How to Write a Letter of ApplicationA successful letter application is what you need to land an important job or a coveted position where you may have hundreds competing for the same job. An application letter is considered a business letter, because it is circulated in an operations environment and is used to pick potential units that contribute to the cost center’s productivity and revenue stream. Most often, an application letter is presented in standard business format; as a unified block or modified block which are considered professional and appropriate for formal prose.
If you are considering restructuring your current letter of application then this article will be quite helpful. Following these tips will ensure that your application letter stands out from a sea of potential candidates and has the opportunity of showcasing your talents and skills for Human Resource Managers to review.
The First Thing You Need to Consider..
The first thing you need to consider is the format to follow; a business letter is defined initially by the placement of the Date annotation on your letter. Placing the Date on the topmost corner will indicate you are using a modified block format in composing your application letter. Placing it on the opposite side will constitute a standard block business letter.
When it comes to putting the name of your letter recipient, consider the following rules of point; always address your recipient formally with a complete acknowledgement of Post, Full name and business address. If your addressee has a Prefix or Suffix then it is professionally courteous to include it. Most of the time, you will need to address your application letter to the head of Human Resources, or a Talent Acquisition Manager.
Once you have successfully filled out the contact details of your cover letter, skip two spaces and compose a professionally acceptable greeting. It is polite to use a standard “Dear Madam/Sir” if you are composing a generic letter with no strict reference to hiring personnel. If you have previously had business correspondence or referred by a head hunter then ask for the proper name and address that person accordingly. Adding a colon to your greeting will solidify your business presence as it is a good grammatical indicator of a professionally written formal composition.
Skip another two lines and start your first paragraph, by introducing yourself in a professional capacity. Provide important details such as what degree you finished, your major, where you graduated from and alma mater date. The year you had your commencement is important as it will provide the hiring personnel an idea of the length of experience you have or the lack of it and will pave the way to fitting you for the position if proven competent or a match.
Use the second paragraph concisely by mentioning your resources for finding out about the opening. Most of the time this is additional insight to your productivity potential, where you got your source is important. If you are being recommended by a head hunting firm then it will put you on top standing as a premier applicant, newspaper ads mean that you are an avid reader while internet ads connote your tech savvy skills.
Displaying Job Experiences Relevant to the Position are Crucial
On the third paragraph you can briefly narrate your job experiences relevant to the position you are applying for. Start your paragraph by providing a topical outline of your related work or seminars, you attended that add value to your compatibility with the position. If you are a fresh graduate you can simply site what courses you took or electives you attended that make you a fit for the job. If you have instances where you showed tremendous leadership potential then it is also worth mentioning in the prose.
The fourth paragraph should clearly state your intentions and availability. Notify your potential employer that you are free to dialogue at any time and are looking forward to be awarded an audience with a hiring manager. Another important note is to thank the person reading your cover letter for taking the time to peruse your application. A courteous and professional close is always appreciated and might land you an interview even if your qualifications are not exactly tailor fit for what you applied for.
The Perfect Closing
To close your letter, use a customary salutation such as “Sincerely Yours” or “Truly Yours”. Remember, that you are writing in a professional capacity and exaggerations are frowned upon. You want to sound excited about the position but not unintelligible.
It is important to always remember that a letter of application is a direct reflection of your sophistication, educational attainment and professional demeanor. How intelligent you are will reflect on your choice of words and composition style, so make sure that there are absolutely no grammatical mistakes and your letter is of consistent format. Tailor fit your letter to a single page. Make use of some sample letters from resources like the internet, to cross reference your business letter and get important tips.
The Importance of a Well Written Application Letter
A lot of corporations believe that people, above anything else is their most important resource for success and productivity. Many successful institutions and organizations take the time to handpick their employees and ensure that specific measures are taken to end up with the crème of the crop. From picking ad spots to intensive background checks; nothing goes by a good human resource department in delivering top notch candidates for increased productivity and operations excellence. It goes the same when it comes to screening potential applicants even for the simplest positions. The only nudge on the door that you have is making sure that a hiring manager keeps interest in your application through a well written and witty letter of application. Most resumes don’t get passed the initial screening because of a dawdy cover letter or the lack there of. And there are the lazy applicants, who think that copy pasting a generic cover letter from the web is something that will get passed the discerning eye of top corporations and prestigious firms.
If you want to be considered as part of the “haves “and stir away from the employment “have not’s” then consider your application letter as the most important aspect of your business letter. Remember that a resume or Curriculum Vitae is worthless if the employer doesn’t take the time to go through it. An excellent application letter will ensure that your application is taken seriously.
Your letter of application is a capacity measure used by human resource personnel in initiating a job competency match. For jobs that have 300 to 400 applicants vying for the same post, a recruitment personnel will not take the time to sift through every resume their is. They will simply review your intellectual and professional aptitude by rating your cover letter. If you think that you can inch your way into a prestigious job with a template resume then you must be living in the 1920’s. Even then I’m sure you would have had a hard time.
When you create a successful and professionally upstanding letter of application, you can keep a recruiter interested long enough to open the rest of your resume and get your qualifications reviewed. There may be stiff competition when it comes to a position that you desire, but the cover letter makes all the difference and acts as your personal advertisement of how much more qualified you are compared to the rest. A good cover letter provides employers with a structured list of your qualifications that potentially contribute to the productivity and success of the job post you desire. Remember that your application letter must emphasize your desirable qualities and qualified skills that will separate you from the rest of the hopefuls. Your objective is to come out as a diamond in the rough.
A good tip for creating a bullet proof application letter is to narrate for instance, an event or experience where you showcased how your intelligence, leadership skills and experience brought about change or operations excellence in the company you worked or currently work for. Letters of drama are of no interest to employers so make sure that you write with an objective eye and stipulate only tangible and usable elements that would be of value to the job. Mention how you increased production volume, increased quality assurance or boosted the customer experience through innovative projects or ideas that you implemented or brought to your boss. Avoid using unsure statements that make use of words such as perhaps, maybe, and I guess. Confidence is a strong suit that is considered quality commodity in hiring, if you are unsure of yourself then why would employers take a chance on you?
Write your application letter in a professional capacity, and observe the proper rules of grammar at all times. Remember that punctuation and spelling mistakes are considered unintelligible and will provide employers with a negative impression of your communications and writing skill. Your verbiage is vital, a formal composition does not make use of any colloquialism or slang. Always remember to keep your statements concise and tangible, and avoid modifiers that may confuse recruiters from the true objective of your letter.
One of the most important things you can consider when writing a letter of application is to seek council in proofing your composition before sending it out. Remember that it is after all, a business letter so ask for professional advice from colleagues or a friend to provide an overview in case you missed out on a grammatical mistake or omitted an element which could add value to your letter.
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