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Writing Application
Letters
that get results!
Application Letters
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WRITING 5 STAR APPLICATION LETTERS
Application letters (also known as cover letters) are an often overlooked aspect of
job searching, and jobseekers commonly ask the question “Do I really need an
application letter?”
THE ANSWER IS MOST DEFINITELY:
YES
Most definitely you need an application letter to accompany your resume for EVERY
SINGLE position that you apply for.
Some employers will not even look at a resume that arrives for a position without a
covering letter as it shows a lack of effort on the applicant’s behalf for not bothering
to write a letter.
WHY HAVE AN APPLICATION LETTER?
While your resume should give an employer a sense of whether you “fit” the type of
roles and positions that you are targeting, an application letter should tell the
employer why you are the BEST PERSON for the specific role within their company.
A well written application letter should encourage an employer to turn to your
resume with increased interest.
A dynamic application letter will win you an interview if you address the employer's
stated criteria, as long as your resume is up to the same standard.
Many employers pay close attention to application letters to get an idea of
applicants’ written communication skills and attention to detail. This is because
many people have their resumes written professionally, however write their cover
letters themselves.
Application letters should demonstrate that you:



Understand the job requirements
Possess the skills and experience that match the job
Have a genuine interest and enthusiasm about the specific opportunity
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THE PURPOSE OF AN APPLICATION LETTER:
“The goal of an application letter is to get the employer to read your resume and ask
you to attend an interview.”
If you follow the steps set out in this module you will soon acquire the ability to write
a dynamic targeted application letter. This will impress the employer by addressing
their needs and will encourage them to read your resume with positive anticipation.
And at the same time SELLING YOURSELF!
SELLING YOURSELF!!!
At MatchWorks, we believe that an application letter is another chance to SELL
YOURSELF to the employer – and if you do not take this chance to sell yourself –
another savvy applicant will take that opportunity.
Why wouldn’t you take the opportunity to sell yourself?
You are not sitting in the room with the employer and do not have the opportunity
to sell yourself to the employer. Your application letter must speak for you and get
your main selling points across to the employer. Your application letter is an
opportunity to explain the details contained in your resume, which is really just a
basic summary or snap shot of your career. It does not “sell” you to the employer
and your application letter allows you to do this. You should therefore always write a
really well constructed application letter for every job that you apply for and not
waste the opportunity.
We know of jobseekers who were given a job based on the strength of their
application letter because it invited the employer to want to meet them and
created such a positive first impression in the mind of the employer.
APPLICATION LETTER THEORY:
All application letters vary in content and use slightly different letter writing
techniques, depending on the recruitment method. An application letter for an
advertised job is the most commonly used letter in job search – often mistakenly just
called a cover letter – so jobseekers foolishly treat it just as a “cover” or
“introduction” to their resume.
In this module we will provide more information on:




High impact or effective, opening statements
Features and benefits and how they can be used in an application letter
How to write meaningful letter content to put into the application letter that
addresses the employer's needs
How to provide value added content (additional skills and how they can be
used in the advertised job)
The value of this module is the "real life" examples that we give you to provide ideas
on writing your own application letters and to illustrate the technique used, while
allowing you to inject your own personality into the letter.
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What does a good application letter look like?
A good application letter invites you to attend a job interview!!! A bad application
letter ensures that your resume doesn’t get read and your application ends up in the
unsuccessful pile (the people not selected to attend a job interview). Unfortunately it’s that simple. The following is an example of the first application letter sent for a
staff writer position with a local community magazine in suburban Melbourne. On
page 7 is another letter received for the same job vacancy and reading both letters
will help you determine your response to the following task.
QUESTION: In your opinion is the following application letter effective (good) or
ineffective (bad) in encouraging the reader to invite them to a formal interview
situation? Please fully explain your opinion and give reasons to justify your answer.
Please also list the things that this letter does well or does poorly.
EXAMPLE 1:
(date)
The Human Resources Department
The Melbourne Weekly
413 Elizabeth Street
MELBOURNE CITY 3000
Dear Human Resources Department:
Enclosed with this letter is a copy of my resume for the position of staff writer with
your company.
I feel that this position will be the logical stepping stone in my writing career and you
will see from my resume that I have lots of writing experience.
I currently work as a copy editor for Just Magazines in a junior role, where I am
responsible for editing brochures, fact sheets, and web content. This position would
enable me to move into a more senior position with better salary and that is what
attracts me to the role.
I am really excited about this position that will utilise my writing skills with opportunity
for growth.
I hope to hear from you to schedule an interview.
Sincerely,
Janice Dickenson
Application Letters
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Phillipa Matthews
12 Smith Street, Brunswick VIC 3456
0400 000 000
Phillipa@hotmail.com
(date)
Ms Erica Smith
Human Resources Manager
The Melbourne Weekly
413 Elizabeth Street
MELBOURNE CITY 3000
Dear Erica,
RE:
STAFF WRITER POSITION WITH MELBOURNE WEEKLY
I was particularly excited to see a position open as a staff writer at the Melbourne
Weekly, as I have long been a regular reader of your publication. I am impressed by
the way your publication covers a diverse range of articles and topics, and
entertains people every week. I would love the opportunity to become a valued
member of your team.
Reading over the job description for the position, I identified many of my key skills
and strengths. As you will see on my attached resume, I have more than seven
years’ experience in not for profit publications, writing in many forms including
newsletters, web sites, brochures, letters to the editor and op-eds. In addition to inhouse publications, my work has been published in newspapers around the country.
Additionally, I am a fast, versatile writer, and specialise in taking complicated
information and presenting it in an easy-to-understand, upbeat format. I have never
missed a deadline (in a recent performance review, my manager called me “the
fastest writer on the planet”) and pride myself on being able to juggle many
different projects simultaneously.
I believe my skills and experiences are an excellent match with what you are
seeking, and make me an ideal candidate for this role.
I look forward to meeting with you soon to further discuss my application, and to
demonstrate why I am the person you are looking for. I can be contacted on 0400
000 000 to arrange an interview at a suitable time for yourself.
Yours Sincerely,
Phillipa Matthews
Application Letters
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Why is this letter so effective?
First and foremost it captures the reader’s attention!
It shows personal interest in working for this particular organisation, and it’s specific
about why, which makes it both more believable and more compelling. It’s human
nature — people respond when they feel a personal interest from you. Works in
dating, works in job-hunting.
It only briefly touches on the writer’s work experience, giving just the upshot and
leaving the details for the resume. Perhaps most importantly, it provides information
about the writer that will never be available from a resume — personal traits and
work habits, and even a reference to feedback from a previous manager.
It is far more interesting to read than the first cover letter. Most people would want
to call this person in for an interview because Phillipa was able to give the
prospective employer an excellent idea of her understanding of the job role and
how she would fit the role. It is also obvious that Phillipa went to the extra trouble to
find out the full name and title of the person to address her application letter to. It is
always much more impressive to send a personalised letter than a generic letter that
you are sending out to 50 other people. It shows your passion and commitment for
the job by simply taking the extra effort to phone the employer and ask for the
details of the person to address your application to.
There is nothing worse than receiving a letter addressed to dear “Sir/Madam” as this
says I don’t know if you are a man or a woman – or worse when the letter says “To
whom it may concern” as both greetings are impersonal and get you off on the
back foot with the reader to begin with. Of course it is not always possible to get the
details of the person you need to write to as some companies may not give this
information out. In that case it is acceptable to address the letter to Dear Employer
because this is still a professional greeting. However, nothing is better than a
personally addressed letter and it demonstrates that you took the trouble to make
the extra effort to find these details out.
A recent study has shown that less than 5 percent of jobseekers ever phone the
employer to find out additional information to complete their applications – despite
there being a phone number provided for them to call. The savvy jobseeker takes
this opportunity (and every opportunity) to market themselves to employers. It is an
extra contact with the employer that may result in the employer giving you their
personal email address to send your application through to them DIRECT and not
through the HR department. Or at least they will be looking out for your application
if you are able to make a positive impression on them over the phone.
Now, can you do this for every position you apply for? The answer should be:
Yes.
Some jobseekers claim that they don’t have time to write a fully personalised
application letter for each job that they apply for and instead use a generic cover
letter, like example one, which really doesn’t tell us much about the applicant – as it
is simply too much hard work. We agree that it is difficult to do this when you’re
applying to 30 different jobs. So if you can narrow down your search and focus on
fewer applications, and take the time to write a truly compelling application letter
tailored to each specific job and company, it’s likely you’ll find that five truly
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personalised, well-tailored applications will yield you better results than 30 generic
applications. The old rule still applies in that QUALITY will always yield more results
than QUANTITY.
Let’s face it - Your competition is sending in application letters like example
#1 (if they even bother to write an application letter at all). You will
dramatically rise above your competition if you put in the time to craft a well
written & formatted letter – when most people fail to do so.
How to write and set out an application letter
The most important step in writing job application letters is in the planning. Know
what you want to accomplish and keep this in mind. Your goal will be different for
each type of letter.
You need to be clear on:



Who you are targeting
The purpose of the letter
What you want the reader to do
Research
Before you can write your dynamic job application letter you must research the
company so that you can clearly see how you can write your job application letter
to meet their needs. By conducting research into the company the jobseeker can
also give examples of any other experience, knowledge or skills relevant to the job
that has not been advertised. This is called "value adding”.
Any formal business letter, whether it is for a marketing letter or job application, has
a beginning, a middle and an end.
A:
The beginning of the job application:
Begin with the end in mind. What is your goal of your letter?
The beginning of the letter (if for an advertised position), is used to state the position
you are applying for and is reserved for the impact statement - the opening
statement or headline sentence.
In a cold calling or networking letter it will include a reference to the person who
introduced you to the reader, or the reason why you are writing.
B:
The middle of the job application:
In marketing, this is the "interest" section. This section is used to address the
employer’s needs and demonstrate that the applicant has all the criteria the
employer requires. Don't be put off if you haven't got all the criteria. Personal
attributes play a big part in the selection process.
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This can be up to three short paragraphs or preferably, about 5 bullet points. If you
are writing an application letter in response to an advertised position, the length
depends on how many criteria the employer has requested. Spend a lot of time
making this information short and precise.
Cold calling and networking letters must demonstrate how you can contribute to
the organisation and this can only be determined after researching the company.
C:
The end of the job application letter:
In marketing terms, the end of your application letter is the desire statement. In sales
terms you now want to close the sale. To do this you, the applicant, should have
built up sufficient interest so that the buyer (the employer) will want to meet you (the
desire) to see if you are what the company needs, and ultimately will make a job
offer. This is where you can "add value" to you job application.
Note: In job search the goal is to get an interview so the applicant still needs to ask
for an interview in their job application letter or a chance to meet face to face.
ADDRESSING EMPLOYERS STATED CRITERA IN JOB APPLICATIONS:
Do not be put off if you do not have 100% of the employer's criteria.
Providing you meet at least 75% of the criteria and are prepared to learn the skills
they require, have a go. Attributes and professional referees can often influence the
employer. Further, knowing about the company and being able to relate to these
skills you do not have will assist you to address them in the job application letter. You
will see how they fit into your job and you may have done something that requires
the same type of processes or knowledge.
Develop a plan to write your job application

Look carefully at the job criteria advertised and write each one down leaving
space for your notes.

Under each job criteria write down your experience in these areas. You may
want to do this on the computer and cut and paste from your resume at this
stage. Group them together into logical order.

If you haven't been able to meet all the employer's criteria there are example
phrases you can use to show you are highly motivated to learn.

Analyse what you have. Can any of this combined information be summed
up into an opening statement? Your benefit statement is probably in your
resume if it is outcome based. Work with what you have. Once again, don't
repeat the resume.

When you have your opening statement you can see what criteria is left to
address or to expand upon. The criterion are the features as already decided
by the employer. Now you must provide a benefit statement.
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NOTE:
“In job search you are the product and the product
does not sell itself.”
APPLICATION LETTER TIPS

Contact details. You need to include both your details and those of the
employer / recruitment agency – make sure these are correct.

Address the job requirements. The application letter is your summary of your
skills, qualifications and experience in meeting the job requirements. It must
be short and to the point.

Formatting. Must be clear and easy to read. Include lots of white space on
the page. If you have difficulties with formatting, ask someone to assist you.
Note: Your letter should be no longer than 1 page.

Tailor your cover letter to the specific job that you are applying for.

State the title of the position (along with a reference number if provided) that
you are applying for and specify where and when you saw the position
advertised.

Greeting line. If possible address application letters to a contact name,
however if you do not have a name use “Dear Employer”.

Use positive words / phrases, e.g. “I have”, “I will”, “I can”, “I am able to”.
Avoid “I might”, or “I should be able to”.

Thank the reader for reading / considering your application.

Closing your letter. Use “Yours sincerely” when your letter is addressed to a
specific person (when you know their name), and “Yours faithfully” if you do
not know the reader’s name.

Proof read. Make sure grammar and spelling are correct. Even if written
communication skills are not important in the job you are applying for,
employers may make assumptions about your attention to detail.
Application Letters
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APPLICATION LETTER MISTAKES:
ADDRESSING THE EMPLOYER’S NEEDS AND NOT YOUR OWN!
Employers spend thousands of dollars on a job advertisement that sets out their
employment criteria. Put yourself in the employer's shoes. Do you think that they will
be impressed with an application letter that states how good you are and what you
can do without addressing their advertised requirements?
Of course not.
Yet many good applicants, including highly placed professionals, still won't budge
from their "usual application letter," which states how good they are, ignoring
individual company needs and is, in fact, almost a 'one type fits all' letter.
Amazingly, as already discussed, it has been demonstrated time and again that
many people just do not see the real value and purpose of an application letter with
content relevant to the specific job. They think the resume will speak for itself. It
doesn't.
Consider these points:





Your application letter creates a first impression.
Employer's will not try and pick through your resume to see if you have the
criteria they want. It is up to you to tell them.
Busy recruiters will put aside a poorly written application letter and may not
look at the resume.
It provides the reader with an insight into your job capabilities, your motivation
and your personality, which may not be apparent and may be difficult to
show in a resume.
Your letter reflects your writing skills as well as your communication style. Your
application letter is an example of your communication skills. If it is vastly
different to your own communication style, or level of competency, you may
set yourself up to fail in the interview.
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Further:





Your application letter should be designed to grab the reader’s attention so
they will continue to read it more thoroughly.
It should demonstrate you have done your research on the company.
What you say in your application letter must be backed up in the resume or it
is meaningless. That is not to say they should match exactly; your letter should
do this. (except career change letters).
If the reader can't see that you have skills in the area you stated, your
targeting is wrong or your resume is poor.
Your application letter should strike the right tone and you shouldn't use
jargon or overused meaningless phrases, often found in badly written
resumes.
The reason some people may fail to get an interview is because they use a sample
cover / application letter found on the internet without customising the content, or
they use the same letter for every job - making only minor alterations in content. This
does not fit the criteria of a good application letter.
Of course, sample letters will give you some great ideas. However, you cannot, and
should not, use anyone else's application letter.
What are employers looking for?
The reason an employer will place an advertisement for an available position is to
attract potential employees to their business. The job ad gives you an insight into the
type of staff member they want, as well as the skills and experiences they are
looking for. It’s now time to brainstorm ideas on how you can address the
requirements of this role in a clear and simple manner.
It is good practice to start to print out every job that you are interested in and do the
planning when writing the application letter. This task requires to you look at the 2
job advertisements you have printed off the Internet or cut out of the newspapers in
Task 2. Get a pen or highlighter, read thru the advertisement and underline or
highlight any of the important information that is mentioned. You will need to ensure
that you are addressing these requirements in the application letter in order to move
forward to an interview.
Looking at the following page, you need to write down each of the key
requirements of the advertisement in section A. Once this is complete, you need to
give an example of how you demonstrate that requirement in section B. An
example is below.
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A : Write down each key requirement from the advertisement
1.
Current forklift licence – experience with Order Pickers and Reach Forklift
desirable
2. Experience in the industry
B : Write down your example of each requirement
1. I have a current forklift licence that I obtained in 2007, and have had
experience driving standard forklifts, order pickers, and high reach forklift
trucks
2. Have worked in the warehousing and transport industries for over 10 years,
including cold storage, distribution centres and transport depots
CONSTRUCTING YOUR OWN APPLICATION LETTER
Using the hints and tips outlined in this module it is now up to you to create your own
application letter using the job advertisement that you printed from the internet or
newspaper. Please ensure that you address the employer’s selection criteria to
ensure that you fully demonstrate how you “fit” the job role. Your letter should be set
out using the basic application letter structure over the page, depending if you are
applying for professional type work, or more labour based or entry level work. Your
letter should be correctly formatted and everything should be justified to the left.
The letter on page 6 is an example of an application letter for a professional position.
It was completed by a job seeker who was very savvy in her approach to her job
applications. We have changed the details for privacy reasons, however it would
have been nice to give this jobseeker credit for producing such an effective
application letter – because ultimately it got her the job!
This letter demands that you give the writer an interview!!!
This letter was effective therefore the employer couldn’t do anything other than give
them an interview after reading it. It is simple but effective because it so clearly
demonstrates a thorough understanding of the job role, the personal attributes of
the jobseeker, and even draws the employer’s attention to their professional
referees – it actually invites the employer to call them.
We are not expecting that you will produce a letter the same as this. Every person’s
abilities are different and your application letter should reflect your own personality
and this is really important – because your personality will shine through at the
interview. This sample letter simply DEMONSTRATES what you should aim to do in
your application letters and also demonstrates how important this stage is in job
search to ensure that you get invited to attend an interview.
Application Letters
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If you are looking at labouring type work, the following example also demonstrates
how to develop an effective application letter based on the key skills you can bring
to that organisation, but in a simplistic, direct form. This style is also beneficial to those
starting out in the workforce, returning to work, or those with basic computer and
literacy skills. Either format is acceptable and will ensure that the right amount of
information is supplied to the employer to outline why you make an ideal candidate
for their roles.
PROFESSIONAL APPLICATION LETTER STRUCTURE:
Your address details first
DATE
Mr./Ms./Dr. First Name Last Name
Title / Role in Company
Name of Organisation
Street or P. O. Box Address
City, State & Postcode
Dear (Employer / persons name)
RE: (Position title and any reference number if applicable)
Opening paragraph: State why you are writing; how you learned of the organization
or position, and basic information about yourself.
2nd paragraph: Tell them why you are interested in the employer or type of work the
employer does (Simply stating that you are interested does not tell why, and can
sound like a form letter). Demonstrate that you know enough about the employer or
position to relate your background to the employer or position. Mention specific
qualifications which make you a good fit for the employer’s needs. (Focus on what
you can do for the employer, not what the employer can do for you.) This is an
opportunity to explain in more detail relevant items in your resume. Refer to the fact
that your resume is enclosed. Mention other enclosures if such are required to apply
for a position.
3rd paragraph: Indicate that you would like the opportunity to interview for a
position or to talk with the employer to learn more about their opportunities or hiring
plans. State what you will do to follow up, such as telephone the employer within
two weeks. State that you would be glad to provide the employer with any
additional information needed.
4th paragraph: Provide a summing up or active conclusion of all of the reasons why
you should be interviewed. You should if possible mention that your skill set, on job
experience, personal qualities, and education & training make you a perfect fit for
the advertised job role. By doing this you invite the employer to want to put your
application in the interview pile because you have sold them on how you are a
perfect fit to fill their job vacancy.
Thank the employer for her/his consideration of your application.
Yours Sincerely,
(Your handwritten signature [on hard copy])
Your name typed
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(In case of e-mail, your full contact info appears below your printed name [instead
of at the top, as for hard copy], and of course there is no handwritten signature)
Evelyn Jones
16 Jones Street JONESTOWN VIC 3221
Mob: 0433 000 777
Evelynjones@hotmail.com
February 8, 2016
Mr. Damien Jackson
Managing Director
Emu Australia
72 Barwon Terrace
SOUTH GEELONG VIC 3220
Dear Mr Jackson,
RE:
PERSONAL ASSISTANT POSITION TO THE MANAGING DIRECTOR
I wish to apply for the position of Personal Assistant (reference 0900/A) as advertised
on SEEK.
For your consideration, I have enclosed a copy of my résumé. I believe that my
résumé will demonstrate that I have the complete range of skills and experiences to
be able to succeed in the advertised position including the communication and
computer skills mentioned in the job advertisement. It is harder in a résumé to
demonstrate the personal qualities and beliefs that I have which are also necessary
to be an effective Personal Assistant (PA), and in this letter I will attempt to outline for
you why I am a perfect fit for the role.
The manufacturing industry is going through a period of significant change and it is
important that senior managers are able to devote their energies to ensuring that
gains result from this change. I believe that PAs should assist in this process by
freeing senior managers to devote time to the serious issues while the PA takes care
of the more peripheral issues.
To do this successfully the PA must be able to develop a relationship with a senior
manager built on understanding, trust and the ability to keep confidences. It is the
quality of this relationship which often is as much the measure of the efficiency of a
PA as the technical skills.
An exceptional PA also has a broad understanding of the structures of the
company, the industry in general, the markets for the company products and
influencing factors on those markets.
I understand the importance of a good PA and I always seek to become
indispensable to the senior managers I have assisted in my career. I always look to
exceed their expectations of me in all areas of my work, and I am sure that my
professional referees will attest to this. My passion for my work & my unique personal
qualities, combined with my skills and relevant on the job experience make me an
excellent fit for this role and this is why I am confident that I will be an ideal
candidate.
Thank you for taking the time to consider my application. I look forward to meeting
with you to further discuss my skills and experiences, and suitability for your role.
Yours sincerely
EVELYN JONES
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LABOURING APPLICATION LETTER STRUCTURE:
Your name and
address
John Jones
16 Jones Street JONESTOWN VIC 3221
Mob: 0433 000 888
johnjones@hotmail.com
Date
Recipients
Name and
Address
Mr Damien Jackson
Emu Australia
72 Barwon Terrace
South Geelong Vic 3220
Greeting
Dear Mr Jackson
Position
RE: Store person
Introduction
It is with interest that I wish to apply for the position of store person as
advertised on Seek website on (date). I believe I possess the
appropriate qualities and experience that would make me a positive
member of your team and enable me to be effective in this role. I am
submitting my application and resume for your consideration.
Middle
paragraph
Claim to
support your
application
The following skills and attributes will confirm my suitability:






Current forklift licence with over 5 years experience and a
clean driving record
Knowledge of RF scanning and labelling equipment
Available to work flexible hours, including weekends
Strong attention to detail and take pride in producing
accurate work
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, and gets
along well with team mates and customers
Strong multi – tasking skills, with the ability to work well under
pressure and to tight deadlines
Pro-Active
Close
I am an enthusiastic, hard working team player who gets along well
with others. I have a natural passion for the industry and am willing to
undertake learning and development programs.
Conclusion
Thank you for taking the time to read my letter. I would be excited to
hear that you are interested in me and would be pleased to meet
with you to further discuss my suitability.
Yours sincerely,
Name
NOTE: If you started your letter with Dear Mr Jackson, you should end it with yours sincerely.
If you started with Dear Employer, end it with yours faithfully
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EXAMPLES OF INTRODUCTION, PRO-ACTIVE CLOSE AND CONCLUSION
Examples of Introductions
I wish to apply for the position of _______ as advertised in/on _______ (date). I
believe I possess the appropriate qualities and experience that would make me a
positive member of your team and enable me to be effective in this role. I am
submitting my application and resume as credible evidence that I am a candidate
worthy of consideration.
I am responding to your advertisement in _______ on _______ , for a _______ within
your organisation. I am submitting my application and resume as credible evidence
that I am a candidate worthy of consideration.
I am writing to apply for the position of _________, as advertised in _______________.
This is an ideal job for me given my enthusiasm for ________, and my related
experience and skills.
I read with interest your advertisement for the position of _____________ that was
advertised on _____________as l have __years of experience in the ________industry.
With __ years of experience in the ________industry, l am keen to submit my
application and resume for the position of __________ within your organisation.
Examples of conclusions
Thank you for considering my application. Enclosed is a copy of my resume. I look
forward to meeting you and providing further information in an interview.
Thank you for considering my application. I would be very pleased to discuss my
application further with you at your convenience. Please contact me on the above
phone numbers so that I can provide you with any additional information.
Thank you for taking the time to read my resume and application. I look forward to
discussing how l can contribute to your company at an interview time that is
convenient to you.
If my experience and skills prove appropriate to your business, l would be pleased to
attend an interview to further discuss my suitability.
Thank you for considering my application. I have enclosed a copy of my resume. I
look forward to meeting you and providing further information in an interview. I can
be contacted at anytime on __________
Thank you very much for your time and consideration, I look forward to discussing
with you the ways I can contribute to ____(company name) ____ future.
I would appreciate the opportunity to meet with you to discuss my application and
look forward to hearing from you soon.
Application Letters
__________________________________________________________________
Proactive Close
This exercise will assist you to create a proactive close for your application letters.
A. Adjective - pick 2

















Dedicated
Dependable
Honest
Enthusiastic
Creative
Innovative
Hard working
Committed
Reliable
Flexible
Confident
Ambitious
Conscientious
Friendly
Resourceful
Loyal
Persevering
B. Noun - pick 1









C. Action Verb - pick 2 or
3
Individual
Worker
Supervisor
Salesperson
Tradesman
Customer Service
Officer
Problem solver
Team player
Employee
OR
Professional (specify as
desired)





Project Officer
Forklift Driver
Labourer
Kitchen hand
Sales Assistant
 Learn quickly
 Keen attention to detail
 Establishes customer
loyalty
 Works hard
 Develops strong
working relationships
 Is comfortable with
computers
 Develops improved
methods
 Solves tough problems
 Produces quality work
 Achieves consistent
results
 Motivates others
 Encourages team effort
 Gets along well with
others
 Achieves sales results
 Desire for self
improvement
 Willingness to accept
directions
 Strong teamwork skills
 Motivated to work
 Possess a positive
attitude
 Ability to prioritise my
work
 Ability to find and
assess information
 Well developed time
management skills
To help you create your own pro-active close, take the sentence below and “plug
in” the appropriate words from the checklist above.
I am a (an) A ………….………..
and
who
C………………………… and
C………………………… ,
A ………….………..
B ….……..…………….
C…………………………
Example
“I am a dedicated and enthusiastic sales assistant who establishes customer loyalty,
builds strong relationships with customers and achieves top sales results.”
Application Letters
__________________________________________________________________
A : Write down each key requirement from the advertisement
1
2
3
4
5
6
B : Write down your example of each requirement
1
2
3
4
Application Letters
__________________________________________________________________
5
6
Labouring Application Letter (Template)
Your Name
Address
Suburb, State Postcode
Phone number
Date
Employer Name
Address
Suburb, Vic Postcode
Dear Employer,
Position: _____________________________
Introduction
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
The following skills and attributes confirm my suitability;
(Address the ad)
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
Application Letters
__________________________________________________________________
o
Pro-Active Close
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
Conclusion
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Yours faithfully,
Your Name
Application Letters