key element	Purpose	Strategies
Positive language	To create a positive impression	Use direct and courteous language Choose positive rather than negative words.
Punctuation	To keep the meaning clear	Start a sentence with a capital and end with a full stop. Check that the sentence is not too long. Separate ideas by using paragraphs. In general, use more full stops than commas.
Tone	To establish the communication climate	Avoid emotional responses (called ‘flaming’ in ITs). Use a courteous and tactful tone. Use an appropriate level of formality.

Faxes   

A facsimile machine scans a printed page, converts it to a signal, and transmits the signal over a telephone line to a receiving fax machine. Although faxes have been available for many years, until recently they were slow and expensive.

The oldest type of fax machine had to be connected to a machine of the same type, and the transmission took several minutes. Today’s fax machines do not require the same kind of machine at the receiving end, and they can transmit a page in less than 1 minute. The newest fax machines use digital transmission, which makes it possible to use a computer program as a receiver. These new faxes are also much faster.

The oldest type of fax machine had to be connected to a machine of the same type, and the transmission took several minutes. Today’s fax machines do not require the same kind of machine at the receiving end, and they can transmit a page in less than 1 minute. The newest fax machines use digital transmission, which makes it possible to use a computer program as a receiver. These new faxes are also much faster.

Voice Mail

Voice mail records messages on a computer disk for later retrieval by the receiver. When an incoming call is not answered, the system responds by telling the caller how to leave a message or how to reach someone else. The receiver of the call can then either listen to the machine upon returning to the office or access the message via telephone. This process eliminates the problem of telephone tag, which can be so frustrating.

Voice mail is useful because:

•        It replaces short memos and phone calls that need no response

•        It is most effective for short, unambiguous messages

•        It solves time-zone difficulties

•        It reduces a substantial amount of interoffice paperwork.

•        It is a powerful tool when you need to communicate your emotion or tone

•        It is especially useful for goodwill and other positive messages

Other Communication Technologies

Groupware

Groupware allows several people to use software at the same time to create documents, keep track of projects, route messages, and manage deadlines. Groupware enables a supervisor to manage work flow via individual computers instead of physically moving form place to place or having face-to-face meetings.

CD-ROM database 

Compact Disk – Read Only Memory (CD-ROM) has been available for several years and is becoming more popular. It is powerful tool for putting masses of information in a form that is easy to digest. Some kinds of information typically found on CD-ROMs are encyclopedias, dictionaries, telephone directories, and articles and abstracts on various subjects. A CD-ROM can store more than 100,000 pages of text. It will continue to grow. 

Teleconferencing

It is a rapidly developing technology that will eventually change the way companies do business. Teleconferencing is the best for informational meetings, ineffective for negotiation and efficient alternative to a face-to-face meeting. It discourages the “secondary” conversations, helps a participant to focus on a topic but prevents participants from sharing valuable information.

Videotape

Videotape is often effective for getting a motivational message out to a large number of people. By communicating nonverbal cues, it can strengthen the sender’s image of sincerity and trustworthiness; however, it offers no opportunity for immediate feedback.

Computer Conferencing

Computer conferencing allows users to meet and collaborate in real time while viewing and sharing documents electronically. It offers democracy because more attention is focused on ideas than on who communicates them. But overemphasizing a message (to the neglect of the person communicating it) can threaten corporate culture, which needs a richer medium. 

Editing an Online Document

After having written the electronic message, you must edit it for certain reasons. Ask yourself the following questions.

Have I considered the receivers’?

•        Viewpoint?

•        Experience?

•        Knowledge?

•        Need?

•        Position in the company?

•        Cultural differences?

•        Technology?

Have I presented? 

•         A clear purpose statement?

•         A logical order of information?

•         An appropriate, concise and complete message?

•         A clear, readable writing style?

•         Positive language?

•         Paragraphs focused on the ideas?

•         A courteous and confident tone?

•         Carefully edited work, used spellchecker and grammar checker

Have I Met?

  

•        The reader’s need to understand the information?

•        The document’s purpose

•        The writer’s need to convey particular information?

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