The Art of Letter Writing

Some communications can be made informally: a phone call or an email is sufficient. But for formal situations, only a letter is a better form of communication. Letter writing provides both the writer and the reader with a record of ideas, concerns, personal reactions, suggestions and also helps to avoid confusion. The discipline of carefully organizing and expressing our ideas courteously on paper is an exercise that helps others to understand our position in a positive and innocuous manner. The knowledge of the art of letter writing is a necessity for every educated person, since in this world there is hardly a man who has never written a letter to someone. And in this respect an educated man who knows this art has an edge over all others who do not know it. There are many kinds of letters.

1. Personal Letters – those, which are written to friends, relatives and others with whom one has personal relationships.

2. Business Letters – those, which are written by official departments and businessmen to their counterparts.

3. Official Letters – those, which are written to officials by individuals or firms or letter-applications.

4. Letters in the form of applications – to some office (for a post), to the principal of a school or college (for testimonial, fee concession, remission of fine, etc,).

In general, a letter has the following parts:

·         The heading

·         The salutation

·         The body

·         The subscription or complimentary close

·         Note

·         The superscription or addressee’s name and address

 Tips for Perfect Letter Writing

• It is desirable to use our own words on heavyweight, bright-white copy paper if using a computer, or use attractive stationery if we are handwriting the letter.
• It is better to make the content clear and understandable. Typed letters are usually better than handwritten letters.
• We should keep the letter short, simple, and concise. It is preferable that we use uncomplicated sentences and avoid long paragraphs.
• It is necessary to make sure that the letter is easily readable and logical in purpose. The reader shouldn't have to guess why we are writing the letter. When writing a letter, consider giving specific examples from personal experiences to support your position.
• Make sure the letter is timely. Sending a letter too long after the fact is inappropriate and the reader may have forgotten the situation we are writing about. When you do write, give the reader ample time to respond. Date your letter (month, day, and year) in one of two formats.

Example:  April 30, 2020
                              30 April 2020

• Address the reader with an appropriate form of address. Include your full name, address, phone number and, if appropriate, your e-mail addresses and /or fax number.

What do we say in our Letter?

Asking ourselves a few basic questions can be an excellent way to approach letter writing. Jot down answers for your questions. You can incorporate these answers into the body of your letter. Remember to keep the letter short, simple, and to the point. Here are some questions we could ask ourselves:

• Who are you? (An obvious question, but we may need to identify ourselves right away if the reader does not know or does not know us well.)
• Why are you writing this letter? What do you want? Keep your wording positive; for example, say what you want, rather than what you do not want.
• What are your concerns? Be specific. After you identify yourself, focus on the primary reason for your letter in the first few sentences.
• What are your questions? Ask them clearly. Be polite, but don't make your letter sweet in tone. You do not want any misinterpretation of your purpose; someone might think an overly sweet letter expresses sarcasm.
• How would you like the reader to respond to your question or situation? Suggest the response you would like: a letter, a meeting, a phone call, an email, etc. State exactly when you would like to receive the reader's response.

 Additional Tips for Successful Letter Writing

• Good impression: You want the reader to grant your request and/or understand your concerns and point of view. Keep the tone of your letter pleasant and businesslike. When you communicate your thoughts, ideas, and concerns, you define your needs. Ultimately, the tone you take in your letter will help determine if you get the results you desire. State the facts without expressing anger, frustration, or blame. If you are feeling emotional when you write your letter, leave it and read it again in the morning. Reading it the next day will help ensure that your letter is courteous and cool-headed.
• The reader's point of view. Put yourself in the reader's place and try to be empathetic to his/her feelings. Read your letter with your reader's reaction in mind and ask yourself a few questions. If you were offensive in any way, rewrite the letter! After you mail it, it becomes a permanent record of your thoughts and ideas.

Examples:  "Will the reader react positively to my letter?" "Is the tone of my letter courteous and businesslike, or have I used offensive or demeaning language?"

• Make changes. Leave your letter for a few hours so that you can return to it with a fresh outlook. You will make changes – guaranteed! In the process of letter writing, always take advantage of the spell check and grammar check on your computer, or ask someone you trust to edit your letter before you send it.
• Other opinions. Have someone else read the letter and make suggestions. Give them permission to criticize your letter constructively. You can give them a list of questions for a check list. Consider every suggestion, but make the final decisions yourself--you are the one who is signing the letter.

Examples:  "Is my reason for writing clear?" "Have I included all the essential facts?" "Does my letter ramble?" "Can my letter be improved in any way?" "How is my punctuation?" "How is my spelling and my grammar?"

• Always keep a copy of each letter you send. If you are writing it on your computer, it will be easy to save the file.
• End on a positive note. Always end your letter politely with an expression of thanks or another positive thought.

Example: "Thank you for taking the time to consider my ideas." 

• Type your closing, followed by four returns. Sign your name in the space between with a black pen. If you are sending copies of your letter to one or more persons other than the reader, you should list their names below your typed signature. Even though we don't send "carbon copies" anymore, "cc" has become standard for any copy sent – hard copy or email attachment.

Example:  Sincerely,
                                 Your signature

 “If we can’t make our point in one page or less, we aren’t ready to write the letter”. With rare exceptions, this should be our goal in all letter writing, regardless of the subject. Keep it short, factual, and to the point. Don't write it more than one page in length, unless there is some compelling reason to make it longer. Studies have shown that busy business people do not like to read beyond the first page. If our letter is longer, there is a good chance it will be dumped in a "read later” pile, which often ends up never getting read. Remember, when writing a letter, detailed information can be relegated to attachments that can be referred to by name in the body of the letter. Stick to the absolute essential facts in the main letter. 

While writing a letter

• Ø  Keep it short and to the point
• Ø  Focus on the recipient’s needs
• Ø  Use simple and appropriate language
• Ø  Re-read and revise it
• Ø  Check spelling and grammar

 10 Good Opening Lines

·         With reference to your letter of 8 April, I ...

·         I am writing to enquire about ...

·         After having seen your advertisement in ... , I would like ...

·         After having received your address from ... , I ...

·         I received your address from ... and would like ...

·         We/I recently wrote to you about ...

·         Thank you for your letter of 8 May.

·         Thank you for your letter regarding ...

·         Thank you for your letter/e-mail about ...

·         In reply to your letter of 8 May, ...

10 Good Closing Lines

·         If you require any further information, feel free to contact me.

·         I look forward to your reply.

·         I look forward to hearing from you.

·         I look forward to seeing you.

·         Please advice as necessary.

·         We look forward to a successful working relationship in the future.

·         Should you need any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me.

·         Once again, I apologize for any inconvenience.

·         We hope that we may continue to rely on your valued custom.

·         I would appreciate your immediate attention to this matter.

When 'yours faithfully' and when 'yours sincerely' in a business letter / personal letter?

When the recipient's name is unknown to you

·         Dear Sir ... Yours faithfully

·         Dear Madam ... Yours faithfully

·         Dear Sir or Madam ... Yours faithfully

When you know the recipient's name

·         Dear Mr Ashok ... Yours sincerely

·         Dear Mrs Bindu ... Yours sincerely

·         Dear Miss Kavitha ... Yours sincerely

·         Dear Ms Preethi ... Yours sincerely

When addressing a good friend or colleague

·         Dear Anita ... Best wishes / Best regards

When addressing a family member or close friend

·         Dear Indu ... yours lovingly / yours affectionately / yours truly

 Addressing whole department(s)

·         Dear Sirs ... Yours faithfully

It is important to develop a good writing style that not only reflects good grammar and sentence structure, but also gives the reader some insight into the personality of the writer. It is just as important, however, to be able to express ourselves in clear language so the reader knows exactly why we are writing. The art of letter writing excels when the writing is concise, courteous, correct and complete

Dr. D. Ashalatha

Speak Effectively

Communication Skills - Speak Effectively

1. Know What You Want to Say

üThink before you talk.

ü  Know your message.

ü  Get to the point quickly.

ü  Know the outcome of your conversation.

ü  Practice the power of persuasion.

ü  Plan your speech / conversation in advance.

ü  Know your audience

2. Control Fear

ü  Focus on the listener, message and success.

ü  Visualize a positive outcome.

ü  Take a deep breath and relax.

ü  Control you negative self-talk.

ü  Speak from the heart rather than the ego.

3.  Stop Talking and Listen

ü  Allow your conversation partner to speak.

ü  Respect other person’s point of view.

ü  Concentrate on the conversation.

ü  Help individual (s) resolve their own problems with patient listening. Individuals have the ability to solve their own problems.

4. Think before you talk

ü  Pause, think and consider what you want to say.

ü  Choose appropriate words that clearly express your message.

ü  Decide on the tone you want in you conversation.

ü  Determine the outcome you want from your interaction.

ü  Know your audience, their level of understanding and details regarding the subject matter.

ü  Shape your message to be easily understood.

5. Believe in your Message

ü  Believe in your message because this is the crux of any successful communication. When you passionately believe in your message, your verbal and nonverbal communications will flow freely.

ü  Speak with passion and conviction.

ü  Allow your feeling, delivery, body language and voice to flow naturally.

ü  Show your enthusiasm.

ü  Avoid faking it or you risk losing your credibility.

6. Repeat Major Points

ü  Repetition reinforces the speaker’s main points and aids in listener’s retention.

ü  Now your major points.

ü  Paraphrase as needed in different ways through out your conversation to reemphasize.

ü  Tactfully ask your listener for feedback.

ü  Ask questions that will indicate the listener understands your main points.

7. Find out what your listener wants

ü  Ask questions, lot of questions.

ü  Use open-ended questions.

ü  Rephrase questions or responses for the listener to ensure  shared understanding.

ü  Offer alternatives / suggestions for the listener to evaluate.

ü  Define terminology so there is less chance of misunderstanding.

Communication Skills get enhanced by being empathetic and paying value to others. The art of speaking empowers leadership ability and strengthens emotional intelligence. 

Dr. D. Ashalatha

MODEL INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

MODEL INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

1. How would you describe yourself?

2. Tell Me about Yourself

3. What specific goals, including those related to your occupation, have you established for your life?

4. How has your college experience prepared you for a career?

5. Please describe the ideal job for you following graduation.

6. What influenced you to choose this career?

7. At what point did you choose this career?

8. What are your greatest weaknesses / strengths?

9. If I were to ask your professors to describe you, what would they say?

10. What qualities do you feel a successful manager should have?

11. If you had to live your life over again, what would you change?
12. What do you think it takes to be successful in this career?

13. How do you determine or evaluate success? Give me an example of one of your successful accomplishments.

14. Do you have the qualifications and personal characteristics necessary for success in your chosen career?

15. What has been your most rewarding accomplishment?

16. If you could do so, how would you plan your college career differently?

17. Are you more energized by working with data or by collaborating with other individuals?

18. How would you describe yourself in terms of your ability to work as a member of a team?

19. What motivates you to put forth your greatest effort?

20. Given the investment our company will make in hiring and training you, can you give us a reason to hire you?

21. Would you describe yourself as goal-driven?

22. Describe what you've accomplished toward reaching a recent goal for yourself.

23. What short-term goals and objectives have you established for yourself? (In five Years)

24. Can you describe your long-range goals and objectives? (in ten years)

25. What do you expect to be doing in five years?

26. What do you see yourself doing in ten years?

27. How would you evaluate your ability to deal with conflict?

28. Have you ever had difficulty with a teacher or supervisor or instructor? How did you resolve the conflict?

29. Tell me about a major problem you recently handled. Were you successful in resolving it?

30. Would you say that you can easily deal with high-pressure situations?

31. What quality or attribute do you feel will most contribute to your career success?

32. What personal weakness has caused you the greatest difficulty in school, college or on the job?

33. What were your reasons for selecting your college or university?

34. If you could change or improve anything about your college, what would it be?

35. How will the academic program and coursework you've taken benefit your career?

36. Which college classes or subjects did you like best? Why?

37. Are you the type of student for whom conducting independent research / project has been a positive experience?

38. Describe the type of professor that has created the most beneficial learning experience for you.

39. Do you think that your grades are an indication of your academic achievement?

40. What plans do you have for continued study? Is an advanced degree on the cards?

41. Before you can make a productive contribution to the company, what degree of training do you feel you will require?

42. Describe the characteristics of a successful manager.

43. Why did you decide to seek a position in this field?

44. Tell me what you know about our company / job profile.

45. Why did you decide to seek a position in this company / organization?

46. Do you have a geographic preference / Are you mobile?

47. Why do you think you might like to live in the community in which our company / organization is located?

48. Would it be a problem for you to relocate?

49. To what extent would you be willing to travel for the job?

50. Which is more important to you: the job itself or your salary?

51. What level of compensation would it take to make you happy?

52. Tell me about the salary range you're seeking.

53. Describe a situation in which you were able to use persuasion to successfully convince someone to see things your way?

54. Describe an instance when you had to think on your feet to save yourself from a difficult situation.

55. Give me a specific example of a time when you used good judgment and logic in solving a problem.

56. By providing examples, convince me that you can adapt to a wide variety of people, situations and environments.

57. Describe a time when you faced problems or stress that tested your coping skills.

58. Give an example of a time in which you had to be relatively quick in coming to a decision.

59. Describe a time when you had to use your written communication skills to get an important point across.

60. Give me a specific occasion in which you conformed / complied to a policy with which you did not agree.

61. Give me an example of an important goal which you had set in the past and tell me about your success in reaching it.

62. Describe the most significant or creative presentation that you have had to complete.

63. Tell me about a time when you had to go above and beyond the call of duty in order to get a job done.

64. Give me an example of a time when you were able to successfully communicate with another person even when that individual may not have personally liked you (or vice versa).

65. Sometimes it's easy to get in "over your head." Describe a situation where you had to request help or assistance on a project or assignment.

66. Give an example of how you applied knowledge from previous coursework to a project in another class.

67. Describe a situation where others you were working with on a project disagreed with your ideas. What did you do?

68. Describe a situation in which you found that your results were not up to your professor's or supervisor's expectations. What happened? What action did you take?

69. Tell of a time when you worked with a colleague who was not completing his or her share of the work. Who, if anyone, did you tell or talk to about it? Did the manager take any steps to correct your colleague? Did you agree or disagree with the manager's actions?

70. Describe a situation in which you had to arrive at a compromise or guide others to a compromise.

71. What steps do you follow to study a problem before making a decision?

72. We can sometimes identify a small problem and fix it before it becomes a major problem. Give an example(s) of how you have done this.

73. In a supervisory or group leader role, have you ever had to discipline or counsel an employee or group member? What was the nature of the discipline? What steps did you take? How did that make you feel? How did you prepare yourself?

74. Recall a time from your work experience when your manager or supervisor was unavailable and a problem arose. What was the nature of the problem? How did you handle that situation? How did that make you feel?

75. Recall a time when you were assigned what you considered to be a complex project. Specifically, what steps did you take to prepare for and finish the project? Were you happy with the outcome? What one step would you have done differently if given the chance?

76. What was the most complex assignment you have had? What was your role?

77. How was your transition from high school to college? Did you face any particular problems?

78. Tell of some situations in which you have had to adjust quickly to changes over which you had no control. What was the impact of the change on you?

79. Compare and contrast the times when you did work which was above the standard with times your work was below the standard.

80. Describe some times when you were not very satisfied or pleased with your performance. What did you do about it?

81. What are your standards of success in school? What have you done to meet these standards?

82. How have you differed from your professors in evaluating your performance? How did you handle the situation?

83. Give examples of your experiences at school or in a job that were satisfying. Give examples of your experiences that were dissatisfying.

84. What kind of supervisor do you work best for? Provide examples.

85. Describe some projects or ideas (not necessarily your own) that were implemented, or carried out successfully primarily because of your efforts.

86. Describe a situation that required a number of things to be done at the same time. How did you handle it? What was the result?

87. Have you found any ways to make school, college or a job easier or more rewarding or to make yourself more effective?

88. How do you determine priorities in scheduling your time? Give examples.

89. Tell of a time when your active listening skills really paid off for you -- maybe a time when other people missed the key idea being expressed.

90. What has been your experience in giving presentations? What has been your most successful experience in speech making?

91. Are you a team player?

92. Give an example of when you had to work with someone who was difficult to get along with. Why was this person difficult? How did you handle that person?

93. Describe a situation where you found yourself dealing with someone who didn't like you. How did you handle it?

94. Give me a specific example of something you did that helped build enthusiasm in others.

95. Tell me about a difficult situation when it was desirable for you to keep a positive attitude. What did you do?

96. Give me an example of a time you had to make an important decision. How did you make the decision? How does it affect you today?

97. Give me an example of a time you had to persuade other people to take action. Were you successful?

98. Tell me about a time when you had to deal with a difficult person. How did you handle the situation?

99. Tell me about a time you had to handle multiple responsibilities. How did you organize the work you needed to do?

100. Tell me about a time when you had to make a decision, but didn't have all the information you needed.

101. What suggestions do you have for our organization?

102. What is the most significant contribution you made to the company during a past job or internship?

103. What is the biggest mistake you've made?

104. Describe a situation in which you had to use reference materials to write a research paper. What was the topic? What journals did you read?

105. Give me a specific example of a time when a co-worker or classmate criticized your work in front of others. How did you respond? How has that event shaped the way you communicate with others?

106. Give me a specific example of a time when you sold your supervisor or professor on an idea or concept. How did you proceed? What was the result?

107. Describe the system you use for keeping track of multiple projects. How do you track your progress so that you can meet deadlines? How do you stay focused?

108. Tell me about a time when you came up with an innovative solution to a challenge your company/class/organization was facing. What was the challenge? What role did others play?

109. Describe a specific problem you solved for your employer or professor. How did you approach the problem? What role did others play? What was the outcome?

110. Describe a time when you got co-workers or classmates who dislike each other to work together. How did you accomplish this? What was the outcome?

111. Tell me about a time when you failed to meet a deadline. What things did you fail to do? What were the repercussions? What did you learn?

112. Describe a time when you put your needs aside to help a co-worker or classmate understand a task. How did you assist him or her? What was the result?

113. How would someone else describe you?*

114. What Do You Feel You Can Bring To This Job? *

115. How Long Would You Expect To Stay With This Company? *

116. Why Do You Want This Job?

117. Why should I hire you?

118. What’s The Biggest Challenge You’ve Faced At Work?

119. What Do You Know About Our Company?

120. What do you expect to get from this graduate position?

121. How has your education prepared you for your career?

122. What Have You Read And Enjoyed Lately?*

123. If we offer you this job, what is the least amount of money you would accept?*

124. What do you see as your career future? *

125.  "What motivates you?" *

126. "What changes have you made in your life that you are most proud of?" *

127. "What are your salary requirements?" *

128. "Are you interviewing at any other companies?"

129. Have you ever failed at anything? If so, what?*

130. Why do you want to work for this company? *

131. Who has been the most influential person in your life? *

132. What do you like to do during your spare time? *

133. How did you like college? *

134. What have people criticized you for?*

135. Are you considering other positions along with this one? How do we compare?

136. What are your vocations or hobbies? *

137. What do you know about our company?

138. Why should we hire you?

139. When did you decide on a career in the field of ________?

140. "What were your favorite subjects in school and why?" *

141. How is your health?

142. What do your professors think of you?

143. How did you hear about us?

144. Justify that you are suitable for this job.

145. "What books and/or magazines do you read?"