Looking for a job? Prepare That Letter of Application

Your first tool when applying for that elusive dream job, aside from the resume, is the cover or application letter. Job hunting is a lot of fun only if companies notice you and you get short listed. They try to contact you and schedule you for interview. Otherwise, it is very disappointing and frustrating. What gets you noticed and short listed? The resume is important but you have to ensure that the letter of application is written well. The following are some pointers I learned about writing application letters.

On your first paragraph, if you are responding to an advertisement, mention when and where you saw the job posting. Express your interest and your willingness to apply for the job position.

On the body of the letter, write your full name and your educational background. The important stuff should be here also: a brief narrative of your work experience and educational experience. Emphasis should be given on aspects that are relevant to the job position you are applying for. For instance, if it is a supervisory position handling people, highlight a similar position you have. If you have no work experience, look into your school experience. You may have had leadership experience similar to the supervisory position in the job post. School group projects where you lead the group; a class officer or school organization/club leader will also do. Write down qualifications you may have that match their requirements. If they want a hard working person and you are, then write it down. Employers will be looking for similarity and recency, so write the latest experiences first. Brief accounts only, refer them to your resume for more details.

On the last paragraph, mention your availability for an interview. Your contact number or email address, when is the time you are available to talk to. Express your eagerness to meet them for an interview so you could elaborate more on your qualifications.

That’s the way I did it and achieved some success. To all job hunters, good luck.