5 Propose a specific next stop Close your letter with a clear and precise statement of how you wish to proceed toward an interview. Avoid such mumblings as: ‘Hoping to hear from you soon.’ ‘Thank you for your time and consideration.’ ‘I’m looking forward to the opportunity of discussing a position with you.’ All such conclusions place the burden of the next step on your busy prospective employer. Why make him work in your interest? Do the job yourself, like this: ‘I’ll call your office on Wednesday afternoon to see if you’d like me to come in for an interview.’ ‘I’m free for an interview every morning until 8:45, and Thursday after 2:30. I’ll call your office on Wednesday afternoon to find out if you would like to get together at any of those times’ At this stage a phone call makes things easy for the person at the other end. If you don’t call him, he has to go to the trouble of calling or writing to you. The idea is to make it as simple as you possibly can for your prospective employer to set up an appointment at a time that’s convenient to you. I am always surprised by the illiteracy of men and women who look for jobs in advertising. I am bombarded with applications like this recent lulu: ‘My goal is to seek more challenging experiences to further develop my skills in marketing and advertising. I feel I have reached a plateau in my education. My objective is to obtain a top level management position utilizing extensive experiences in marketing communications areas as a viable contribution to corporate objectives. My creative background and expertise involves a wide