CC unit 9, application letter letters of application

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.

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Letters of Application
Also called a cover letter of your résumé
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 résumé)
Meticulously check your spelling, grammar.
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Types of Application Letters
Two kinds:
1. Solicited: for an employment position which
has been announced.
(to solicit: to ask sb for sth)
1.

Unsolicited: the applicant does not know
whether a position is open and he/she is
prospecting for a job.
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Parts of an Application Letter
Three main parts:
1. An opening that gains attention,
2. A body that builds interest and reduces
resistance, and
3. A closing that motivates action.

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

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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.



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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__.

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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
reader’s 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 organization’s 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 résumé.
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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 employer’s 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


Don’t 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 student’s 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 résumé.
As you will notice from my résumé, I will graduate
in June with a bachelor’s degree in business
administration.
As you can see in the enclosed résumé , I’ve been
working part-time with a local publisher since my
sophomore year. During that time, I’ve 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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