Appreciation

No one letter does more to boost further a person's confidence than does the letter of appreciation. Sad to note, only a handful of people write such letters, and too many who consider them unnecessary. But who does not enjoy receiving appreciation? A supervisor who compliments his men occasionally for a job well done is more likely to achieve greater results in the future than the supervisor who continually drives but never praises.

Most people are quick to detect flattery. Letters of appreciation should, therefore, be written from the heart -  sincere, and genuine. A small note of appreciation -  perhaps for a favor granted, a service rendered, assistance given, or a job well done, goes a long way in building up friendships and goodwill.

Let me share you a small note of appreciation I wrote to my daughter who ended the school year 2010 at the top of her class.

Jamie,

Congratulations for making it (again!) at the top of your class this school year!

Mama, your sister Mary Angeline, and I are very, very proud of you. What more can I say . . . My only regret is that I was not able to attend your school's Recognition Day to personally place the medal around your neck as I had work that day and could not possibly excuse myself from the office on a short notice. But, nevertheless, Mama was telling me how proud she was, (and Angeline, too), as she, head held up high, wrapped the Medal of Academic Excellence around your neck while your teachers, classmates, and everyone in attendance heartily clapped their hands in applause to YOU!

Your achievement is the result of the many sleepless nights studying and preparing for the next day's lessons. Remember, preparation is the key to success and victory. But do not push yourself too hard. Your patience, industry, the love for learning, and much prayers, too, will keep you on top. In success, the more you should humble yourself; keeping your feet solidly on the ground, and, God, in His graciousness, will bless and keep you.

Keep it up, Jamie! Make us all the more proud of you.

With much love and pride,


Papa

Invitations

I was about to draft my next blog which was supposed to be the study of the correct use of quotation marks, parentheses, dashes, and brackets, but, a neighbor came by the house today and asked if I could help her out with writing an invitation letter, to which, of course, I readily obliged. Hence, today's topic.

We may classify invitations to two types: formal, and informal.

Formal invitations

Formal invitations are usually written in the third person, with no heading, no salutation, no complimentary close, no inside address, and no signature. The writer should not refer to himself as I or the addressee as you. Avoid all abbreviations except Mr., Mrs., Dr., and Messrs. Numbers occurring in dates should be spelled out.

Here is a sample:

Mr. and Mrs. Arturo C. Fortin

request the company of

Mr. and Mrs. Rodolfo L. Castaneda

at dinner on Saturday, the second of April,

at seven-thirty o'clock

28 Sunset Drive

Lakeside Hills, Antipolo City

Acceptances and refusals should follow the same degree of formality as is observed in the invitation. If the invitation is formal, the reply should likewise be formal.

Below is a sample of a formal letter of acceptance to the invitation given above:

Mr. and Mrs. Rodolfo L. Castaneda accept with pleasure the invitation of Mr. and Mrs. Arturo C. Fortin to dinner on Saturday, the second of April, at seven-thirty o'clock.

17 Camden Road
March the tenth


And, here is a sample of a formal letter of refusal to the above given invitation :

Mr. and Mrs. Rodolfo L. Castaneda regret exceedingly that, because of a previous engagement, they will be unable to accept the invitation of Mr. and Mrs. Arturo C. Fortin to dinner on Saturday, the second of April, at seven-thirty o'clock.

17 Camden Road
March the tenth

Informal invitations

The form of personal letters varies, depending on the degree of intimacy between the writer and the person addressed. Informal invitations are more personal and intimate. Such letters usually have a heading, an inside address, a salutation, and a signature. It is customary for the writer to place his own address in the lower left corner of the letter. The writer may use the first person, referring to himself as I and to the addressee as you.

Below is a sample of a letter of informal invitation:





Dear Yayette,

Jamie graduated first honor in class this school year; and by way of a celebration, Grace and I are planning a very small informal dinner party for Jamie at our residence, next Saturday, April 9.

We would certainly be delighted if you and the kids could be with us.

Please make it by seven o'clock.


 

Don Nombrado

April 2, 2011

Acknowledgements of informal invitations may likewise be personal and informal, and such may include a heading, an inside address, a salutation, a complimentary close, and a signature. The use of the pronoun I is permissible.

The sample below is a reply to the preceding invitation:


April 3, 2011


Dear Don,

Congratulations to Jamie!

The kids and I are very much delighted to accept with thanks to your kind invitation to dinner party for Jamie at your residence, on Saturday, April 9.

We look forward to seeing you, Grace and Jamie on that very special occasion.

Sincerely,



Yayette Llana

 

1975 Barnley Street
Eastside Manor
Taytay, Rizal

Letter of Resignation

There are many reasons why a person resigns from his present position; to seek green pastures, or ill health. But whatever the reason, such resignation should be written rather than verbal. The letter should state the reason for resigning, a note of appreciation, or regret, or both, and a definite date when the resignation will take effect.


Consider the following examples:

Gentlemen:

Please consider this letter my resignation from the company which will take effect at the closing business hours of June 30, 2010.

The Asian Institute of Accountancy has offered me a teaching position I was unable to refuse.  Considering my chief interest lies in the field of teaching Accountancy, I have decided to take up the offer.

Let me take this occasion to thank the officers and staff of the company for the generous support and good camaraderie accorded to me during the entire seven years I have been with the company.

Sincerely yours, 

The idea is to keep the letter brief, straight forward, but sincere. Below is another example:


Gentlemen:

It is with much reluctance and deep regret that I am tendering my resignation from the company as President due to ill health which has recently prevented me from performing my duties and responsibilities in a manner satisfactory to me and to the company.

I am very thankful for the trust and confidence the board of directors has shown to me in the many years of service with the company. It is, therefore, extremely difficult for me to request that you accept my resignation immediately upon the presentation of this letter at your next month's board meeting.

Sincerely yours,

In my succeeding blogs, I shall take up the proper use of punctuations and correct grammar in writing letters. Sad to say, many of our potentially good writers today fail in these aspects, and, I am sure you will find these topics which will be discussed at length, however boring, useful in enhancing your writing skills.

Letter of Recommendation

The purpose of the letter of recommendation is to give a prospective employer pertinent information about the applicant's qualification, character and general conduct. The letter should be a straightforward, factual and specific evaluation or appraisal of the applicant. Most letters of recommendation fall into two classes: general letters and personal letters. The classification largely depends on the type of questions asked by the prospective employer. Should these questions be rather general, the answer will naturally be of a general nature. On the other hand, should the prospective employer ask specific questions, then the response should concern itself with direct answers.

The letter should be directed to the attention of some particular person, giving a detailed account of the applicant's qualifications and character. "To Whom It May Concern" letters are vague, general and highly impersonal, and therefore should be avoided except in those cases where it is practically impossible to obtain the specific name of the addressee.

Here is a sample of a letter of recommendation:

C. B. Armwhite (Surveyors), Inc.
7th Floor, Mariner's Building
Ayala Avenue, Makati City

January 8, 2011



Manila Survey Company, Inc.
7th Floor, Manila Builder's Center Building
6981 Ayala Avenue, Makati City


Attention: Mr. Juan Gabriel, HRD Manager

Gentlemen:

Mr. Jose R. Cruz joined our Company in November 3, 2007. He was initially assigned to our accounting department in view of his background in auditing, and served us as one of  our senior accountants for almost a year. During this time, we found his work highly satisfactory.

On September 15, 2007, he was assigned to our Marine department, and assumed the position of marine surveyor. This position has imposed upon him added burdens and responsibilities which he has undertaken in a most commendable manner. Shortly thereafter, and as a reward for the efficient manner in which he fulfilled his duties, we promoted him to the position of Supervisor of our Marine department, a position he held until his resignation in December 31, 2010.

Mr. Cruz is a man of unusual ability and energy. He has proven himself to be capable of any task assigned to him with commendable results. He is well-mannered and is well liked by his associates. For the past years we have hoped that we might advance Mr. Cruz again, but the conditions have been such that we find ourselves unable to do this. However, because we believe Mr. Cruz is deserving of a promotion, we do not hesitate to recommend him for the position of Marine Manager in you company. Our only regret is that we cannot offer him a comparable position within our own company at this time.

Very truly yours,



Miel Castillo
Marine Manager

MC:th

Letter of Reference

Most employers require an applicant to submit a list of references of three or more persons in order to obtain information concerning his qualification, experience and character. The letter is usually brief, specific and courteous.

Below is a sample of a letter of reference:

Manila Survey Company, Inc.
7th Floor, Manila Builder's Center Building
6981 Ayala Avenue, Makati City

January 7, 2011



C. B. Armwhite (Surveyors), Inc.
7th Floor, Mariner's Building
Ayala Avenue, Makati City


Attention: Ms. Miel Castillo, Marine Manager

Gentlemen:

Mr. Jose R. Cruz has applied for a position in the Marine Hull and Cargo Department of this Company, and has given your name as a personal reference.

We shall appreciate any information you can give us regarding Mr. Cruz's character and ability as a Supervisor while he was employed with your company.

We assure you that any such information will be held strictly confidential.

Thank you.

Very truly yours,




Juan Gabriel
HRD Manager

JG:db

Appointment Letter

An appointment letter is basically an employment agreement or contract between the hired applicant and the employer. It is prepared by the hiring employer and it usually contains the appointment and commencement of employment, the terms and conditions, the duties and responsibilities of the position, including benefits and salary.

Manila Survey Company, Inc.
7th Floor, Manila Builder's Center Building
6981 Ayala Avenue, Makati City

January 14, 2011

EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT

Dear Mr. Cruz:

This will formally confirm your appointment as Marine Manager of the Marine and Hull department of Manila Survey Company, Inc., effective January 15, 2011, subject to the following terms and conditions:

 

Position and Function

You will assume the function of Marine Manager and will be responsible and accountable to the Vice President of Marine Operations.

Your responsibilities are as follows:

1. To assist in the daily conduct of business of the Marine and Hull department;

2. To ensure that the arrival of all new assigned shipments are properly verified and reported immediately to the Vice President of Marine Operations;

3. To ensure that the schedule of deliveries of discharged cargoes from brokers are met on time, and that all cargoes are escorted by our cargo superintendents/surveyors assigned to the case from the port of arrival up to its final place of destination;

4. To coordinate effectively the proper attendances of assigned shipments;

5. To report immediately to the Vice President of Marine Operations any problem, issue or concern in the operation;

6. To assist in the preparation of survey reports to insurers regarding escorted and/or surveyed shipments;

7.To perform such other task that the company may assign from time to time.

 

Compensation

As we have discussed, your compensation will be at the rate of Php 27,000.00 per month payable every 15th and 30th of each month. Should you, however, incur tardiness, the same will be recorded, summed up, deducted/applied against your salary every payday.

 

Probationary Period

Company policy provides a probationary period of six (6) months to its casual employees.  However, if the company finds your performance satisfactory and up to company standards, we shall, even before the completion of your probationary period, promote you to a regular employee status with  the corresponding increase in salary depending on your performance and subject to the company's evaluation.

 

Effectivity

Your appointment/employment will begin January 15, 2011. Please take note of the official hours of the company which is from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm, Mondays through Fridays.

If you agree with the above terms and conditions of employment, you may sign below and return one copy to indicate your acceptance of this appointment.

Very truly yours,



Juan Gabriel
HRD Manager



CONFORME:

I accept the appointment and agree to the foregoing terms and conditions.



Jose Revilla Cruz
Date:
TIN:
SSS:






cc: Mr. Thomas Hill
      Accounting
      201 File

Letter of Acceptance

In many cases, it is customary for an applicant to accept in writing a position that has been offered him. It is not only courteous, appreciative gesture, but it also completes the contract.

Below is a sample of such a letter:

1574 Maganda Street
Greenfields Subdivision
Antipolo City

January 12, 2011



Manila Survey Company, Inc.
7th Floor, Manila Builder's Center Building
6981 Ayala Avenue, Makati City


Attention: Mr. Juan Gabriel, HRD Manager

Gentlemen:

I am very pleased to accept, and thank you for your offer of a position of Marine Manager in your department. I consider it a great privilege to be serving a company known for its integrity and competence in the field of marine survey. Im very certain that joining the company will further enhance my knowledge and expertise in the management of marine cases and treatment of claims.

As my official date of hire begins on January 15th, I am looking forward with much anticipation to report for work to this date.

Very truly yours,



Jose Revilla Cruz


Given the sample above, and from the point of view of the employer, I would have responded to it as follows:

Manila Survey Company, Inc.
7th Floor, Manila Builder's Center Building
6981 Ayala Avenue, Makati City

January 14, 2011



Jose Revilla Cruz
1574 Maganda Street
Greenfields Subdivision
Antipolo City


Dear Mr. Cruz,

It is a pleasure to welcome you to the Marine Hull and Cargo department of Manila Survey Company, Inc. I am sure you will find numerous opportunities working with us. We all work hard but, most important, we work together and enjoy a special sense of fellowship.

Should you have any question or anything to discuss, please feel free to approach me or anyone of the staff.

Attached is you Appointment Paper.

Congratulations and best regards.

Sincerely,



Juan Gabriel
HRD Manager

JG:db

Enclosure

cc: Mr. Thomas Hill
      201 File

"Thank you" Letter

A "thank you" letter has a definite psychological value and usually creates a favorable impression in the mind of the employer. It is human nature for an employer to favor the individual who takes the time and effort to express appreciation for the interview. Such letter must be brief and straightforward, and should be timed to reach the interviewer's desk the day following the interview.

Below is a sample:


1574 Maganda Street
Greenfields Subdivision
Antipolo City

January 10, 2011



Manila Survey Company, Inc.
7th Floor, Manila Builder's Center Building
6981 Ayala Avenue, Makati City


Attention: Mr. Juan Gabriel, HRD Manager

Dear Mr. Gabriel:

Thank you for the kind consideration you have given my application during the interview of January 9, 2011. It gave me the opportunity to present my qualifications, and make an outline of those additional information not covered by my resume. I appreciate the warmth extended to me, and your candidness in making me at ease during the interview.

Very truly yours,



Jose Revilla Cruz

Follow-up Letter

There are times when a follow-up to your application is necessary to obtain the position you applied for, particularly if you have not received any response from the prospective employer for quite sometime. In such cases, rather than remain idle and await word of the interview, you may write an application follow-up. The letter should be brief, courteous and straightforward. Most employers admire determination and persistence, and favor those individuals who show a definiteness of purpose - a wholehearted interest in a particular position.

Here is a sample of a follow-up letter:


1574 Maganda Street
Greenfields Subdivision
Antipolo City

January 8, 2011



Manila Survey Company, Inc.
7th Floor, Manila Builder's Center Building
6981 Ayala Avenue, Makati City


Attention: Mr. Juan Gabriel, HRD Manager

Gentlemen:

I refer to my application of January 5, 2011 for a Marine Manager position with your company, which was in response to your advertisement in the Classified Ads section of the Manila Today, dated January 3, 2011.

In the letter, I have enclosed my resume which outlined my personal information and employment-related history, along with copies of my college Diploma, Transcript of Records, and Certificates of Attendance to seminars for your reference.

Should you require additional documents in support of my application, or an interview, please do let me know. I can be contacted anytime at telephone numbers, 695-4123, or at the address indicated above.

Thank you in anticipation.

Very truly yours,



Jose Revilla Cruz

Resume

Here is a sample of a resume with a covering letter of application:


January 5, 2011



Manila Survey Company, Inc.
7th Floor, Manila Builder's Center Building
6981 Ayala Avenue, Makati City


Attention: Mr. Juan Gabriel, HRD Manager

Gentlemen:

Please consider this letter my application for a Marine Manager as advertised in the Classified Ads section of the Manila Today, dated January 3, 2011.

Enclosed are my resume which outlines my personal information and employment-related history, along with my college Diploma, Transcript of Records, and Certificates of Attendance to seminars for your reference.

Should you require an interview, I may be contacted anytime at telephone numbers, 695-4123, or at the address indicated in my enclosed resume.

Thank you.

Very truly yours,



Jose Revilla Cruz

Enclosures

R E S U M E

Jose Revilla Cruz
1574 Maganda Street
Greenfields Subdivision
Antipolo City
Residence 695-4123
Mobile 0917-3214596
E-mail joecruz@yahoo.com


PROFILE

A graduate of Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, major in Accounting from the University of the East, Manila, 2004.


EMPLOYMENT HISTORY

Supervisor - Marine Cargo Department
November 3, 2007 to December 31, 2010
C. B. Armwhite (Surveyors), Inc.
7th Floor, Mariner's Building
Ayala Avenue, Makati City

Marine Cargo Surveyor
March 15, 2005 to October 30, 2007
Bordaje Marine Surveyors, Inc.
2nd Floor, Business Center
Legaspi Street, Salcedo Village, Makati City

Auditor
March 15, 2004 to  March 5, 2005
ACE Auditing, Inc.
18th Floor, Palanca Towers
Palanca Street, Legaspi Village, Makati City

 

In March 15, 2004, I joined ACE Auditing, Inc. as an Auditor where I did examination of the books and other financial records of clients, such as corporations, partnerships, proprietorships, institutions, public bodies, including person or group of persons standing in a fiduciary capacity. It was my responsibility to determine the financial statements of the client fairly, reflecting the results of operations over a designated period of time and the financial position of the client at the end of that period; express a written, responsible opinion as to the fairness of the financial statements in conformity with generally accepted principles of accounting, consistently applied. During this time, however, and in one of my auditing assignments, I had the chance to audit Bordaje Marine Surveyors, Inc., a company engaged in the handling of marine and cargo surveys for insurance companies, shipping companies, and consignees, where I was offered, and consequently took the position of a marine and cargo surveyor in March 15, 2005.

While the job as a marine and cargo surveyor was a complete departure from my usual field of expertise in accounting, I found my new post exciting and professionally challenging. Here, I was entrusted by the company and given much latitude in the formulation of new policies geared towards the development and success of the business of the company, apart from my usual duties of attending marine cases and preparation of survey reports. During my tenure, I also attended several company sponsored seminars which further enhanced my knowledge and expertise in marine and cargo surveys.

Having gained much expertise in the field, and creditable reputation in the handling of complicated and, at times, controversial cases, C. B. Armwhite (Surveyors), Inc. offered a similar job, but, in a supervisory capacity.

In November 3, 2007, I assumed the position of a supervisor in the marine department, where I was tasked to assist the manager to oversee the daily business operation of the department; ensure that all marine cases assigned to my section were attended immediately, and that clients were advised of the development of the cases. The company also gave me the opportunity to join organizations related to my field which allowed me to meet respected personalities in the marine industry. I held the position until my resignation from the company in December 31, 2010.


SEMINARS ATTENDED

Marine Survey

General Cargo and Hull Survey - January 10 to 15, 2008
Marine Claims and Adjustment - April 4, 2008
Insurance Principles and Underwriting - February 8 to 11, 2009

Accounting

Auditing Principles and Case Problems - October 8 to 10, 2004
Investment in Securities -  November 16, 2004


MEMBERSHIP IN ORGANIZATION

Association of Philippine Marine Companies, Representative
Society of Filipino Marine Surveyors, Treasurer
Association of Philippine Auditors, Member
Makati Jaycees, Commissioner for Publications


REFERENCES

I am permitted to refer you to :

Ms. Miel Castillo, Marine Manager
C. B. Armwhite (Surveyors), Inc.
7th Floor, Mariner's Building
Ayala Avenue, Makati City
895-4112

Mr. Celistino Agudo, Senior Auditor
ACE Auditing, Inc.
18th Floor, Palanca Towers
Palanca Street, Legaspi Village, Makati City
895-6368

Mr. Arturo Fortin, President
Society of Filipino Marine Surveyors
28th Floor, UFG Center Building
6947 Ayala Avenue, Makati City
895-5721


Respectfully submitted,


JOSE R. CRUZ

Application Letter

Below is an example of a letter of application, which is simple, brief, and straightforward:

Gentlemen:

Please consider this letter my application for a data encoder as advertised in the Classified Ads section of the Manila Today, dated February 5, 2011.

As it is difficult for me to know from the advertisement the exact qualifications you require of an applicant, i shall outline my qualifications very briefly:

I am a graduate of the Manila Information Technology Academy in Manila, Class 2010, where I have completed a two year course in data encoding. During college, I also attended several seminars sponsored by the academy which further enhanced my data encoding skills. I can now encode data at a rate of 125 words a minute with facility.

Enclosed is my resume for your reference.

Should you require an interview, I may be contacted anytime at telephone numbers, 655-2348, or at the address indicated above.

Thank you.

Very truly yours,

Your letter of application is your personal emissary - it represents you. You are "selling" yourself to a prospective employer by offering your services, qualifications, character, and personality in a form of a letter. It's ultimate purpose is to get you an interview. Your letter should be neat in appearance, faultless in expression, and convincing in tone, so it will accord a favorable reception. Otherwise, if your application fails to attract favorably the attention of the prospective employer, the interview that might have been yours is granted to another applicant.

Kinds of letters of application

The are two classes of letters of application: solicited and unsolicited letters. Solicited letters are in response to a want ads or advertisements.  An applicant who responds to an advertisement should keep in mind that many other applicants are applying for the same position. The letter that is most carefully and thoughtfully written usually makes the most favorable impression. Unsolicited letters are written by applicants who believe there maybe an opening in a company, or who have heared through someone that an employer is looking for a person to fill a particular position.

Blind advertisement

There are employers who do not reveal their identity, or the specific requirements of the position . This is called blind advertisements. Their objective is primarily to avoid interviewing and turning down countless applicants for a position. I highly recommend that your letters, in response to this form of advertisement, should be brief and not too informative. There are some unprincipled companies that use this method as a means of getting names and addresses of individuals out of employment who might be prospects for some questionable scheme. Such advertisement should be answered warily.

An example of a blind advertisement is given below, and the letter of application in response to it is given in the example above:

DATA ENCODER WANTED: Must possess excellent encoding skills. Write P.O. Box 1234, Makati City


Plan you application letter well. Your application letter should contain all the essential qualities necessary to create a favorable impression in the minds of your prospective employer, and in doing so you may well consider these tips:

1. Attract favorable attention by using a stationery of good quality, making sure that the typing, paragraphing, grammar, punctuation, spelling, and so on are correct; explaining how the vacancy became known to you; and indicating the exact purpose of your letter.

2. Create interest by stating and then analyzing the requirements of the position; and  showing conclusively wherein your education, training and experience meet these requirements specifically.

3. Convince the employer that you are the person for the position by supplementing the statement already made with the presentation of those personal qualifications that seem most desirable; manifesting genuine interest in his business, together with an expression of confidence in your ability to adapt your particular training to meet his requirements; suggesting, if it seems appropriate, your ultimate aim as well as your immediate objective; and reassuring the employer that you do not simply want work, but rather the opportunity to handle a given problem and solve it creditably.

4. Stimulating action by offering references that will vouch for your character, education and experience; requesting an interview, which is the true purpose of the letter; and supplying the employer with the information necessary for him in arranging for the interview.

Remember, your letter should immediately arouse the attention of your prospective employer. If your letter fails in this aspect, it will most likely fail in its purpose - to get you an interview. You can be sure that your letter will be observed and judged critically. Most employers judge the applicant by the degree of excellence of the letter in both expression and thought control.


Should you mention salary?

The question of salary should be avoided unless the employer asks you to state it, otherwise, use tact in handling the situation.

I would have responded to it in the following example:

Although I find it difficult to say what compensation I should deserve, I should consider an initial monthly salary of Php 15,000.00.

Do not be too humble or apologetic.