Letter of Application- Understanding and Model

A letter of application helps you ‘advertise’ yourself and adds a personal touch to your application. A good letter of application will emphasize your most relevant skills in a way that your CV can’t, and can persuade an employer that you are the right person for the job.

1- Understanding

Read the application letter for a bar job

• • What’s in the subject line?
  • What is the function of the first line of the letter?
  • What does the first full paragraph then tell you about Madeleine?
  • What does Madeleine explain in her second paragraph?
  • How does Madeleine complete her letter?

2- Looking more closely

Read Madeleine’s letter again. Answer questions 1-4.

1. How did Madeleine hear about the job?
2. What relevant experience does she mention?
3. What might make Madeleine’s letter stand out?
4. Why does she think she is suitable for this role?

3- Writing appropriately

Which of the following would you include in a letter of application?

• 1. Details of your school exam grades.
  2. A summary of your worl experience.
  3. Your address.
  4. Your age.
  5. Why you want the position.
  6. Your present salary.

Useful Tips

• • A good letter of application will give a summary of your most relevant experience and achievements, without repeating all the detail of your CV. Remember that this is a letter, not an essay.
  • Your letter must show how you are different form other applicants, and it must show why you want this particular job ( and not just any job). Before you write your letter of application, do some research on the company you are applying to. Use your research to explain why you want to work there.
  • It is usually a good idea to briefly mention why you are applying for a new job, but be careful. If you hate your present job, that is not a good thing to put in a letter of application. Employers want to know that you really want to work for them, not that yoy are trying to get away from somewhere else!

Answer Key

1- Understanding

The letter of application is an email. The name of the job and the candidate’s name are included in the subject line. The letter is addressed to ‘Mr. Gregory’. The first line states the purpose of the letter, re-states which job is being applied for and says where Madeleine saw it advertised ( this is useful if the company is recruting for several jobs at the same time).

The first paragraph summarizes Madeleine’s experience and mentions some of her skills and the award she won in her current job. She also explains why she wants to move to a new job.

The second paragraph explains why she is a suitable candidate for the role at Dragonflies. She mentions that her CV is attached.

She finishes by saying ‘I very much look forward to hearing from you’ – a standard finishing line for a letter of application – and signs off with her full name.

2- Looking more closely

1. She saw the job advertisd in The List on 1st March.
2. 5 years’ experience in the bar industry ( currently an Assistant Bar Manager); experience of hiring, training and managing staff, as well as creating cocktails.
3. Madeleine helped to win an award for her current employer by creating innovative cocktail recipes.
4. She feels that her wide-ranging experience, enthusiasm and drive can help her make Dragonflies a more profitable business.

3- Writing appropriately

1. Details of your school exam grades. (X) Unless you are a school leaver, or the employer specifically asks you to include your exam grades, this is probably too mcuh information for a letter of application.
2. A summary of your work experience.(√)
3. Your address. (√)
4. Your age.(X) In many English-speaking conutries it is actually illegal for employers to ask you about your age, and it is not necessary to include it ( or you date of birth) in a letter of application
5. Why you want the position. (√)
6. Your present salary.(X) It is normally best to wait until the interview stage to discuss financial matters. However, some employers will ask you to give your expected salary or day rate in your letter of application, in which you should do so.