CONTINUATION

APPLICATION LETTER

A job application letter, also known as a cover

letter, should be sent or uploaded with your 
resume when applying for jobs. The job
application letters you send explain to the
employer why you are qualified for the position
and why you should be selected for an interview.
• Steps for Writing a Job Application Letter
• The traditional format of a business letter applies to most
job application letters. The layout is the first thing noticed:
those who receive business letters such as covering letters
for a job application expect them to be set out in a specific
way.
• If everything is set out appropriately, the employer or
recruiter concentrates on the content and meaning. If your
arrangement on the sheet of paper seems incorrect,
unusual or non-traditional, the prospective employer is
distracted from the implicit message.
• 1.      Understand the format, and fill in the content according to that form.
• 2.      Make a list of all the information to go in the letter.
• 3.      Be brief, so the letter can fit onto a single page. Set out the text with
wide margins. Position your address, the employer’s address, and the
subject of the letter in the correct spaces. The subject must be centered at
the top.
• 4.      Start by stating the reason for the letter.
• 5.      Contain the important parts in three paragraphs, to ensure the main
points are clear,.  
• 6.      Most job application letters have no letterhead, because they
originate from an individual. So the message must be placed in the middle,
underneath the applicant’s address on the right, between a greeting and a
salutation.
• 7.      The greeting starts, “Dear [Name]”. Always address
the employer by their formal name. It is “Dear Mr. Jones,”
not “Dear Larry.”
• 8.      The salutation must be formal, such as “Yours
faithfully,” or “Yours sincerely.”
• 9.      Type your full name in upper case below your legal
signature.
• 10.  Job application letters are customarily formatted in
block style, without indents, with all lines aligned left.
Aligning all paragraphs to the left is more legible than full
justification.
• ·         Key Points to Consider
• §  It is not wise to use slang, technical jargon, abbreviations, contractions, or
unexplained acronyms in a job application. Neither is it appropriate to use a
conversational tone. Job application letters are serious documents, often
used as material evidence or commercial certification.
• §  A job application letter has its own appropriate tone and attitude: assertive
but unassuming, confident but not arrogant or conceited. It is improper to
write overly long sentences full of pretensions or self-satisfaction.
• §  Personal items, such as family news or casual felicitations, should be
omitted from a good job application letter.
• §  Always state the reason for application, the job in question, where you
found the announcement, and why you think you are the person most
suitable to take up the position.
• ·         Common Mistakes
• Avoid making mistakes that might be risky, or that might lose you the
opportunity to work in the place of your dreams. Some frequent mistakes
found are:
• §  Omitting to request an interview. Do this in the last paragraph and be firm
and clear. Being demanding or rude is also a mistake.
• §  Long-winded paragraphs.
• §  Being sycophantic or fawning.
• §  Text that does not match the occasion and the establishment you approach.
Avoid colloquialisms and slang. Remember that a well-mannered message is
always most effective.
• §  The most frequent mistake made in job application letters is to flout
convention and place paragraphs, addresses, or salutations in the wrong place.
• §  Incorrectly spaced paragraphs, or a job
application letter with more than two paper
folds.
• §  Insufficient clarity about the position for
which you are applying. In addition, people
often omit to state their qualification for it, or
ask to speak personally with the person in
charge.
•  
• Notes:
• 1.      Applicant’s Address
• 2.      Date
• 3.      Write in the following sequence
• §  Name of the responsible officer
• §  Post of the responsible officer
• §  Name of the organization
• §  Address of the organization
• 4.      Addressee:
• §  Address to the responsible officer as far you can, e.g. Mr. Lee
• 5.      Title
• §  State relevant post
• 6.      First Paragraph
• §  State again the post you are applying for end explain how
the vacancy is known
• §  In the first paragraph of an unsolicited application letter, you
should state the post or job area you are interested in and the
reason for making self-referral
• 7.      Content
• §  List the relevant academic qualifications and experience to
show that you are the best person for the post
• 8.      Last Paragraph
• §  Indicate your wish for an interview
• 9.      Closing
• §  Use “yours sincerely” if you are addressing
to the responsible officer, otherwise, use
“Yours faithfully”
• §  Sign your name below the closing remark
and type your name under signature
• 10.  Enclosures
• §  Resume and copy of certificates should be
attached to the letter