Your application letter, which serves as the cover letter for your
resume, will strongly affect your prospective employer's first impression of
you. Therefore, this letter should give that employer as favorable and as
accurate a picture as possible and should make you stand out as unique, so
that the employer will remember your letter among the dozens--or possibly
hundreds--received in application for a given position.
There is more to the application letter than simply stating interest in
a job and citing your experience. The letter is, in every sense, a sales
letter: you attempt to sell yourself, the "product," to a prospective
employer, the "buyer," by highlighting the ways in which your education,
experience, and attitudes can fulfill company needs. Your application
letter, then, should
1) tell your prospective employer what you can do for him/her
and why you feel you are qualified for a specific job;
2) interpret important points in your resume as they
relate to specific job requirements;
3) focus on what you can contribute to the employer (your
"buyer") rather than how much he or she can offer you;
and
4) ask specifically for an interview.
In just a few paragraphs--probably five--you must "sell" your readers to the
point where they want to know more about you and, therefore, schedule an
interview.
The following discussion delineates the steps necessary for writing an
effective job application letter.
Prewriting Analysis Needed for Effective Content and Tone
Letters personnel managers receive from job applicants are frequently
characterized by incomplete content and improper tone. Such letters lead
prospective employers to conclude that the applicants do not know themselves,
decline to reveal their backgrounds, ignore the nature and needs of their
prospective employers, or lack those communication skills upon which company
prosperity depends.
Before personnel managers decide whether to invest time and energy--and
company money--in an interview, they rightly insist upon facts, details, and
specifications that applicants can provide only after having studied
themselves and their prospective employer. Survey after survey reveals that
typical personnel directors instantly recognize and appreciate excellence in
application messages. They need the complete, factual story; and they want
that story told interestingly, carefully, and skillfully keyed to the needs
of their companies and of the specific position that their companies have
available.
Therefore, before you begin to write your application letter, you should
1) analyze your personal characteristics, your general knowledge and
abilities, and your specific skills and competencies as they relate to the
career you wish to pursue; 2) examine the job you're interested in to
discover its component parts; and 3) match your skills and attitudes to the
requirements of the job. Such matching requires creativity, especially if
you are applying for a position you're not specifically trained for. The
more skills you can transfer to the job, however, the better your chances for
an interview will be. Check the resume handout for a list to aid you in
matching your abilities with prospective job requirements.
Opening Paragraph Creates Interest
The opening paragraph of your application letter should catch your
reader's attention, state definitely that you're applying for a job, identify
the job (or job area) you're interested in, and demonstrate your interest in
serving the company.
Given below are examples of different kinds of first paragraphs for an
application letter. You can adapt these suggestions to your needs whether
you write a "prospecting" (unsolicited) letter to firms that have not
announced an opening or a "solicited" letter about a publicized available
position.
Summary/Skills Opening One of the most effective openings includes a summary
of your two or three outstanding qualifications. Like the first paragraph of
a newspaper article, the summary gives in capsule form the important points
you'll expand in the message.
Retailing experience in a department store similar to yours, business
knowledge gained academically, plus a sincere interest in these areas have
helped me learn the basic requirements for running a department efficiently.
I would like to contribute the practical skills I have acquired by becoming
a part of your management trainee program.
If hundreds of effective retail calls, thorough knowledge of point-of-sale,
and imaginative merchandising help make a brewery representative, then I've
begun to learn the business. I would like to put this practical field
experience to work for Noname Brewing Company.
Name Opening If someone has suggested you apply to a particular firm for a
job, you can use that person's name in the opening--unless he or she has
asked you to keep it confidential. The ultimate value of such beginnings
depends almost entirely on the name used; but the fact that a friend,
business associate, or customer is mentioned invariably wins consideration
for this type of letter.
Mr. J. J. More of your advertising department has suggested that I might be
well qualified for sales work in your International Division because of my
command of four languages and my background of travel abroad.
Mr. James Hermann, Professor of Accounting and Chair of the Accounting
Department at Hohum University, has informed me that your firm is looking for
an accounting major who is interested in managerial accounting. I would like
to be considered for the opening in your training program.
Question Opening A third method of opening is by a question intended to
challenge the reader's attention. This type of opening has the desirable
effect of forcing the applicant to plunge into the middle of his or her most
salable qualities without slowing down the message by introduction.
Applicants who use this question beginning should be absolutely certain that
their qualifications do answer the question that they raise.
Can your stenographers take dictation at the rate of 120 words per minute?
I can--and I am eager to prove that such speed does not lessen my accuracy.
Could you use a general utility infielder who could fill in at any of the
positions on your staff and relieve you of the worries and delays caused by
absent personnel?
Informed Opening Another form of opening is that which incidentally mentions
some point of knowledge about the company. The fact that you know something
about the company implies a degree of interest greater than that demonstrated
by applicants who canvass the market.
Now that Dixon is expanding its Western sales region, won't you need another
trained and experienced salesperson to call on your new accounts? My
marketing degree and four years of sales experience lead me to believe that
I can fill that need.
Your firm's consulting activities, and especially its work in "information
systems," may attract you to an individual with my qualifications and
aspirations. My academic concentration on "open systems theory," coupled
with practical experience, would enable me to perform well as a member of
your management consulting staff.
Other Beginnings You should, of course, design your own opening--the one
most appropriate for you and for the particular company to which you are
writing. As the following examples illustrate, you can state an interest,
previous experience with the same organization, a belief, or your present
situation.
Swimming pool operation and maintenance have been of interest to me for the
last few years. At the same time I have been studying business at the
University of Ozimo. I would like to combine these two interests by working
for Pools as a salesperson and pool maintenance consultant.
We both know that American Can Company prefers to pick its management
trainees from the qualified employees in its lower echelons. After working
six and one-half years in the various departments of Canco and attaining my
college degree this June, I will be qualified to be of further benefit to our
Company as a management trainee.
Middle Paragraphs Demonstrate Conviction
After you have caught the reader's attention, you proceed to present
your qualifications for the job you're applying for. In the short space you
have (perhaps no more than three paragraphs), you can't afford to repeat
unnecessarily what is on your resume. You need to select and emphasize key
points, considering carefully every word and every idea you include. The
emphasis is on how you can be helpful to the employer!
Therefore, these middle paragraphs should be tailored to the needs of
the prospective employer and to the role you would perform in the position
you seek, if hired. On the basis of needs, you can select and stress your
appropriate professional experience, academic record, and personal qualities.
1. For professional experiences, select only those which are relevant or
reflect relevant capabilities. If you have not had professional experiences
in the form of summer employment in industry or as an assistant in research,
laboratory work, or teaching, select experiences which involve relevant
qualities such as responsibility, organizational ability, or interpersonal
skills.
2. For academic record, select and specify distinctive accomplishments. For
example, every university graduate applying for a job as manager of a motel
restaurant will have a degree in Hospitality Management and therefore the
same type of courses. The distinctive applicant will mention specific
contributions to a successful practical project or accomplishments in
particular relevant advanced courses that others may not have had. Do not
merely list the courses which you have had: talk about what you accomplished
in those courses and demonstrate what this will enable you to do for the
company to which you're applying.
3. For personal qualities, emphasize those which apply to professional
roles. Most hobbies are irrelevant, but supporting yourself in college is
not.
After you select this information, then arrange it in decreasing order
of importance. For example, relevant professional experience, which tends to
be important and distinctive, should precede academic information which tends
to be routine. Most importantly, emphasize what your background will enable
you to do for the company to impress your audience as immediately and clearly
as possible that you suit their needs.
Closing Paragraph Encourages Action
The closing paragraph has primarily one function--to ask to an
interview. Tone should be confident, and you should include a short phrase
which will remind the reader that you are willing and able to serve the
company. If the reader needs additional information to enable him/her to
conveniently contact you, indicate this information specifically and clearly.
Since I will be in Manhattan from March 22 to March 27, I will be grateful
for the opportunity to see you during that time to discuss further my desire
to serve as one of your investigators. After you have reviewed my
qualifications as itemized on the enclosed resume, will you name a convenient
time in a letter to me at my Topeka address?
May I have an interview to discuss the ways in which I could serve Avidco?
I could come by your office on any weekday afternoon at your convenience.
You or one of your associates will undoubtedly be in Chicago during the next
few months. When you are there, may I have the opportunity of seeing you to
discuss my qualifications in further detail?
Will you call me at 354-9876 to name a time when I may come, at your
convenience, to talk with you about being the accurate staff accountant
you've advertised for? I am usually home after 3 p.m. weekdays.
Some Reminders
1. Write to a specific person if possible. Check the University Placement
Center for current names and addresses. Include title (Dr., Ms., Mr.) and
position (Director, etc.)
2. Present your message concisely, clearly, honestly, with consideration for
your reader. Desirable length is usually a one-page letter.
3. Give specific and pertinent information relative to the position you
seek. Generalities are not only confusing; they imply the applicant is
trying to conceal a weakness or is insincere. Include enough facts to be
convincing.
4. Be yourself and don't use canned messages. Your letter should reveal
your individuality. Personnel executives easily recognize and react
negatively toward canned messages that sound as if they've been copied from
a textbook or written by an employment agency.
5. Use an appropriate, business-like approach. You should sound serious,
rather than smart-aleck or cute. Avoid slang.
6. Triple check for accuracy of mechanics--grammar, sentence and paragraph
structure, organization, punctuation, and spelling. Having a friend
proofread your letter for clarity and errors is helpful. DO NOT mail a
letter with uncorrected errors.
7. Make the appearance attractive. Use standard business letter form (see
examples which follow) and use 8 1/2 x 11" bond paper (at least 16 to 20 lb.
weight with 25% rag content). White is safest, although some readers
consider beige, off-white, or light yellow desirable.
8. Personalize your presentation as much as possible. Tailoring a letter
for a specific job or company is desirable. However, even if you are sending
out numerous application letters and resumes, you should address each
accompanying letter to a specific person by name and use that name in your
salutation.
9. Always sign in ink with your given full name.
10. Reread your letter. It should include important aspects of your college
experience, a bit of your personality, and all pertinent qualifications and
skills. If it doesn't picture you as you are and as you want to look,
rewrite.
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SAMPLE LETTERS
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1010 N. Salisbury
West Lafayette, Indiana 47906
March 30, 1990
Mr. Raymond L. Bender
Personnel Manager
Cargill Incorporated
Box 9300
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55440
Dear Mr. Bender:
My versatile background--a Bachelor of Science Degree in Agricultural
Economics from Purdue University, experience in agricultural sales, and a
lifelong record of farm work--gives me the qualifications to contribute to
several of Cargill's divisions. Whether I would represent Cargill in
Commodities at the Chicago Board of Trade, in the Financial Division at
Minneapolis, or in seed corn sales working with farmers, I know I have the
training and experience to succeed in any of these Cargill divisions. Will
you please consider me for employment in one of these areas?
To work effectively with both speculators and farmers in the Commodities
Division, I have studied Grain and Livestock Marketing, Agricultural Prices,
and Futures Trading; I have training in Farm Management and have also worked
directly with farmers for more than ten years.
For an overview of the financial operations of corporate agribusinesses, I
have completed straight A course work in Economics, Accounting, and
Agricultural Finance Management. From my classes in Public Speaking and
Business Writing, I have learned to communicate my ideas successfully, a
skill I know is important for a financial management employee.
My preparation for seed corn sales includes a summer sales internship with
DeKalb Seed Corn Company and a lifelong association with farmers. Since seed
corn is Cargill's newest division, I know my experience and enthusiasm would
help Cargill's efforts in expanding your share of this important market.
As shown by the enclosed resume, my qualifications prove my willingness to
work and ability to learn quickly. I could easily relocate, and I would
enjoy a job that includes travelling.
I would appreciate an opportunity to discuss how my training and experience
have prepared me to work for Cargill. Please call or write to let me know a
convenient time for you to talk to me before my graduation in May 1990.
Sincerely,
William A. Barker
Enclosure
PROSPECTING JOB APPLICATION
SKILLS OPENING
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601 SW 21st Street
Topeka, Kansas 66611
913-232-9191
February 9, 1993
Mr. Robert Don
4170 Twilight Drive, Suite 703
Topeka, Kansas 66604
Dear Mr. Don:
The recent news item indicating your plan for a new facility, The Sports
Complex, with a gymnasium, pool, classrooms, and ball diamonds, indicates the
need for a person who can design and implement a system that coordinates
programs and schedules manpower. My education and work experience combined
with a strong sense of achievement and hard work would enable me to
contribute sizably as coordinator of your operation.
Involvement with girls' fast pitch softball has shown me the importance of a
well maintained facility, qualified officials and smooth running schedules.
I have had the practical experience of working with officials, players, and
coaches on and off the field.
While managing Associated Transfer & Storage, Inc., Parsons, Kansas, I
developed a system that accurately accounted for all materials handled
through the warehouse for Western Electric during the equipment installation
in southeast Kansas. This system was adopted by Capital City Moving &
Storage, Inc., Topeka, Kansas, in dealing with their Western Electric
contract.
Coordinating facilities, crews, and shipments to reduce loss of efficiency,
time, and money is the key to the household carrier industry. Working
directly with customers and personnel, and attending management seminars in
Dallas, Texas, and Kansas City, Missouri, has expanded my knowledge in
coordinating to achieve cost efficiency, an essential qualification for your
operation.
Mr. Don, I would appreciate your considerating my application and welcome the
opportunity to interview with you at your convenience. I will be looking
forward to hearing from you after you have evaluated the enclosed resume.
Sincerely,
Marci L. Frisbee
Enclosure
PROSPECTING LETTER
INFORMED OPENING
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Rt. #1 Box 121
Mayetta, KS 66509
November 28, 1992
Roger Johnson
Rox & Company
1500 First National Bank Tower
Topeka, Kansas 66603
Dear Mr. Johnson:
My knowledge of accounting principles, the initiative to follow through from
start to finish, and my ability to organize my time efficiently and still
accomplish quality work give me some basic requirements to become an
excellent auditor. I would like to contribute these skills to Fox & Company
by becoming a part of your firm.
Work experience as an accounting clerk has increased my understanding of
practical accounting principles; at the same time, college courses have
expanded my comprehension of the theoretical aspect of accounting. During my
five years as an accounting clerk for various industries, I learned and
applied accounting principles. In my current position, I review and verify
other people's accounting work. Washburn classes in Auditing and
Intermediate Accounting emphasize the theory and reasoning behind accounting
principles; these classes have given me a solid theoretical background in
accounting.
My initiative in starting new projects and following through on them is shown
through teaching myself to operate and program a micro-computer and applying
that knowledge by setting up work papers on the micro-computer, teaching
others to use the work papers, and making any program additions as needed or
desired.
Efficiently organizing time while accomplishing quality work is nothing new
to an individual who works forty hours per week while taking twelve to
fifteen hours per semester as I have. Despite my busy schedule, I still
receive above average grades and my work reviews have always been excellent.
As shown by my enclosed resume, my qualifications show an accounting
background, a willingness to work and an ability to learn quickly.
I would appreciate an opportunity to discuss how my qualifications may be
useful to Fox & Company. Will you please write or call within the next month
to arrange an interview time that is convenient for you?
Sincerely,
Dana Martin
PROSPECTING LETTER
SKILLS OPENING