Having read thousands of job hunting letters, I rarely get surprised. But this one surprised and delighted me in a positive way. This letter-limerick is quite distinctive. It's different from the usual, dull post-interview thank yous, and remarkably different from the typical dry, matter-of-fact epistles often written by attorneys.

To write a letter like this you'd have to be mindful of your audience. Conservative business people could find it distasteful. You'd want an upbeat, imaginative, creative--dare I say fun--audience. And in this case, the lawyer who interviewed David enjoyed limericks, and enjoyed writing them. So in crafting this for her, he was speaking her language.

David spent the better part of a day composing this, and then bounced it off his mother, whose love of writing and puns was a real inspiration. (Notice the pun on "esprit de core.") Among other things, this letter says:

• I'm a fun person--I don't take myself too seriously;
• I'm creative, not run of the mill;
• I'm educated--good with words;
• I'm excited about the possibilities, and
• I want to continue the interview process by meeting two of the other attorneys in the firm -- Smith and McCollie.

Dear Ms. Ardell:

Finding just the right lawyer's a chore,
When you seek to turn three into four.
But no need to still grapple;
You've found a good apple,
Who'll add to your esprit de core.

At the heart of the rhymes that I volley,
There is an objective, by golly.
I'll say it up front--
It's to stay in the hunt,
And to meet with sirs Smith and McCollie.

I know that it might seem illicit,
To let lim'ricks say "thanks for our visit."
But if it allays
Office cares and malaise,
Then it ain't really pand'ring, or is it?

Sincerely,

David A. Frosh