Presenting Yourself for Employment Application Letters
Application Letter Application letters are promotional or sales tools that present or sell you to potential employers.
Two types of Application Letters 1.) Solicited letter of Application Is written to apply for a specific position or job opening which has been advertised (announced) 2.) Unsolicited letter of Application Is written to apply for a position that has not been advertised or announced and may of may not be open.
Part of a Letter of Application Parts of the Business Letter Date Sender Address Inside Address (recipient’s address) Salutation Body Closing Enclosures http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/653/01/
Appearance of Business Letter Format Block, Modified Block, or Semi Block Font Times New Roman 12 Punctuation Salutation: Use a colon. Closing, Use a comma. Check all punctuation within the letter.
Inside Address (recipient’s address) Salutation Address the letter to a person. Use the correct Title for the person being addressed. Spell the recipient’s title and name correctly. Use a colon after the Salutation
The Body of the Letter Opening Paragraph ( Keep it Brief) Indicates that you are applying for a position or job. States what position for which you are applying. Tell how you know about the position. (solicited letter) Identify your abilities (unsolicited letter) Indicate how you experience can benefit the employer.
Body Paragraph Convince the employer you are right for the job. This paragraph should indicate how your background and experience will benefit the employer. Remember experience should be relevant to the position being requested Remember you are attaching the resume so don’t just list your qualifications. Refer to the resume in this paragraph.
Closing Paragraph Ask for an interview in a positive confident tone. Include your telephone number and email address so that it is easy for the employer contact you. Make sure your email address is professional. Do not use an email address that is cute, silly, or unprofessional. You may create a free email address using gmail.com
Printing Your Letter Use high-quality 20-lb. white, off-white or gray bond paper for resumes. Use matching business-sized envelopes.