How to write an appealing job application letter

When you want to apply for a job, most people have to write an application letter. Some of them will have no difficulties to write this letter, but the majority won’t find it an easy task. After all, with only a few sentences you must draw the attention of the recruiter, reflect your personality and get that desired job interview. In the next two pages you will find some tips to help you on your way.

There are two different types of letters: letter of application and letter of inquiry. A letter of inquiry is written to a company you would like to work for and you hope that a vacancy will soon arise (“open sollicitatie”). A letter of application is a letter you write in response to an advert for a vacancy.

The goal of both letters is the same: to get an invitation for an interview. To reach this goal the letter must convince the reader that you are suitable for the company and the job. The letter must bring your qualities to the attention and must emphasise your motivation. You should state why you are the person for the job and what you have to offer to the company.

Structure of an application letter

There are no strict rules for application letters, however there are some widely accepted guide lines. A common structure is:

1. Your address
2. Address of addressed (if the name of the recruiter is not given in the job opening, call the company and ask for a name)
3. Place, date (do not use abbreviations)
4. Concerning (refer to the advert your applying to or state ‘letter of inquiry’)
5. Opening words: if it is not clear if your recruiter is male or female use ‘Dear sir, madam’ or better yet, call the company and ask it!
6. Paragraphs: use about four paragraphs. The contents of the paragraphs differs for the two types of letters and are stated below.
7. Closing: use a closing that fits the tone of the letter. In most cases ‘Yours sincerely’ will be appropriate.
8. Insert your autograph and below that your name.
9. If you have an enclosure you write this down at the bottom of the page, like this ‘Enclosure: CV’.

Application letter to an advert

A standard letter for responding to an advert starts with a reference to the job opening you are applying to, followed by where you have found the opening.

In the next two paragraphs you must show why you fit the job. Before you start writing these paragraphs first examine the advert. Try to find out what the most important qualities are required for the job. Be concrete about it, not just say you are fit, but try to give some examples. For instance when is asked for perceptible interest in the company or the sector, refer to your thesis, a prescription to a journal or membership of an association. If in the advert is asked for ‘good cooperation skills’ you can refer to group activities you participate in.

First state relevant work experience and the next paragraph can be used to show your interest in the company. Let the recruiter know that you already gathered information about the organisation and state what you think you can contribute to the company. Do not write down why you think you would like to work there but emphasise the benefits for the company.

In the last paragraph you politely ask for an interview to clarify your motivation and CV.

Letter of inquiry

Letters of inquiry have a more indirect structure. In this letter you begin with a motivation followed by the specific aim of the letter. You begin the letter by saying that you are looking for a job and why you are looking. For instance ‘Soon I will graduate, therefore I hereby apply for a job with your department of …’

In the middle part of the letter you specify what your background is, what kind of job you are looking for, at what department you would like to work and why you want to work at this particular company. You can motivate this by what you know about the company through the media, website of the company or annual reports. With this kind of application letter you do not know the precise demands for the job. So here you must combine what you know about the company and your education, skills, work experience and interests.

For this kind of application you should always contact the company in advance. Ask them if there is interest in a certain type of personnel and who you can address the letter to. For this kind of letter it is recommended that the letter is addressed personally, so you are sure that the right person gets the letter. Otherwise there is a large possibility that the letter will be thrown away.

Call the company a few days after sending the letter and ask if they received the letter. Often there are no openings available and the letter can be send to a number of departments before you get a definite answer. Try to keep track of your letter and the developments, but don’t annoy the persons by calling them every day.

After written the letter it is best to put it aside for a while and then reread the letter. When you are doing this pay extra attention to the tone of the letter. If possible, let a friend or a family member read the letter and ask for their comments.

And remember, it is not important that your letter has original structure or is different. There are only a few people who can write those kind of letters and there are many more who wrote a letter with a standard structure and got the job. What is important is that your letter is well written, shows your enthusiasm and is to the point.