What Is a Letter of Application?

A Letter of Application expresses your interest
in and qualifications for a position to a
prospective employer.
What Should My Letter of Application
Accomplish?

Your letter of application should introduce the
main points of your CV.

It should also help you to “sell” your
qualifications to the prospective
employer.
Solicited Letters of Application
Solicited letters of
application are letters
written in response to
an advertised job
opening.
 It is appropriate to
mention where you
learned of the opening
in the first paragraph.

I believe that my
knowledge of public
relations and my proven
communication and
leadership skills make me
a strong candidate for the
position of Media
Relations Coordinator that
was posted by the Delta
Airlines Job Opportunities
Program.
Unsolicited Letters of Application
Unsolicited application
letters are written to
companies that have not
posted a job opening.
 It is important to gain the
reader’s attention and
persuade them that you
can contribute to the
company’s goals.

As a member of one of
the fastest growing
publishing houses in
the world, do you have
an opening in your
acquisitions
department for a recent
college graduate with a
major in English and
publishing and editing
experience?
The Letter of Application: Structure
Purpose
Refer to job advertisement
(Mention company contact)
Preview qualifications
Supporting Details
Prove claims with examples
Tie qualifications to the requirements of the position
Quantify evidence
Detail your experience
Goodwill Closing
Offer to meet for an interview
Refer to CV (résumé)
Make your final pitch
EXAMPLE


Dear Mr. Smith,
I am writing to apply for
the programmer
position advertised in
today’s issue of the
Times Union.
1. confirmation that you
wish to apply and the
title of the job you are
applying for
2. the date and the name
of the newspaper
where you saw an ad
With a BS degree in Computer
Programming, I have a full
understanding of the full life cycle
of a software development
project.
I also have experience in
learning and excelling at
new technologies as needed.
Please see my CV
for additional information on my
experience.
3. your present
situation
(occupation or
course of
study being
followed)
The opportunity presented in this ad is very interesting, and
I believe that my strong technical experience and education
will make me a very competitive candidate for this position.
The key strengths that I possess for success in this
position include:
I have successfully designed, developed, and supported
live use applications
I strive for continued excellence
I provide exceptional contributions to customer service for
all customers
4. relate your interests to those of the company
As requested, I am enclosing
a completed job application,
my CV and three references.
5. say you are
enclosing a CV
I can be reached anytime
via my cell phone, 555555-5555. Thank you for
your time and
consideration. I look
forward to speaking with
you about this
employment opportunity.
6. indicate your
willingness to attend
an interview
(telephone number
where you can be
contacted)
Sincerely,
FirstName LastName
A Refer to the advertisement
If there are several posts advertised you must say which one you are
applying for.
With
reference
to
your
advertisement
in the ‘…’
I have seen
this post.
the post of
and
I would like to
apply
I am interested
in applying
Personal Assistant
Secretary to the Sales
Manager
for
B Summarise your experience
As you can
see from the
enclosed CV I
have had
In my last
jobs/positions
In all my jobs
In my present
job
long
one year’s
different fields.
experience
in
banking/insurance
/legal work etc.
many
years’
the
administrative
organisational
secretarial
public relations
financial
the hotel business.
industry.
side
was
aspect
is
extremely
very
worked a lot with computers.
ran the office independently.
important and I
learnt to work under pressure.
managed the bookkeeping.
C Why the job interests you
However,
although
I like
I am happy in
I am satisfied with
offering more
responsibility/
more chances
of promotion
my present
job/position,
I would now
prefer a post
I am now
looking for a
post
administrative
skills.
where I can use my
knowledge of
languages.
financial
knowledge.
Using Active Language—Don’ts



Don’t be vague in your
descriptions.
Don’t use weak verbs
such as endeavored,
tried, hoped, and
attempted.
Don’t use sexist language
such as chairman and
manpower.
Vague: I worked as a ramp
agent at Comair.
Weak: I attempted to
attract customers.
Using Active Language—Do’s



Use concrete words to
describe your experience.
Vague: I worked as a ramp
agent for COMAIR.
Specific: As a ramp agent, I
Use present tense to
assisted in loading baggage,
discuss current activities
and oversaw fuelling the
and past tense for previous
aircraft.
job duties or
Weak: I attempted to attract
accomplishments.
customers.
Strong: I initiated a program to
attract customers to Pizza
Be as specific as possible in
Hut, which resulted in a 5%
descriptions; list amounts
increase in sales for the
and figures when you can.
month of June.
USEFUL TIPS:

Keep it short.

Don’t waffle and keep to the point – why do you want
the job, why do you want to work for them, what
makes you the right person?

Use professional vocabulary and phrasing. Make this
an interesting letter to read.

Don’t be too informal – your letter should be professional.

You should try to find something memorable about yourself
that will help them remember you after reviewing a hundred
other CVs and covering letters.

End on a positive note – you would like to meet them and
you look forward to hearing from them.

(Make sure spelling, grammar and format are consistent and
accurate.)
For future reference…
Don’t use a standard letter
for every job. It will be
obvious if you just change
the name and the job
details, and don’t give any
thought to this particular
job. This shows no
enthusiasm for the job, and
is not the right signal to
send to a company. You
must tailor each letter.