www.Cover-Letters.com - 1,001 FREE Cover Letters For Career Change and Job Hunt

About Us | Contact Us | A- A+ A°

Icon Key

Career Management

Turn Down Committee Assignment

The key to turning someone down is to say "No," clearly and unambiguously, but also to offer something else at another time.

For many years our company hosted a consumer television show, where viewers were invited to call in with career problems. It was not uncommon for us to take 500 calls in one night (off camera). CareerLab invited 12-20 human resource managers, career counselors, to take calls and serve as experts. When an invited guest couldn't attend, I really appreciated their writing something like this on the response form: "Can't attend this one--traveling to Chicago--but count me in for the next." I knew they might not make the next show, either, but it was the thought that mattered.

ANDREA P. BACHA
Bacha & Gibson | Attorneys at Law
1900 Broadway, Suite 1700 |Denver, Colorado 80202
H: 303-458-4658 | C: 720-995-7169 | abacha@gmail.com

May 4, 20—

William S. Frank
President
CareerLab
10475 Park Meadows Drive, Ste. 600
Lone Tree, CO 80124-5437

Dear Bill,

Thank you so very much for thinking of me for your United Way committee. It sounds like something I would enjoy and find rewarding too! Working with you would be a big plus!

After thinking it over I have decided it won't work for me. It really is wishful thinking on my part to feel I could break away from the office in the middle of the day not only for a meeting, but the travel time involved.

I appreciate your confidence.

Cordially,

Andrea P. Bacha
Senior Partner

P.S.-- You can count on me if an evening meeting would work,
or for another project next time.

APB/jj

Comments

Add a Comment

Your rating:

Name:

Your URL:

Your e-mail:

Message:

Enter security code:

(please enter the
numbers on the image)

25 Reasons I love consulting.
by William S. Frank

Brand. You are your own brand, and you can define it any way you want. For many years, I provided outplacement to the ex-employees of Schlumberger, the world's largest oilfield service corporation. When departing employees left the company, they didn't request outplacement in their severance package. They said, "I want Bill Frank."
Demand. The world will always be full of terrible problems that need solving.
White Hat. I can be a helper and get paid for it.
Pay. I can be paid to do things I'd gladly do for nothing.
Variety. Every day is different.
Happiness. At this stage of my career, I only work for people I respect and care about. If a client micromanages me or is otherwise no fun, I complete the assignment and replace them.
Talent. I'm using 110% of my talents and stretching myself to the max.
Change. I can change my focus any day I want. If you're a McDonald's franchisee, you don't say, "Hey, I've got this great idea for a meatball sandwich—let's try it out today." In consulting you can adjust your focus hour-by-hour, as long as your clients still understand and appreciate what you do.
Income. No one else would pay me as much as I pay myself.
FUN. I can't think of anything I'd rather be doing.
Retirement. I can write and consult as long as I am physically and mentally capable. Peter Drucker worked into his 90s, and when asked which book was his best, he said: "My next one."
Job Security. Although clients come and go, no one can come into my office and say, "Pack up your stuff . . . You don't work here anymore." In 29 years, I've only had one employer: ME.
Travel. I don't have to travel unless I decide to. I travel if it's both FUN and profitable—or at least FUN.
Commute. I live five minutes from my office, a corner office in an upscale six-story tower. In winter, I leave a heated garage at home and drive to an underground heated garage at work. There's seldom time to hear even one song on the radio.
Vacation. Consulting is more fun than vacation (except on Wailea Beach in Maui).
Friends. I have developed hundreds of close acquaintances and several lifetime friends.
Time. I can work as much or as little as I like: four-hour days or 18-hour days. (Of course, my income will reflect that.)
Employees. I can work with employees, subcontractors, partners, or alone—I've done it all.
Passive Income. I've developed several products that provide "mailbox money." I earn while I'm sleeping.
Ethics. I've never had to violate my values or personal code of ethics. I've never had to lie, purposely deceive or harm others, or promise things I can't deliver. I go to bed with a clear conscience. That doesn't mean there's never any conflict. But the conflict is conducted according to generally accepted business practices.
Virtual. My career is fairly portable. With the Internet, e-mail, cell phone, and FedEx, I can work nationally, even internationally from my office—or anywhere in the world.
Purpose. I make a difference in peoples' lives every day. I see it in their faces, hear it in their voices, and read it in their thank-yous.
Experience. Every painful or joyful life experience makes me a better consultant. So does every person I meet or book I read. Grey hair can be good in consulting.
Structure. I have to work very hard, and the clients expect superb results—but I get to structure my days, weeks, months, and years.
Boss. Most of the time, I love my boss.

As I was posting these letters online, I realized I want to communicate my love for consulting. It's just a great business. The single letters, taken together, may create a picture of enjoyment, but in a burst of creativity I listed some of the reasons consulting is such a good fit for me—and perhaps for you, too. They are not prioritized; this is just how they came out.