Here are three rejections letters to an applicant who applied for an accounting position.

1. We realize that the application process for the accounting position at AlphaBank required a substantial amount of thought, time, and effort on your part. Therefore, we would like to express our sincere appreciation for your willingness to participate in the search process.

The task of selecting a final candidate was difficult and challenging due to the quality of the applicant pool. We regret to inform you that we selected another candidate who we believe will best meet the needs of AlphaBank.

We thank your for your interest in employment at AlphaBank and extend our best wishes as you pursue your professional goals.

2. Thank you for your interest in the accounting position at AlphaBank. I’m sorry to inform you that you were not one of the finalists. The position has now been filled.

The search committee and I wish you the best in your future employment searches.

3. Thank you for your interest in the accounting position at AlphaBank.

I’m sorry to inform you that the search committee has decided to offer the position to another candidate. This was an extremely difficult decision for us to make. We were all impressed with your résumé and credentials.

Again, thank you for your interest in AlphaBank.

Analyze these three job rejection letters by answering the following questions:

■ Do these letters use buffers? If so, how effective are they?

■ What reasons do the letters give, if any?

■ Does the letter attempt to build goodwill with the audience? If yes, how so?

■ Do any of the letters offer an alternative?

■ How do you think recipients will react to each of the letters? Which (if any) are more preferable?

As your instructor directs,

a. Discuss your findings in a small group.

b. Present your findings orally to the class.

c. Present your findings in an e-mail to your instructor.