The job application letter...is...your
first interview.
When applying for employment by mail a job application letter must
accompany your cv. Often times an employer may be flooded by perhaps a
stack of a hundred or more CV on any given day. In such situations,
getting an interview can represent a major break-through for the job
applicant. The job application letter you write can and should be used
to substitute for that all-important interview that you may not
otherwise get, regardless of your qualifications. So, construct it
wisely. CV at best part put forth only a rather simple table of data
depicting your past work history and educational background for a
potential employer's scrutiny. Lacking in a CV are many individual
nuisances important to employers regarding the people they are about to
add to their organization. Surveys of personnel directors of the five-
hundred largest organizations show that the vast majority (over 80%)
have agreed or strongly agree that they want to know:
Your personality. What you are like and what you will be like as an
employee?
Why have you chosen to apply for employment with this particular
company?
What job are you specifically seeking?
What makes you feel that your education or past experience relates to
that job?
Planning your job application letter:
Think of your job application letter as being constructed of three
parts: the introduction, body, and conclusion. The purpose of the
introduction is to specify why you are writing and to say a few things
about yourself, such as, where you are going to school and your major.
The introduction gives you the opportunity to praise to the company for
some specific quality it posses. This praise can serve to answer the
silent question as to why you have chosen their company and also allows
you to subtly display a personality technique that most people enjoy
greatly, the ability to convey the feeling "I know you and I like you."
Caution though, praise must be specific because general praise has a
tendency to sound insincere. The best line of praise should be to
something in the company directly related to your line of work.
Sometimes uncovering these facts can require a bit of research, please
remember to learn the name and position of your intended reader.
The body of your job application letter should be use to answer any
questions your employer might have about how you feel that your
education and background pertain to the job you are seeking. Here you
want to draw connections from your past experiences and education to the
specific skills required for the job you are seeking.
In planning your letter's conclusion you must decide exactly how you
intend to follow up your letter. Will you call within a specified period
of time or will you await a telephone call or letter? You must bring the
letter to a cordial but brief close. You must sound confident, yet never
pushy. All ways ask for a follow-up interview. Remember, the letter you
are sending along with your personal CV is your proverbial "foot in the
door" with any would-be employer and often has to serve as your initial
interview. Polish it carefully.
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