Commercial Correspondence Unit 9 Letters of Application

Letters of Application
A letter of application is a sales letter, in which you are both salesperson and product.

The letter presents what you can offer the employer, rather than what you want from the job.

Letters of Application
Also called a cover letter of your rsum Requirements:

Capture attention by using a good writing style Arouse interest in your qualifications Back up with convincing evidence

Bring about the action you want the prospective employer to take
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Quick tips for writing an effective cover letter

Ensure your application looks attractive and neatly presented. Keep it short (2 or 3 paragraphs). Write sincerely. Show that you understand the company and the position. Show some personality (to balance the choppy, factual style of your rsum) Meticulously check your spelling, grammar.
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Types of Application Letters

Parts of an Application Letter

Part 1: Opening
Purpose: Gaining Attention Two important tasks: Clearly state your reason for writing, and Give the recipient a reason to keep reading.

Part 1: Opening
SOLICITED APPLICATION LETTERS

Special attention-getter is not very important because you have been invited to apply.
What to write:

Identify where you discovered the job opening; (refer to the ad and the specific job advertised)

Describe briefly what you have to offer.

Part 1: Opening
SOLICITED APPLICATION LETTERS

With several years experience as the sole secretary of a private business, I would like to apply for the position of executive secretary which you advertised in the Terre Haute Gazette of Sunday, February 28, 20__.

Part 1: Opening
SOLICITED APPLICATION LETTERS

Your advertisement in Section C-3 of the June 1 Daily News for an accounting administrator greatly appeals to me. With my accounting training and computer experience, I believe I could serve Quad Graphics well.

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Part 1: Opening
UNSOLICITED APPLICATION LETTERS

Special attention-getter is very important because you are prospecting for a job.
What to write:

Spark interest and grab attention; State why you are interested in the company/job Describe briefly what you have to offer.
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Part 1: Opening
UNSOLICITED APPLICATION LETTERS
Some ways to spark interest, grab attention, and to indicate how you can serve the employer: Demonstrate interest in and knowledge of the readers business

Since Signa Health Net, Inc., is organizing a new information management team for its recently established group insurance division, could you use the services of a well-trained information systems graduate who seeks to become a professional systems analyst?
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Part 1: Opening
UNSOLICITED APPLICATION LETTERS

Show how your strongest skills will benefit the organization

If you need a regional sales specialist who consistently meets sales targets while fostering strong customer relationships, please consider my qualifications.

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Part 1: Opening
UNSOLICITED APPLICATION LETTERS

Mention the name of a person known to and highly regarded by the reader

When Janice McHugh of your franchise sales division spoke to our business communication class last week, she said you often need promising new marketing graduates at this time of the year.

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Part 1: Opening
UNSOLICITED APPLICATION LETTERS

Use a question to demonstrate your understanding of the organizations needs

Can your fast-growing market research division use an interviewer with two years of field survey experience, a B.A. in public relations, and a real desire to succeed? If so, please consider me for the position.

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Part 2: Body
Purpose: Building Interest and Increasing Desire Present a more complete picture of your strengths with potential benefit to the organization.
Tips: Be as specific as you can; Back up your assertions with some convincing evidence of your ability to perform, even with brief anecdotes; Avoid repeating data from your rsum.
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Part 2: Body
Poor:

I completed three college courses in business communication, earning an A in each course, and have worked for the past year at Imperial Construction.

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Part 2: Body
Improved:

Using the skills gained from three semesters of college training in business communication, I developed a collection system for Imperial Construction that reduced annual bad-debt losses by 25 percent. Emphasizing a win-win scenario for the company and its clients with incentives for on-time payment, the system was also credited with improving customer satisfaction.
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Part 2: Body

Match personal strengths to employers needs

A course in business communication, report writing, and technical writing have helped me develop the research and writing skills required of your technical writers.

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Part 2: Body

Dont restrict your message to just core job duties. Also highlight personal characteristics that apply to the targeted position: working hard, learning quickly, handling responsibility, showing initiative, or getting along with people.

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Part 2: Body

In addition to developing technical and academic skills at Mid-State University, I have gained interpersonal, leadership, and organizational skills. As vice president of the business students organization, Gamma Alpha, I helped organize and supervise two successful fund-raising events.

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Part 2: Body

While attending college full-time, I trained 3 hours a day with the varsity track team. In addition, I worked part-time during the school year and up to 60 hours a week each summer in order to be totally self-supporting while in college. I can offer your organization the same level of effort and perseverance.

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Part 2: Body

When writing a solicited letter, be sure to discuss each requirement specified in the advertisement. If you lack any of these requirements, stress other solid selling points to help strengthen your overall presentation.

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Part 2: Body

Refer the reader to your rsum.

As you will notice from my rsum, I will graduate in June with a bachelors degree in business administration. As you can see in the enclosed rsum , Ive been working part-time with a local publisher since my sophomore year. During that time, Ive used client interactions as an opportunity to build strong customer service skills.
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Part 3: Closing
Purpose: Motivating action Two important tasks: Ask the reader for a specific action (try to sound natural and appreciative), and Facilitate a reply (stating your phone number, email address, and the best time to reach you). Optional: Refer again to your strongest selling point. Offer to supply more information if necessary.
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Part 3: Closing

I hope this brief description of my qualifications and the additional information on my rsum indicate to you my genuine desire to put my skills in accounting to working for you. Please call me at (405) 488-2291 before 10 a.m. or after 3 p.m. to arrange an interview. Please let me know if there are any other details you need. Meanwhile, I look forward to hearing from you.
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Part 3: Closing

To add to your staff an industrious, well-trained administrative assistant with proven word processing and communication skills, call me at (350) 492-1433 to arrange an interview. I can meet with you at any time convenient to your schedule. Next week, after you have examined the attached rsum , I will call you to discuss the possibility of arranging an interview.
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Checklist
Ask yourself these 4 questions before you send the letter:
1. Does

it read like a good business letter? 2. Will the opening paragraph interest the employer enough to prompt him/her to read the rest? 3. Does it suggest that you are genuinely interested in the post and the kind of work to be done? 4. Is your letter neatly presented and logically structured? THE END

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