Additional Job Search Correspondence

Current Students

There will be times during your job search when you need to communicate with employers in written format:

All communications, written and verbal, should portray your professionalism and strong writing skills.

Thank You Letter

Thank you letters should be sent to everyone who assisted you for more than a few minutes throughout your job search. After interviewing with an organization, send a thank you letter or email within 48 hours of the interview. If you were interviewed by multiple people, try to send a thank you note to each person. If you can’t get the contact information for each interviewer, send a thank you note to the contact person and ask them to share it with the rest of the group.

Writing Tips

  • Thank you letters should be short, anywhere from a paragraph to a page.
  • Professional thank you notes should either be sent via email or typed and sent via U.S. mail. Do not write professional thank you notes by hand on notecards.
  • After greeting the person and thanking them, focus on one of three things:
    • Clarify a point that you felt did not communicate as clearly as you would have liked.
    • Address a relevant point you meant to cover in the interview but did not have the opportunity to do.
    • Expand upon a point that you felt was a particularly good connection between the interviewer and you.
  • Proofread, proofread, and proofread again.
  • Use a standard business letter format: block (left-justified) or modified block (indented).

Sample Thank You Letter

Offer Response Letters

Accepting an Offer

Your acceptance isn’t official until you accept in writing. Although your letter does not need to be detailed, you should state that you are accepting the position and, if possible, review your start date, location, and the negotiated salary. Your acceptance letter is meant to verify; it is not a place for negotiating. If there are any remaining issues that need resolving, work them out with the employer and, if changes are made, request a new offer letter.

Declining an Offer

Declining a job offer should be done officially in writing even if your job offer isn’t. While you don’t need to explain the reasons you did not accept the offer, you should thank them for their time and wish them the best. Not only is this proper etiquette, but it can also help preserve your relation with the employer — you never know when or if your paths may cross again!

Sample Offer Response Letters

Personal Statement

A personal statement is a paragraph that summarizes who you are, why you are interested, and what you have to offer. Think of it as your “elevator speech.” If you only had an elevator ride’s worth of time to demonstrate why an employer should hire you, what would you say?

Areas to cover in your personal statement:

  • A brief synopsis of who you are
  • Why you are qualified for the position
  • How the position fits into your long term goals

Personal statements are unique to each individual. Do not try to copy what you’ve seen someone else do. Even if it’s a struggle, take the time to form your own. For additional tips, consider this article by The Balance.

Statement of Philosophy

A statement of philosophy helps an employer get to know you as it highlights your unique approach to the nursing profession. For tips on writing a statement of philosophy, read this article by New Health Advisor.