Apologies

     When I was little my mom was insistent that my siblings and I would apologize any time we had misstepped. While I was fortunate enough to learn how to create an effective apology I'm learning that quite a large faction of society has not been so lucky.

     Apologies are pretty straightforward with three key components: 

1. Take responsibility for your actions/ the situation
2. Express regret 
3. Request forgiveness & assure will not happen again/ you will attempt to prevent a recurrence

For example: 

Dear Person I Have Wronged, 

I am sorry I (hurt your feelings/ broke your object/ what did you do which requires an apology?). I did not mean to do it. In the future, I will (consider your point of view/ look where I'm going/ not do it again/ etc.).  I hope you can forgive me.

Sincerely, 

Signature

The important part is to be sincere and actually mean what you're saying when you apologize. I hope this helps. 

Just a thought....

Stephie

Donation/ Scholarship Thank You

In a more scholarship-oriented vein, an important letter to know about is the thank you for a scholarship or donation. The thank you for a gift of money is as simple as when someone hands you something you've asked for.

Donor Name

Address Line 1

Address Line 2

Date

Dear Donor, 

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your generosity in funding the Scholarship Name that I received this year as part of my financial aid package. I feel very fortunate to have been chosen as a recipient of this award. 

I am currently in class year majoring in subject and I plan to graduate in Month Year with a degree. While I attend School Name full/part-time, insert some personal information to create a connection with the donor. I am truly grateful for the assistance that I am receiving because of your thoughtful gift. When I graduate, I hope that I can use what I have learned at school to make a difference in people's lives, just as you have made a difference in mine. 

Thank you again for the generous contribution which made my scholarship possible. 

Sincerely, 

Signature
Name
Educational Institution

You want to make the letter your own. Personalize it with what information you feel is appropriate: if you're not comfortable with providing a lot of personal information, talk about what your program is doing and what you're learning (this is information which the donor can obtain from the syllabus). With the school year beginning, this is the opportune moment to express gratitude for those who allow fiscal stability in education. 

This format works best for a printed and mailed letter, however, to simplify and transition it into e-mail formatting you may remove the mailing addresses. 

Just a thought...
Stephie

Resignation Letter

I have recently been granted the opportunity to transition from one portion of the company I've worked for for the last five-and-a-half years to becoming an independent contractor for the same company. However, this transition means leaving my current position. I've always been reminded (by my wonderfully traditional parents) that when you leave a position voluntarily you must announce your intention.

Convention tells us that two-weeks' notice is appropriate, but I was never taught how, and haven't found much in the way of an appropriate example. A recent scroll through Pinterest came across a post that summarized my feelings without being either too formal or too personal. I thought I'd share my revised version:

Company Name
Company Address Line 1
Company Address Line 2

Date of letter 

Dear Supervisor, 

Please accept this letter as my formal resignation from Position at Company effective Date, two weeks from today. 

During my time at Company, I have been fortunate for the opportunity to grow and learn more about Industry. Thank you, I appreciate your support during my tenure here. Your guidance and support have prepared me well for the future. 

I wish Company the very best going forward. 

Respectfully, 

Signature

Name
Personal Address Line 1
Personal Address Line 2
e-mail address

If you've changed managers or have a more personal relationship with your leadership you can always add more detail. A heartfelt wish for the future of the company and continued good relations can solidify a relationship with the company, at the very least with the individuals of the company.

Remember, these are the people who you'll be working with until your last day, and likely will be asked for their opinion of you by potential future employers. It is never a bad idea to leave a good, lasting impression.

Just a thought...
Stephie

Important Letters

As life progresses I've learned that respect and consideration are some of our most powerful and best tools for proceeding. While in the heat of the moment you may not want to sugar-coat your message it is commonly accepted that less is more in various business settings.

I have been blessed with an exceptional education, but it has not prepared me as well as it should have for life in the business world. I recently discovered this when attempting to terminate my business relationship with a long-time employer.

When I was struggling with my resignation letter I discovered there are quite a few letters young people haven't been taught to write, let along make their own. A quick internet search will reveal dozens of templates; in my next few posts, I'll present my examples for different letters.

Cover Letter
Interview Follow-Up/ Thank you
Resignation/ Two Weeks' Notice
Donor Gratitude
Apology

How I Met Your Mother

     A couple of years ago my friends introduced me to How I Met Your Mother and I continued watching until it ended. At first, I was upset it would be over, but they'd reached a point where ending it was better than hoping you could continue talking about a partying forty-something group of friends, especially when they were already slowly going their separate ways.
     The show definitely mirrored my college friendships: We were unbelievably close in school, but now that we're out and about on our own we develop different friendships and value different things. All of us are working on re-building that friendship but sometimes it's time to let go.
     That said, I found an article that pretty much sums up my opinions on the ending. The series worked to diligently to build a relationship between Ted and Robin which is more than that of most exes. The last season was a cop-out: Ted and his children's mother had a few short years, but the writers killed off the mother (she's such a brief character I don't even remember her name). How they did it was heart-wrenching, but Ted turns around and, as his children point out, finds solace in Robin.
     Ted's entire journey is to find the love of his life, but he found her at the beginning of the show and we, the audience are jerked emotionally from girlfriend to girlfriend only to come back to Robin. I enjoyed the show, but it would have been perfectly acceptable to end when Ted meets the mother at Barney and Robin's wedding.