Calvelli ’19: How to write a cover letter

Posted by Rodry

For us high-achieving college students, late February doesn't mean winter: It means job and internship application season. (Unless, of course, you sold your soul to an on-campus recruiter last fall.) Like Halloween in fall, writing cover letters is the most haunting part of this season. Everyone I know hates doing them. They seem robotic and superfluous, both self-congratulatory and boring. Yet maybe the problem isn't with cover letters themselves; it's in the rote approach we often take to writing them.

Instead of seeing them as unavoidable necessities, we should try to see the cover letter in its ideal light: as an opportunity to express our passions and explore how the job we're applying for fits within our values and goals. This, admittedly, takes a rosy vision of work, and many people, myself included, have to apply to jobs for the more mundane purpose of earning a living. Still, part of the privilege of attending a university like Brown — with its expansive network, elite reputation and insanely good post-graduate employment statistics — is that there's an incredible range of opportunities available to us.

I'd like to believe the stereotype that Brown students actually want to change the world, that our four years here teaches us how we can best serve our communities. If that's true, then our cover letters can and should reflect the full breadth of our creativity and enthusiasm.

That sounds nice in theory. The question remains, though, how can you actually write an interesting cover letter. Well, for starters, you'll have to move beyond the standard template. I'm sure you've written a version of this letter (just maybe with a few more words): "I'm writing to apply to Job X. I want this job because it aligns with my career goals. Look at this experience I've had that shows how talented I am. Look at this other experience I've had that shows again how talented I am. To repeat myself, this job sounds great and you should just give it to me already. Interview me please. All the best, [your name]."

Booooo-ring. If I were an employer who wanted to hire someone with real personality, there's no way I'd give that letter-writer a second look. (Coincidentally, I've written lots of cover letters like this, and have never been hired for any of those jobs.)

The first step is to allow yourself creative leeway. Start by thinking of why the job would make you excited to get out of bed every morning. Conveying that with sincerity will show that you're interested in the organization's work, not just the idea of having employment anywhere. Then, of course, you have to explain why you'd be valuable to the company — they will be the one paying you, after all. But this shouldn't be a tepid rehashing of your most highfalutin accomplishments; it should tell an engaging story about an achievement you're sincerely proud of and how that experience will inform your perspective in the new job.

Most importantly, the letter should be uniquely yours. This means not copying the example you found on resumegenius.com during your frantic 2 a.m. "howto rite a covr letter" Google search.

In my high school creative writing class, the first assignment was to write a cover letter. This seemed like the opposite of creative. Once you start having a little fun, though, the opportunities are endless; for example, my final draft started not with "I'm writing to apply…" but with "The SAT is fun." Since then, my letters have gotten more boring. (Hopefully, I haven't too.) Regardless, the point remains: the cover letter is an expression of yourself. It should embody all of the imagination, zeal and dedication that makes you, you.

When I first sat down to write this column, my advice for writing a cover letter was a satirical five-rule process. Each of those rules involves breaking a standard cover letter convention. Rule 1: start every sentence with "I." Rule 2: consult a thesaurus for every adjective you want to use. Rule 3: copy-paste your resume, just with transition words. Rule 4: transform your letter into a mini-memoir. Rule 5: close every letter with "love, [your name]."

Of course, you probably (read: definitely) shouldn't follow that advice. Though if you do and it works, please cite this column. And in all honesty, there is something to be said for much of the standard advice. You probably won't get an interview if you submit a poem or a memoir in place of an actual letter.

But the fear of rejection that comes with applying to any job shouldn't stop you from applying as the full version of yourself. The cover letter is a place for you to take the most creative license in doing just that, writing with all the eagerness you feel about the opportunity to find meaningful work. After all, what's the point of going to a unique school like Brown if you present yourself like a Standard Applicant From University Just Outside of Boston?  There isn't one. So go sit down at your computer, and try to have at least a little fun writing. If you're really stuck, give my five rules a try. They might not make it into the final draft, but it's good to smile through a process that's usually a yawn.

I look forward to hearing more from you about this column.

Love,

Aidan

Aidan Calvelli '19 is not and has never been affiliated with CareerLAB. If you'd like personal feedback on your cover letter for just $19.99, he can be reached at aidan_calvelli@brown.edu. Please send responses to this opinion to  letters@browndailyherald.com and other op-eds to opinions@browndailyherald.com.

Opinion: Letter to the Editor: A Good Start

Posted by Rodry

Alexandrians for Better City Government (A4BCG) was formed by a non-partisan group of Democrats, Independents, and Republicans to promote real choice and constructive change through the ballot box in the June Democratic Primary election.

There are no Republican or Independent Council members and there was no Republican open primary, so this was the only election where such change could be achieved. We believed this City Council, in particular, needed a shock to their collective senses to better understand the level of citizen frustration with their poor performance, their disdain for residents' views, and their apparent air of entitlement.

While Mo Seifeldein was our only endorsed candidate who won, two incumbents lost this primary and one, Dak Hardwick, lost a shot at a seat all thought was his to win. In this primary, we got the change we wanted, but, certainly not the mayor we needed. Just as the city elected new Democratic candidates for council, it also elected a mayor who finds himself in serious trouble explaining his actions informing citizens and other council members in the Potomac Yard Metro fiasco on the heels of his similar maneuvers to overcome the valid environmental concerns of residents and city staff in the Karig Estates debate.

Still, our hearty congratulations to all non-incumbents. We are especially pleased to see a majority of new Democratic leaders with new perspectives vying for City Council seats. Four new votes on council is a new block that could accomplish constructive changes sought by A4BCG and the many Alexandrians we represent.

And, congratulations to city voters. In total, 21,637 voted for a mayor candidate. It's a simple assumption to assume these same voters cast their six votes for council candidates. But, they didn't. Election data shows almost 20 percent chose to cast less than six votes and, instead, voted very selectively with no "throw away votes." In fact, as many as 4,233 votes were not cast for incumbents or others. This highly unusual outcome easily explains how incumbents lost, the "old boy" block was broken, and new council primary candidates were elected.

Our conclusion? Our efforts prompted change, educated voters on choices, and built a new coalition – it was well worth the effort. Passing out thousands of fliers, knocking hundreds of doors, and posting numerous ads was an excellent use of the donations from supporters across all parties, neighborhoods, and affiliations.

Alexandrians for Better City Government will not stand down. We remain committed to a better government for this city – one that is transparent, accountable, and responsive to all citizens and their concerns. Whether registering new voters, highlighting government issues, or connecting neighbors, we will continue to build our presence in all ways necessary to best represent those who feel they have no voice or power, particularly if our new mayor elect continues to operate in back rooms with his signature lack of transparency.

Only 21 percent of registered voters cast primary votes for council and mayor. We encourage the other 79 percent to be counted on this upcoming election day, certainly, but also and always when city government fails to meet its fundamental responsibilities to all Alexandrians.

Kathy Burns

Bob Wood

Hal Hardaway

Letter to the Editor: How to help someone dealing with addiction

Posted by Rodry

To the Times:

Suffering from opiate addiction family blues? Of course you’re suffering. You probably don’t know how to help your loved ones addicted to heroin or opiates. Are you wondering if you can afford rehab? Are you worried you won’t be able to get your loved one to go to rehab? Here are some suggestions that I have found to be helpful.

1. Find a rehab that accepts Medicaid if you don’t have insurance sign up for Medicaid.

2. If you’re on Suboxone, you have probably been on it for years. You’re fooling yourself.

3. It takes a long time to get clean, especially if you have been addicted for awhile. After rehab make sure you receive your once a month Vivitrol injection, proven to prevent relapse in opioid-dependent patients. Your brain needs to adjust to new habits, this means you need to remove yourself from the people and places you were getting your drugs.

4. Do you move, relocate? Yes. You’ll survive. Stay where you’re at and chances are you won’t.

5. Families, praise your loved one. If they relapse and they might, be understanding but firm.

6. Get back in rehab and start all over again.

Judith Cassidy R.N., Atlantic City

How Two Friends Since Childhood Wrote A Hit Musical That Is A Love Letter To Neil Diamond

Posted by Rodry

David Rossmer and Steve Rosen were teenage campers at a performing arts camp in Hancock, New York called French Woods. "Sure, you can do sports there, but you'll actually be less popular," says Rossmer. Before they even exchanged names they were paired up for a "remarkably cutthroat" improv troupe audition.

Steve Rosen and David Rossmer wrote and star in The Other Josh Cohen at The Westside TheaterCaitlin McNaney

"Bill and Bob walked into a bar," said the scene's narrator. Rossmer and Rosen, as the improvisors, sauntered into an old-timey bar. The narrator continued: "Bill and Bob ordered a drink." They each raised their index fingers and ordered a drink. Finally they heard "Bill spilled his drink on Bob." So both of them simultaneously spilled their drink on each other. "Because neither of us knew who was Bill and who was Bob," recalls Rosen. People were in hysterics. In that moment they realized they were a good team.

Most importantly, they made each other laugh. "As soon as we started talking, we realized we had a lot in common and are still the closest of friends," explains Rosen. "Brothers from different mothers."

Since French Woods their careers have thrived in a big way. On television, Rosen has had recurring roles on Law and Order: SVU and The Resident. On Broadway, he starred in Monty Python's Spamalot, The Farnsworth Invention and Guys and Dolls. He is also co-adapting the film The Secret of My Success as a musical, premiering in Chicago next year. Meanwhile, Rossmer's TV credits include SVU, Vinyl, Blue Bloods and The Good Fight, and the Broadway shows Titanic, Fiddler on the Roof, Peter and the Starcatcher and Les Misérables. Rossmer is currently writing a musical adaptation of Monopoly for Broadway. And both Rossmer and Rosen have also appeared in hit Netflix show The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel!

As much of a force they are on their own, together they make up one genius duo. Just after college, when most of their friends were out drinking they would hang out at Rossmer's apartment and dream up ideas for sketches or write songs. They turned those apartment writing sessions into a very successful variety show benefit called Don't Quit Your Night Job, where Broadway stars (including Sting, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Bebe Neuwirth, Sutton Foster and Huey Lewis) would do funny and ridiculous things.

Nine years ago they were in Los Angeles and about to prep for a TV pitch meeting with Sony the next morning. To calm their nerves they decided to play whatever game system was in Rosen's sublet apartment. "We became so amused by the music from the Mario Kart start screen that we never actually played the game. It felt like a Neil Diamond song," says Rossmer. Instead of picking up the controllers, they grabbed a guitar off the wall and began writing songs in the style of Neil Diamond. "We had no idea why, or what use we'd have for them, but it was fun writing them. Never did we think it would go on to bring us so much joy," Rossmer adds.

Before they knew it, the sun was up and they had penned six tunes. "We crashed for a few hours and sang our new songs in the car all the way to Sony," shares Rosen. "The pitch went great by the way. Unfortunately, as is common in Hollywood, everyone we pitched to got fired the next week."

But the really good news? Those six songs became the basis for their latest show, The Other Josh Cohen. "The songs we made when we were supposed to be relaxing? Now we sing 'em eight times a week," explains Rosen. "We are bad at relaxing."

The toe-tapping, hope-inducing, make-your-heart-sing rock 'n' roll comedy is now playing at Westside Theater and stars Rossmer and Rosen. They are joined by a crazy multitasking cast of seven actors who perform more than 50 roles in 90 minutes. (The cast includes Jane Bruce, Cathryn Wake, Elizabeth Nestlerode, Luke Darnell, Louis Tucci, Zach Spound and Megan Loomis.) They also play all the different instruments. "One minute they're banging on the drums, then they're rocking out on electric bass or keytar or even switching mid-song to a mandolin," says Rossmer.

Directed by Hunter Foster, the musical centers around Josh Cohen, "a poor schlub" who seems stuck in an eternal streak of bad luck. However, everything changes when he receives a mysterious letter and gets to reexamine his entire existence. (With the help of Darth Vader and a page-a-day kitty calendar.) Rossmer and Rosen both play the same character, but one year apart. Early on they even released an all-star album recording of the show with their "fancy friends" including Sutton Foster, Kelli O'Hara, Brian D'Arcy James, James Monroe Iglehart, Hank Azaria, Caissie Levy, Jimmi Simpson, James Roday and Chita Rivera.

Luke Darnell, Steve Rosen and Louis Tucci in The Other Josh CohenCaitlin McNaney

Without giving too much more away Neil Diamond also heavily factors in. "The show is a love letter to him. The man is the ultimate tunesmith. He can, with sometimes only three or four chords, create an ear worm of a melody that will get stuck in your brain and a lyric that cuts straight to the heart," Rossmer explains. While Diamond hasn't seen The Other Josh Cohen yet, they have a message for him. "Mr. Diamond, thank you for inspiring us with your beautiful songs. We adore you and would love for you to see the show you've inspired. We like to think it would make you smile."

With Valentine's Day upon us, The Other Josh Cohen is the ideal romantic comedy to make everyone else smile. (Plus V-Day is part of the plot.) "While Valentine's Day is the most romantic holiday for some, for others – like us, when we were writing this show – it's an emotional nightmare," says Rossmer. "There's a feeling of expectation," adds Rosen. "If you don't have someone in your life, you're doing something wrong. As we say near the beginning, 'you have to be like a ninja, dodging awkwardness.'"

In fact, the show is also a great reminder, if you are single or not, to remain hopeful. "It celebrates how, before anything else, we have to learn to be kind to ourselves," offers Rossmer. "You don't need to be in a relationship to be a successful human, being kind is far more important."

David Rossmer and Steve RosenCailtin McNaney

Letters: The Green New Deal is destined to start discussion

Posted by Rodry

opinion

Letters to the editor The Register

Published 12:21 PM EST Feb 19, 2019

HOW TO SUBMIT A LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Don't muzzle the DOT from advising cities

In the guest column [Road diets lead to big, fat safety concerns for emergency response] Matthew Schneider says he hopes Iowa lawmakers do the right thing regarding road diets on state highways.

I think the right thing is for lawmakers to oppose Rep. Sandy Salmon's bill prohibiting the Iowa DOT from presenting a specific type of road redesign plan to municipal authorities [Roses & thistles: A salute to firefighters who helped welcome new Iowan into world]. It makes no sense to silence state transportation experts advising local governments.

State law should continue to allow information regarding all road redesign options to be presented to city councils, including those proven to improve driver and pedestrian safety. Local councils should, and already do, have the authority to decide against any plan presented by the DOT.

Having the Legislature put a gag order on valuable information about the pros and cons of different road designs would be a disservice to the Iowans they were sent to the Statehouse to represent.

More: Is DOT pushing Iowa towns to adopt 'road diets'? House bill would limit state agency.

— Dan Johannsen, Des Moines  

Stop texting and driving for everyone's safety 

Would you ever drive the length of a football field at 55 mph blindfolded? Me either.

When you choose to text and drive, that is essentially what you are doing. Looking at your phone takes about 4.6 seconds, which is enough time to get from end zone to end zone.

We know that texting and driving is extremely dangerous. In fact, an average of 1,000 people are injured every day because of a distracted driver. But what are people doing about it? Absolutely nothing.

Therefore, we continue these habits even on the road. A survey by AAA Foundation shows 94 percent of teens acknowledge the dangers of texting and driving, yet 25 percent admit doing it every time they drive. However, there are other options such as "do not disturb while driving" and other apps.

Texting and driving affects more than just the person committing the crime. So please, if not for yourself, leave your phone off for the sake of those around you.

More: Is this the year Iowa bans drivers from using cellphones? Law enforcement hopes so

— Maya Baker, Huxley

Don't let government take over health care 

Health care was at the forefront of the conversation during the 2018 election. With the 2020 caucuses just around the corner, you can bet that the chatter on health care will only continue to grow. Several candidates have visited Iowa already and have specifically highlighted this issue, even going so far as to suggest the elimination of private health insurance.

This is misguided. The cost of health care is no doubt spiraling out of control, but this is exactly why we can't afford to scrap it for a complete government takeover. Instead, we should focus on how to bring down costs for everyone, while reforming the system to incentivize high quality care. Single-payer health care does neither of those things.

We always welcome a "healthy" debate here in Iowa. But we need to keep Congress, and those planning their 2020 runs, in line with Iowans' needs. We need to shine a light on what's working and what needs fixing with the current system, and point out why those important decisions should not be left up to the government. 

More: Medicare overhaul would hurt Iowans, unless Sen. Chuck Grassley stops it

— Mark Havlicek, Clive

HOW TO SUBMIT A LETTER TO THE EDITOR

The Green New Deal is destined to start discussion

The Green New Deal was sure to provoke discussion. For example, Mark Thiessen's column [The Green New Deal means giant tax increases] is a response to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's recent wake-up call asserting that a major change in government spending priorities is needed to address critical current issues including climate change and health-care costs.

Thiessen focuses on estimates by various experts on what the Green New Deal would cost, including a single-payer health system and the switch from fossil fuels to alternative energy sources for travel, heating, manufacturing, etc.

He concludes that covering these expenses would require huge tax increases which would be unpopular. Conspicuously absent from his argument are estimates of the current cost of health care, and of the costs of uninterrupted climate change predictable from our recent experience.

Do the extra wildfires in drought-stricken California, extra-strong hurricanes and the expected continued rise of sea levels flooding our ports as the glaciers melt cost anything?

It would be wonderful if we could just hold our taxes down and let someone else pay for the effects of continuing climate change, but we don't have that choice. A new plan is needed, time is unfortunately short and the Green New Deal resolution should start a serious discussion.

More: Eric Holder, in Des Moines, calls Green New Deal goal 'our generation's moonshot'

— Robert F Ashman, Iowa City 

Republicans are scared to support their people 

As evidenced by Tana Goertz's guest column, Republicans are still threatened by anything or anyone who attempts to change the status quo by addressing the country's needs instead of their own [Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is setting the Democrats' agenda].

They prefer to feed the 1 percent and spend billions on walls rather than improving the lives of the very people who worked, paid taxes, fought and died to build and protect this country.

Those very people want change and they are ready to fight for it — if that scares Republicans, so be it.

More: Iowa Poll: Democrats' new remote caucus option could expand participation by nearly a third, results suggest

— Pat Belknap, West Des Moines  

Pay gap information needs more evidence  

The article about the pay gap between men and women who work for the State of Iowa was mostly meaningless [Women still earn less than men in the Iowa state government, although the gap has narrowed slightly]. 

The article clearly implied that there was something bad about the fact that there is a difference between the median pay of women compared to that of men. However, the data presented did not include any accounting for differences between men and women in the type of work, supervisory or management responsibility, years of experience, or education level.

Only one example was given of a pay gap for "nurse clinician," but again with no accounting for specific responsibilities, years of experience or level of education. Any valid comparison would need to account for all of these other factors.

The report does more to create division between people than to shed light on whether or not there is any wrongful discrimination actually taking place.

More: Iowa corrections lawyer alleges racial bias in pay dispute

— Kurt Johnson, Urbandale 

HOW TO SUBMIT A LETTER TO THE EDITOR

People cause danger, not snow-covered roads

Several days ago a story in the Register indicated that a snow-covered road caused a fatal crash on Highway 34. This is wrong and misleading.

The snow and the roads are inanimate — they cause nothing. Drivers who are being aggressive, impatient, selfish and stupid cause accidents.

People need to think about how the environment might impact their travels, and plan ahead to allow additional time for the drive, and be courteous on the road.

More:  Former Iowan sculpts pig out of Seattle snow

— Steve Rowland, Burlington

We don't have to accept glorification of LGBT+ community 

I am a Christian who believes the entire Holy Bible is the inspired word of God. And I, as a mere human, cannot pick and choose which part to believe or not believe. 

The morally outraged Phil Walsh, who wrote a letter that was critical of parents who protested the play selected by the Ankeny school, might want to remember that there are a whole lot of us who do not buy the glorification of everything LGBT+ [Objectors to LGBT themes are living in the past].

It's ironic that people who can accept almost any behavior cannot accept we who live our beliefs. In fact, I'm quite proud of my "outdated, immoral and mistaken belief system."

More: 4-H LGBTQ policy: 70-plus Congress members accuse Trump's USDA of 'inappropriate' overreach, want answers from Ag Chief Sonny Perdue

— Jerry Crew, Webb

We should not ignore animal abuse anymore  

Why do our legislators continue to ignore animal abusers? Once again, another case with 40 cattle dying of starvation, a dog was thrown in the dumpster, and another with its mouth wired shut, and that was all within a couple months of each other [At least 40 cattle found starved to death on Iowa farm, officials say].

Step up and do what you can do to protect these innocent animals, make the fines bigger so that we can make them examples and punish these abusers. Grow a spine, and do something, this has gone on far too long with you doing nothing.

I am tired of hearing or reading about these poor animals. It's a no-brainer. Who are you protecting? It seems like it's the abusers.

More:  Des Moines juvenile charged after allegedly tying dog's muzzle closed with electrical cord

— Michelle Parsons, West Des Moines 

HOW TO SUBMIT A LETTER TO THE EDITOR

How sending handwritten letters created a $1bn firm

Posted by Rodry

Alexander RinkeImage copyright Celonis Image caption Alexander Rinke came up with the idea for the business while at university

The BBC's weekly The Boss series profiles different business leaders from around the world. This week we speak to Alexander Rinke, co-founder of German technology company Celonis.

When Alexander Rinke wanted some of the world's biggest companies to employ his small start-up business he came up with a novel approach - he would send their bosses handwritten letters.

"We knew if we sent an email it could just be deleted," he says.

"And if we sent out typed letters then their secretaries would open them, and bin them as junk mail.

"But with a handwritten note, it seems more personal, it could have been a letter from a family member, or a friend."

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption It was Alexander's idea to send business leaders handwritten letters

Alexander launched Celonis when he was 22 with two friends, Martin Klenk and Bastian Nominacher, in 2011 after they had finished maths and computer science degrees at the Technical University of Munich.

Expanding on a project they had worked on as part of their courses, Celonis is a hi-tech data mining company that uses software and artificial intelligence to monitor the performance of businesses, to help them become more efficient and work better.

In very simple terms, Celonis's software will monitor a company's computer system, and find out things such as which employees are being unproductive, which suppliers are too slow, and which production processes could be streamlined. It then suggests solutions.

The three friends were confident about what they could offer businesses, but they just needed to get themselves noticed.

Hence the handwritten letters.

They worked like a treat, leading to meetings with some of the largest companies in Europe.

Today, eight years later, Celonis's customers include BMW, Exxon-Mobile, General Motors, L'Oreal, Siemens, Uber and Vodafone.

And after securing an additional $50m (£39m) of investment last year, Celonis says it is now valued at more than $1bn (£780m).

Image copyright Celonis Image caption Alexander set up the business with friends Bastian Nominacher (centre) and Martin Klenk

Born and raised in Berlin, Alexander says he started his first company when he was just 15, supplying tutors to high school students.

"It was great to get my first idea of how a business ran," he says. "But ultimately I knew it wouldn't last forever."

Fast-forward to 2011 in Munich, and Alexander came up with the idea for Celonis when, as part of their studies, he, Martin and Bastian were helping a real world business improve its customer service.

More The Boss features:

The three students found that the firm was taking about five days to come up with fixes to problems, and they thought there must be a quicker way.

"We interviewed people in the company to try and understand why it took so long," says Alexander, who is now 29. "But we quickly realised that no-one was going to take the blame. It became political."

So the idea for Munich-based Celonis was born: remove humans and work politics from the evaluation process, and replace them with impartial computer analysis.

The company being advised by the students became their first paying customer. As Martin and Bastian worked on finessing the software, Alexander drove up to 1,000 miles a day around Germany and Austria meeting potential customers, including those to whom he had sent a handwritten letter.

Celonis quickly grew, and just a year later opened a US office in Palo Alto, California.

Image copyright Celonis Image caption The company now has thousands of business customers around the world

But while business customers were seemingly easy to secure, Alexander admits that as the company had to expand its workforce so quickly, sometimes it employed the wrong people.

"To begin with we were hiring people just based on their CVs, but we made some bad decisions," he says. "Some just weren't the right fit.

"Quickly we realised that it's all down to character and personality, as well as their CVs. The most important thing is building the right team around you."

Today Celonis has more than 400 employees, and its subscription-based product is used by thousands of companies worldwide.

A private business, it says its annual turnover now tops $70m.

Image copyright Celonis Image caption Alexander is now based at the firm's main US office in New York

Patrick McGee, Frankfurt correspondent for the Financial Times, has written about Celonis on a number of occasions in recent years.

"When I interviewed several big companies already working with Celonis, I expected to hear a nice thing or two," he says.

"The reality is they swooned. Executives at big groups like Siemens and Vodafone said it was like having an X-ray image of their business, making it easy to spot inefficiencies and implement a fix."

In the future Alexander may have to learn how to write in Japanese, as the company is looking to expand to Japan.

"Japan is such an interesting market, as they're so obsessed with efficiency and improving things," says the co-chief executive. "So there is a lot of demand over there.

"But we are also looking to expand in the markets we are already in."

How to Start a Formal Letter to a Company

Posted by Rodry

Business letters follow guidelines in formatting and style.

Business letters follow guidelines in formatting and style.

Stockbyte/Stockbyte/Getty Images

Starting a formal letter to a company has several purposes. The letter must introduce the writer, provide contact information and reference the reason for the communication. The start of the formal letter must also capture the reader's attention and quickly explain why the company should take an interest in the information provided within the letter.

1.

List the sender's address if the information is not included on the letterhead. Include the full address without the sender's name. Use the U.S. Postal format for abbreviations and state information.

2.

Provide the date of the letter one space below the sender's address. Do not abbreviate the date information. Write out the full date and include a comma between the date and the year, such as January 1, 2011.

3.

Announce the letter's recipient with an inside address. Include the recipient's formal name with title, such as Dr. Edwards or Mrs. Smith, and follow with the formal address information. Investigate the recipient's title if it is unknown to avoid inadvertent disrespect of the recipient.

4.

Include a formal salutation to the recipient. Use a same title and name that is included in the insider address. Use the first name of the recipient if you already have a friendly relationship with the recipient. Otherwise, keep it formal, such as Dear Dr. John Smith.

5.

Use a block style format for the body of this formal letter. Single space the sentences within the paragraph and double space between each paragraph. Use an easy-to-read font, like Arial 10 or New Times Roman 12.

6.

Use the first paragraph to introduce and outline the reason for the letter. Use the following paragraphs to provide supporting facts and information. Include only pertinent information within the letter. Avoid rambling and be sure to use the spell check.

]]> About the Author

Writing professionally since 2004, Charmayne Smith focuses on corporate materials such as training manuals, business plans, grant applications and technical manuals. Smith's articles have appeared in the "Houston Chronicle" and on various websites, drawing on her extensive experience in corporate management and property/casualty insurance.

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    Opinion: Letter to the Editor: A Good Start

    Posted by Rodry

    Alexandrians for Better City Government (A4BCG) was formed by a non-partisan group of Democrats, Independents, and Republicans to promote real choice and constructive change through the ballot box in the June Democratic Primary election.

    There are no Republican or Independent Council members and there was no Republican open primary, so this was the only election where such change could be achieved. We believed this City Council, in particular, needed a shock to their collective senses to better understand the level of citizen frustration with their poor performance, their disdain for residents' views, and their apparent air of entitlement.

    While Mo Seifeldein was our only endorsed candidate who won, two incumbents lost this primary and one, Dak Hardwick, lost a shot at a seat all thought was his to win. In this primary, we got the change we wanted, but, certainly not the mayor we needed. Just as the city elected new Democratic candidates for council, it also elected a mayor who finds himself in serious trouble explaining his actions informing citizens and other council members in the Potomac Yard Metro fiasco on the heels of his similar maneuvers to overcome the valid environmental concerns of residents and city staff in the Karig Estates debate.

    Still, our hearty congratulations to all non-incumbents. We are especially pleased to see a majority of new Democratic leaders with new perspectives vying for City Council seats. Four new votes on council is a new block that could accomplish constructive changes sought by A4BCG and the many Alexandrians we represent.

    And, congratulations to city voters. In total, 21,637 voted for a mayor candidate. It's a simple assumption to assume these same voters cast their six votes for council candidates. But, they didn't. Election data shows almost 20 percent chose to cast less than six votes and, instead, voted very selectively with no "throw away votes." In fact, as many as 4,233 votes were not cast for incumbents or others. This highly unusual outcome easily explains how incumbents lost, the "old boy" block was broken, and new council primary candidates were elected.

    Our conclusion? Our efforts prompted change, educated voters on choices, and built a new coalition – it was well worth the effort. Passing out thousands of fliers, knocking hundreds of doors, and posting numerous ads was an excellent use of the donations from supporters across all parties, neighborhoods, and affiliations.

    Alexandrians for Better City Government will not stand down. We remain committed to a better government for this city – one that is transparent, accountable, and responsive to all citizens and their concerns. Whether registering new voters, highlighting government issues, or connecting neighbors, we will continue to build our presence in all ways necessary to best represent those who feel they have no voice or power, particularly if our new mayor elect continues to operate in back rooms with his signature lack of transparency.

    Only 21 percent of registered voters cast primary votes for council and mayor. We encourage the other 79 percent to be counted on this upcoming election day, certainly, but also and always when city government fails to meet its fundamental responsibilities to all Alexandrians.

    Kathy Burns

    Bob Wood

    Hal Hardaway

    Letter: A chance to start healing

    Posted by Rodry

    Re “Defining a traitor” (letter, Sept. 2): The writer attempts to create a false equivalency between the Revolutionary War and the Civil War by comparing George Washington and other national heroes to Robert E. Lee.

    The letter writer uses the tired and well-worn excuse that members of the Confederacy were fighting for states’ rights. The Revolutionary War was fought to gain independence from a repressive government, but the Civil War was fought to repress those same values â€" which are outlined in our nation’s founding document, the Constitution.

    The claim of states’ rights is nothing more than the excuse the South used for maintaining slavery, which was the economic engine of the agrarian South.

    The sooner America removes all Confederate monuments or, at the very least, adds historical context, the sooner our nation can start to heal from the divisive issues that have plagued us as a society since the Civil War. If some people require a monument in order to celebrate a heritage that was, and is, based on subverting human rights, we will remain a divided country forever.

    This issue of “the monuments” should remain front and center in our public conversation for however long it takes to finally rid our country of the most repressive issue of all â€" racial inequality.

    Bob Tucker

    Virginia Beach

    A Letter to Auburn Basketball

    Posted by Rodry

    Dear Auburn Basketball,

    I've thought about doing this for awhile now but I hadn't put the words and thoughts together until now. But since it's now Valentine's Day, I felt the need to tell you how I and many Auburn fans feel right now.

    Last season, you guys gave us one of the most memorable seasons in Auburn history. You were overlooked, disrespected, counted out, and yet time and time again, you fought through that adversity. You gave this university a basketball program that Auburn could believe in, get behind, and as a result, you guys did the unthinkable and won an SEC Championship. You made a university that's been indifferent to basketball for years actually give a damn about Auburn Basketball and that in itself is quite an accomplishment. The season may not have ended the way we wanted it to, but I've never been more proud of a team in my life than I was that team last year.

    So that leads me to this year. This year was supposed to be all about Unfinished Business. Expectations were extremely high. You were expected to be playing in the NCAA Tournament again, make a Sweet 16 perhaps or even make the program's first ever Final Four. I genuinely thought that this team was going to be one of the best in Auburn history. So what in the world has happened?

    You started the season off well blowing out your first 3 opponents, including Washington, a preseason Top 25 team and everyone told you how great you were. Then you went to Maui, pulled through against Xavier, played your tails off against Duke and put up a respectable result, and then knocked off Arizona. 3rd Place in the Maui Invitational was a solid result and things looked really good.

    But things have looked and seemed different after that Maui trip.... this team hasn't played together in several games. There's been good moments (Alabama, Georgia, Texas A&M). But there's been several bad moments (N.C. State, Mississippi State, last night, just to name a few). You guys seem to fix one thing and then another thing goes splat. One night it's bad 3 point shooting. One night it's free throws. One night it's not keeping guys healthy. Another night it's rebounding. And then last night, it's giving up 3-pointers at the end of shot clocks. At some point, you have to put it together, don't you?

    Time and time again, I've defended you guys when you've come up short on the road thinking you're gonna get it together at some point. I've tried really hard to be one of the more optimistic people every time you guys have dropped a game knowing there is plenty of time to get this right. Playing at home has been huge for you guys but after losing a 2nd game at home last night, even now I have a few doubts. The talent on this basketball team is some of the best it's ever been at Auburn and yet you guys can't seem to put it together all at once. Newsflash: time is starting to run out to put it together!

    And now I speak directly to you, Chuma Okeke. You were awesome last night! You played your heart out, you put the team on the back and did everything you could to will your team to victory. Keep playing with that aggression. Keep playing with that fire and make this your team. Lead this team coming down the stretch and don't be afraid to take games over!

    People are doubting you again. Many people don't think you should be or deserve to be in the NCAA Tournament and when they think of Auburn Basketball, they think of you as one of the country's biggest disappointments. The fanbase is jumping off the bandwagon left and right. How do you respond to adversity? How do you prove those doubters wrong and shut up the critics around you? I can't think of a better way than to prove the haters and critics wrong than to finally put it all together on the court. That starts Saturday.

    I hope like heck that last night woke you guys up. If that didn't then what will? It's time to start playing together again. It's time to put all the pieces together. You have 7 regular season games left plus the SEC Tournament. Everything I mentioned at the beginning is still in front of you. Get into the tournament and anything can happen. This team is way too talented to be going through the ups and downs they are right now. But in order to make the tournament, you have to start playing Auburn Basketball again.

    In conclusion, I still love you guys and I'll continue to show up several hours before tip to make sure I'm in the front row of the student section doing my best to cheer you guys on and get others fired up as well. I will continue to believe in you guys. The question is: do you believe in yourselves? Forget about Unfinished Business, it's time to Put Up or Shut Up!

    See you Saturday in Nashville!

    War Damn Eagle, Always!!!

    Will McLaughlin - The Crazy Student Jumping Up and Down Across from your Bench

    Hedge fund Stone Milliner has worst start to a year - letter

    Posted by Rodry

    LONDON (Reuters) - Stone Milliner, one of Europe's best-performing hedge funds that bets on macroeconomic events, lost 2.1 percent in the first two months of 2017, its worst start to a year, an investor letter seen by Reuters showed.

    That meant the $6.1 billion Stone Milliner Macro Fund underperformed industry rivals, which gained 0.4 percent on average in the first two months of the year, data from industry tracker Hedge Funds Research (HFR) showed.

    The chief drag on performance was an unspecified short position in fixed income, the Stone Milliner letter to investors said, or a bet that interest rates would rise and prices would fall.

    The Anglo-Swiss firm, launched in January 2012 by former Moore Capital traders Jens-Peter Stein and Kornelius Klobucar, has performed strongly previously, outperforming rivals over the last three years with gains of 4.9 percent in 2016, 5.7 percent in 2015 and 14.4 percent in 2014.

    The average performance for macro funds, which mainly trade in currency and fixed income markets, was a gain of 1.1 percent in 2016, a loss of 1.3 percent in 2015 and a gain of 5.6 percent in 2014, HFR data showed.

    Looking forward, the regular monthly letter to investors said the fund had shifted to a "modest" short position in the U.S. dollar and reduced its short position in the euro against other regional currencies.

    "We think the shift in the tone at the ECB (European Central Bank) has caught the market by surprise, and should result in a higher exchange rate over time," the letter said.

    Reuters polling data published on Monday showed the world's top 10 banks have backed off forecasts that the euro would fall below parity against the dollar.

    Additional reporting by Jemima Kelly; editing by David Clarke

    How to Start a Business Letter to Grab Attention

    Posted by Rodry

    Businesses correspond using letters, email, reports and website pages.

    Businesses correspond using letters, email, reports and website pages.

    Creatas/Creatas/Getty Images

    A business letter is an important form of communication for a small business. Whether you are sending out emails or letters, it is vital to make sure they are crafted properly to achieve the desired result. If you want a business letter to grab the attention of readers to convince them of something, you need to include a few key elements. Following some basic rules about the beginning of the letter can help your letters succeed from the outset.

    1.

    Put yourself in your reader's shoes. One of the keys to writing a great business letter is the ability to relate directly to the reader. By taking the time to think about who your reader is, what his interests are, and how he is likely to feel about the subject, you will gain insight into his psyche and how best to reach him at a level that will get his attention.

    2.

    The first part of the letter should contain a "hook" that will keep readers reading. A hook mentions something readers care about, need to know about, or will benefit from in some way. It works as a hint or a "tease" about the information to come later in the letter. Often it's in the form of a question or a startling fact.

    3.

    Start on a positive note. Never begin a letter with a negative premise. Even if you are imparting bad news, it is important to find the positive. The vast majority of people will not keep reading a letter if it starts with a negative premise. For example, if your letter is talking about a drop in sales, start with some good news about the company. "While sales this quarter were down, we did see strong growth in a key demographic that should impact sales positively in the next quarter."

    4.

    Acknowledge the reader's expertise, accomplishments, or position. Everyone likes to feel appreciated, and great business letters start by acknowledging the importance of the reader. This is true of sales letters as well as basic communication.

    5.

    End the first paragraph with the main point of your letter. You should be able to encapsulate the information you are imparting in the rest of your letter in one sentence, referencing how the reader will benefit from this information. Going back to the example of a letter reporting a downward trend in sales, the last sentence could read, "Let's take a look at the current sales figures and how we expect them to change over this next quarter to increase our profit margin."

    ]]> About the Author

    Kate McFarlin is a licensed insurance agent with extensive experience in covering topics related to marketing, small business, personal finance and home improvement. She began her career as a Web designer and also specializes in audio/video mixing and design.

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    How one letter to Tad Boyle might have changed Colorado's season

    Posted by Rodry

    BOULDER - Some among you have called this Colorado Buffaloes Basketball season a dumpster fire.

    The young Buffs have struggled in nearly every aspect of the game at one point or another. Tad Boyle has been driven crazy trying to figure out which direction he should point his firehose.

    So after a "gut-wrenching" Thursday night loss to Oregon State, Boyle got help... fittingly, from a professional firefighter.

    "There is a guy named Dan Cashmore who is a firefighter," Boyle started his story. "He graduated here in 2007. He dropped a letter off while we were practicing and talked about the resurgence of Colorado basketball since he was a student here. It gave a great perspective of where this program is today relative to where it has been. After losses like Thursday night that are gut-wrenching for coaches, players, and fans, he brought perspective to where this program is. Our expectation levels have risen externally, internally, with our players, with our coaches, and with our fans. Let's not forget about where it's been. When he was a student here in his first couple of years, you could throw a rock in this place and not hit anybody. It has changed. The expectation level has changed. When you have a loss like that (Thursday night) people are upset and they should be. That is a testament to the players who have come before and how we have turned this place into a place where we can have games like we did tonight after a tough loss on Thursday."

    "I want to thank Dan for the letter. I read it to the team before our pregame meal. It was touching and emotional for me. I could tell our players were really affected by it. Perspective is something that is difficult for a coach to keep during tough times."

    The Buffaloes response was led by sophomore Tyler Bey, who may have had his most disappointing game just 48 hours ago. The forward scored a career-high 27 points on 9-of-9 shooting, leading Colorado ( 12-9, 3-6 Pac-12) to a 73-51 #BEATEMDOWN over Oregon.

    Bey chipped in 10 rebounds as well for his sixth double-double of the season and scored 13 points in the game's first nine minutes. He was the star of a Buffaloes slick start that never really ended. Before one could blink CU was on a 24-5 run and they took a 40-17 lead into the break. It was the most points allowed, and the second-fewest points scored, by the Ducks in a first half this season.

    Colorado's offense was decent but their defense was sound for 40 minutes. Arguably the first time they've received such an effort this season. Oregon ended shooting just 31 percent for the game, a low for the Ducks in Dana Altman's nine years in Eugene... in which he's never won in Boulder.

    "Our challenge for our players is to be consistent," Boyle said. "Nobody plays great for thirty games. The challenge for us is to put a consistent effort and product on the floor. The challenge for our fans is to show up whether it's Oregon State or Oregon or whoever. It doesn't matter if it's November, December, January or February. We only have 15 or 16 home games depending on the year. Nobody can come every night. But, I always say to season ticket holders that if they can't come, give those tickets to some friends. Make sure we have people in the seats. Because this is a fun team to watch. Our crowd is really important to our young men. That's why I shared that letter with them (the team). I want them to understand that there a lot of buff fans out there. Not just here, but people tune in on the radio and watch on TV. We represent a lot of people. I have a responsibility as a coach and the players have responsibilities. I want them to be inspired by our fans. Tonig ht the crowd inspired our players and our players helped inspire the crowd. Hopefully, the crowd had fun and they'll be back for the next game against Arizona State."

    All of this came on a night where Colorado—a good shooting team—struggled tremendously from deep, held to just 15 percent.

    "It was a great win for our team. When we start shooting the ball from three like we are capable of, this can be a scary team when we put it all together," Boyle said."

    Did a dude name Dan change the Buffaloes fortunes in a season where nothing has been strung together? Only time will tell. But a dude named Dan helped the Buffs win tonight. And reminded not just Boyle and the Buffaloes where they've come from but everyone. Maybe this is the reset button everybody in Boulder has been looking for.