Page 64 - The Voice of Authority

A False Sense of “Professionalism”
and Formality

Here are excerpts from two cover letters we recently re-
ceived for an accounting position in our organization:

First Applicant: “From the specifications listed in
your advertisement, my varied experience covers a
wide range of skills and responsibilities in which I
have been very successful across several functional
areas in multiple industries. If what you seek is a
conscientious, determined collaborator, then do
consider an interview where I may convey my inter-
est and suitability with your organization.”
Second Applicant: “I’m a self-employed CPA, work-
ing for clients in small to midsize organizations. I
think my varied industry experience would be an as-
set in the accounting responsibilities you described
in the Dallas Morning News. May I discuss this open-
ing with you in person?”

Having run a consulting firm for the past 26 years, I’ve
discovered in our presentations and writing workshops
that some people consider themselves more “professional”
if they string together long sentences and big words. My
response: More professional to whom? Not to any profes-
sional writers or speakers I know.

Bad Models

When bosses delegate projects (documents, presentations,
speeches), the typical thing—and often the first thing—
people do is to search for a model. Bad models exist every-

52 The Voice of Authority