Writing a job letter
Formal letters differ in some key ways from e-mail and even from professional memos. The purpose of a formal letter is often serious: It may be a formal application for a job, a formal statement of a job offer (containing legally binding language and contract details), a formal thank-you note following an interview, a formal document from your employer offering a promotion, or even a formal performance review that will go into your permanent employee file. These matters are generally too important to handle in an informal medium like e-mail or a memo. In addition, recipients may want a document that can be signed and filed in a traditional way.
Job letters and cover letters — or the letters you write to an organization to apply for a job — are an excellent example of formal correspondence. If you seek a competitive position in your field, you will likely need to write this type of document, which expresses your interest in a particular job and showcases your qualifications. To write a strong cover letter, you must first understand your audience. Find out as much as you can about the company, university, or research organization beforehand, then tailor your letter to suit that audience — in tone, content, and emphasis. Resources for information about companies and university research groups include corporate or university Web sites, patent databases, journal databases, newspapers and trade journals, or colleagues in your professional organizations.
