Presenting Yourself for Employment

Application Letters

Application Letter• Application

letters are promotional or sales tools that present or sell you to potential employers.

Two types of Application Letters

1.) Solicited letter of Application

• Is written to apply for a specific position or job opening which has been advertised (announced)

2.) Unsolicited letter of Application

• Is written to apply for a position that has not been advertised or announced and may of may not be open.

Part of a Letter of Application

• Parts of the Business Letter– Date– Sender Address– Inside Address (recipient’s address)– Salutation– Body– Closing– Enclosures http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/653/01/

Appearance of Business Letter

Format• Block, Modified Block, or Semi BlockFont• Times New Roman 12Punctuation• Salutation: Use a colon.• Closing, Use a comma.• Check all punctuation within the letter.

Inside Address (recipient’s address)Salutation

• Address the letter to a person.• Use the correct Title for the person being

addressed.• Spell the recipient’s title and name correctly.• Use a colon after the Salutation

The Body of the Letter

Opening Paragraph ( Keep it Brief)• Indicates that you are applying for a position or job.• States what position for which you are applying.• Tell how you know about the position. (solicited

letter)• Identify your abilities (unsolicited letter)• Indicate how you experience can benefit the

employer.

Body Paragraph

Convince the employer you are right for the job.

• This paragraph should indicate how your background and experience will benefit the employer. Remember experience should be relevant to the position being requested

• Remember you are attaching the resume so don’t just list your qualifications. Refer to the resume in this paragraph.

Closing Paragraph

• Ask for an interview in a positive confident tone.

• Include your telephone number and email address so that it is easy for the employer contact you.

• Make sure your email address is professional. Do not use an email address that is cute, silly, or unprofessional. You may create a free email address using gmail.com

Printing Your Letter

• Use high-quality 20-lb. white, off-white or gray bond paper for resumes.

• Use matching business-sized envelopes.