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Business CorrespondenceApplication Letters

This section focuses on the application letter (sometimes called a "cover letter"), which together with the resume is often called the "job package." You may already have written one or both of these employment-seeking documents. That's okay. Read and study this section, and then apply the guidelines here to the resumes and application letters you have created in the past. This section presents many different ways to design and write application letters. Nothing here is trying to force you into one design. You design your own letter using whatever you find here that is useful and any other sources you know of. In many job applications, you attach an application letter to your resume. Actually, the letter comes before the resume. The role of the application letter is to draw a clear connection between the job you are seeking and your qualifications listed in the resume. To put it another way, the letter matches the requirements of the job with your qualifications, emphasizing how you are right for that job. The application letter is not a lengthy summary of the resume not at all. It selectively mentions information in the resume, as appropriate.

Common Types of Application Letters

To begin planning your letter, decide which type of application letter you need. This decision is in part based on requirements that employers may have, and in part based on what your background and employment needs are. In many ways, types of application letters are like the types of resumes. The types of application letters can be defined according to amount and kind of information: Objective letters One type of letter says very little: it identifies the position being sought, indicates an interest in having an interview, and calls attention to the fact that the resume is attached. It also mentions any other special matters that are not included on the resume, such as dates and times when you are available to come in for an interview. This letter does no salesmanship and is very brief. (It may represent the true meaning of "cover" letter.) Highlight letters Another type of application letter, the type you do for most technical writing courses, tries to summarize the key information from the resume, the key information that will emphasize that you are a good candidate for the job. In

other words, it selects the best information from the resume and summarizes it in the letter this type of letter is especially designed to make the connection with the specific job. How do you know which to write? For most technical-writing courses, write the highlight letter. However, in "real-life" situations, it's anybody's guess. Try calling the prospective employer; study the job advertisement for clues.

Common Sections in Application Letters

As for the actual content and organization of the paragraphs within the application letter (specifically the highlight type of application letter), consider the following comon approaches. Introductory paragraph. That first paragraph of the application letter is the most important; it sets everything up the tone, focus, as well as your most important qualification. A typical problem in the introductory paragraph involves diving directly into work and educational experience. Bad idea! A better idea is to do something like the following: State the purpose of the letter to inquire about an employment opportunity. Indicate the source of your information about the job newspaper advertisement, a personal contact, or other. State one eye-catching, attention-getting thing about yourself in relation to the job or to the employer that will cause the reader to want to continue. And you try to do all things like these in the space of very short paragraph no more than 4 to 5 lines of the standard business letter. (And certainly, please don't think of these as the "right" or the "only" things to put in the introduction to an application letter.) Main body paragraphs. In the main parts of the application letter, you present your work experience, education, training whatever makes that connection between you and the job you are seeking. Remember that this is the most important job you have to do in this letter to enable the reader see the match between your qualifications and the requirements for the job. There are two common ways to present this information:

Functional approach This one presents education in one section, and work experience in the other. If there were military experience, that might go in another section. Whichever of these section contains your "best stuff" should come first, after the introduction. Thematic approach This one divides experience and education into groups such as "management," "technical," "financial," and so on and then discusses your work and education related to them in separate paragraphs. Common sections of application letters. You can organize the letter thematically or functionally the same way that you can the resume. Another section worth considering for the main body of the application letter is one in which you discuss your goals, objectives the focus of your career what you are doing, or want to do professionally. A paragraph like this is particularly good for people just starting their careers, when there is not much to put in the letter. Of course, be careful about loading a paragraph like this with "sweet nothings." For example, "I am seeking a challenging, rewarding career with an dynamic upscale company where I will have ample room for professional and personal growth" come on! give us a break! Might as well say, "I want to be happy, well-paid, and well-fed." Closing paragraph. In the last paragraph of the application letter, you can indicate how the prospective employer can get in touch with you and when are the best times for an interview. This is the place to urge that prospective employer to contact you to arrange an interview.

Background Details in the Application Letter

One of the best ways to make an application letter great is to work in details, examples, specifics about related aspects of your educational and employment background. Yes, if the resume is attached, readers can see all that details there. However, a letter that is overly general and vague might generate so little interest that the reader might not even care to turn to the resume. In the application letter, you work in selective detail that makes your letter stand out, makes it memorable, and substantiates the claims you make about your skills and experience. Take a look at this example, which is rather lacking in specifics:

As for my experience working with persons with developmental disabilities, I have worked and volunteered at various rehabilitation hospitals and agencies in Austin and Houston [say which ones to inject more detail into this letter]. I have received training [where? certificates?] in supervising patients and assisting with physical and social therapy. Currently, I am volunteering at St. David's Hospital [doing what?] to continue my education in aiding persons with developmental disabilities.

Now take a look at the revision:

As for my experience working with persons with developmental disabilities, I have worked and volunteered at Cypress Creek Hospital in Houston and Capital Area Easter Seals/ Rehabilitation Center and Health South Rehabilitation Hospital in Austin. I have received CPR, First Aid, and Crisis Intervention certificates from Cypress Creek Hospital. Currently, I am volunteering at St. David's Hospital assisting with physical therapy to persons with developmental disabilities in the aquatics department.

Checklist of Common Problems in Application Letters

Readability and white space Are there any dense paragraphs over 8 lines? Are there comfortable 1-inch to 1.5-inch margins all the way around the letter? Is there adequate spacing between paragraph and between the components of the letter? Page fill Is the letter placed on the page nicely: not crammed at the top one-half of the page; not spilling over to a second page by only three or four lines? General neatness, professional-looking quality Is the letter on good quality paper, and is the copy clean and free of smudges and erasures? Proper use of the business-letter format Have you set up the letter in one of the standard business-letter formats? (See the references earlier in this chapter.) Overt, direct indication of the connection between your background and the requirements of the job Do you emphasize this connection?

A good upbeat, positive tone Is the tone of your letter bright and positive? Does it avoid sounding overly aggressive, brash, over-confident (unless that is really the tone you want)? Does your letter avoid the opposite problem of sounding stiff, overly reserved, stand-offish, blase, indifferent? A good introduction Does your introduction establish the purpose of the letter? Does it avoid diving directly into the details of your work and educational experience? Do you present one little compelling detail about yourself that will cause the reader to want to keep reading? A good balance between brevity and details Does your letter avoid becoming too detailed (making readers less inclined to read thoroughly)? Does your letter avoid the opposite extreme of being so general that it could refer to practically anybody? Lots of specifics (dates, numbers, names, etc.) Does your letter present plenty of specific detail but without making the letter too densely detailed? Do you present hard factual detail (numbers, dates, proper names) that make you stand out as an individual? A minimum of information that is simply your opinion of yourself Do you avoid over-reliance on information that is simply your opinions about yourself. For example, instead of saying that you "work well with others," do you cite work experience that proves that fact but without actually stating it? Grammar, spelling, usage And of course, does your letter use correct grammar, usage, and spelling.

Carol N. Brand
501 Silvermead Lane Austin, Texas 78722 January 21, 1997 Susan Lesser AndroCode 901 East 16th Street Austin, TX 78703 Dear Mrs. Lesser: I am writing in response to your ad in the Austin American-Statesman for a Technical Writer/Intern. I have attached a copy of my resume for your review. During the past five years, I have gained valuable experience in various types of technical writing, documentation, and graphic design. I have written technical specifications, government contracts, and white papers for International Software Systems, Inc., in conjunction with several branches of the United States Army and Navy. I have also edited several ads that were published in major magazines for Object International (such as PC World, PC Weekly, and ORACLE). In my current position at Dell Computer Corporation, I have written and illustrated an employee handbook and documented and flowcharted several corporate processes (such as hiring processes, EMI procedures and flowchart maps for engineering reviews and checkpoints). I am currently in the process of completing my Associate Degree in Communication at Austin Community College. Once I achieve this degree, I plan to transfer to The University of Texas (at Austin) to complete a Bachelors Degree in Journalism. While my studies at UT have been invaluable to my career goals, your intern program provides an important element. I have been searching for an employment opportunity like this one that combines my continuing education with practical experience in technical writing. In the past, several team members from your organization have assisted me in completing projects on a contract basis. They were instrumental in enhancing documents and the work reflected a strong sense of pride and professionalism. Since these are the same business ethics I strive for personally, I can think of no better learning environment than joining an organization such as yours. I look forward to having the opportunity to further discuss my qualifications with you. Sincerely yours, Carol N. Brand (000) 000-0000 Enclosure: resume

Application letter. This writer is attempting to get an interview for a technical-writing internship in a software development company. In this letter, the writer summarizes everything she can find that relates to technical writing and publishing. Heading. The heading portion of a business letter includes the writer's address and date. To give her letter more visual appeal, this writer creates a letterhead-style design at the top for her name address, and phone. For traditional business letters, you don't normally include your name in the headingthis is a neat trick to include it and a nice way of adding a sense of professionalism to the letter as a whole. Inside address. The inside address provides the full name, title, and address of the recipient of the letter. If you do not have a specific name, call the company or use some other strategy to find a name. An department name (which is used in this example) or a position title will work just fine. Salutation. In this portion of the letter, use the same name as you used in the inside address. Be sure and punctuate the salutation with a colon, not a comma (which is for informal, friendly, nonbusiness letters). Introduction. The introduction to any business letter should be brieffour or five lines at the most. In this application letter, the writer states the purpose of the letter (to apply for an employment opening), cites the specific job title, mentions how she heard about the opening, and refers to her attached resume. Instead of mentioning the resume, applicationletter writers often mention their best qualification, someone they know within the company, someone they know who is known to people within the company, or some detail about the company they are applying to. Details like these are designed to hook readers in and make them keep reading. Experience. This letter takes the fairly common approachat least for people early in their careersof having two body paragraphs, one for experience and the other for education. Notice how this writer makes the overt connection between her experience and the job she's applying for. Don't leave it up to the reader to see those connections! Newspaper, magazine, and book titles. Use italics (or underscores) for newspaper names, as well as for magazines and books. (Use quotation marks for titles of chapters or articles within newspapers, magazines, and books.) Education. This is the other commonly section for people just getting out of college or just starting their careers. This writer does nothing with the information she presents here to relate it to the job she is seeking. She could provide some details on her coursework,

special projects, or other such and explain how it relates. however, she does demonstrate a good understanding of the jobspecifically of internships. Additional support. This writer scores several points in this final body paragraph. First, she indicates she's an experienced team player without saying "I'm a team player." It's always more effective refer to examples where a quality is in action rather than merely state that you have that quality. Secondly, she indicates that she knows people within the area of the organization to which she is applying. Wrap-up. This final portion of the application letter contains the concluding paragraph and the signature block. Writers typically include information about contacting them, such as phone numbers, dates, and times. When you write an application letter, don't forget to sign in the open area above your typed name. Also don't forget to indicate the enclosure of the resume. That completes the comments for this example.

1103 West Glen Cove Round Rock, Texas 78677 August 5, 1990 Personnel Assistant TG Employee Credit Bank of Texas P.O. Box 112335 Austin, Texas 78715 Dear Personnel Assistant: I am writing about your newspaper ad in the August 1 Austin-American Statesman concerning your need for an experienced programmer in the database environment. I believe that I have the qualifications and experience that you are looking for. As for my experience with database programming, I have worked for the past year as a programmer/analyst in the Query database environment for Advanced Software Creations. In that capacity, I have converted a large database that was originally written in a customized C language database into the Query database environment. I am currently working on a contract with Texas Parks and Wildlife to make major modifications to its existing Query database application. On both of these assignments, I have also served as customer contact person. Related to this database-programming experience is the work I have been doing to write and market an automated documentation utility for Query database applications. This product was written using a combination of C, Pascal, and Query programming languages. I was responsible for the authorship of the Pascal and Query programs. The Pascal programs are completely responsible for the user interface and system integration management. Enclosed you will find a resume, which will give you additional information on my background and qualifications. I would welcome a chance to talk further with you about the position you are seeking to fill. I can be reached by phone between 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. at (513) 545-1098. Sincerely,

Virginia Lopez Encl.: resume

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83 Capitol of Texas Highway Suite 1102 Austin, Texas 78719 August 4, 1995 Personnel Department Travis County P.O. Box 178 Austin, Texas 78733 Dear Personnel Assistant: I am writing in regard to your newspaper ad in the August 2 edition of the Austin AmericanStatesman concerning your need for a Programmer/Analyst III. I believe that I have the qualifications, experience, and enthusiam that you are looking for. As for my work experience, I have been employed with two organizations over the past three years that have drawn on my computer-programming skills. My work at Loganis Mortgage Corporation involved the setup of new software, training of personnel, and the direct use of AutoCAD on a 10-user LAN. I worked as an assistant programmer at HydroLogics Corporation, doing much of the same design, code, and test work as the regular programmer/analysts. In December, I will graduate with a Bachelor of Science from Southwest Texas State University. My overall grade point average is 3.125. In my degree program, I have studied and developed a thorough understanding of the following programming languages: Pascal, Assembler, COBOL, RPG, and C. You will find enclosed with this letter a copy of my resume which provides a much more detailed description of my education and employment history. I would welcome any opportunity to talk with you further about the Programmer/Analyst position. Please do not hesitate to contact me at any time at the numbers listed on my resume. Sincerely,

Jerry H. Fruend Encl.: resume

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7600 Ed Bluestein Austin, TX 78723 19 November 19XX Director of Personnel TriDiv Aerospace, Inc. 7600 TriDiv Ln. Austin, TX 78775 Dear Mr. Carraway: Please consider me as an applicant for the position of Quality Assurance Manager in the Military Division there at TriDiv Aerospace. I have extensive knowledge of military contracting and substantial Quality Assurance background. I have spent the last 12 years with the Department of Defense administering contractual quality requirements at Defense contractor facilities such as TriDiv Aerospace. In this position, I have had the opportunity to function in all areas of Quality Assurance. In December 1995, I will receive an Associates degree in Applied Science from Austin Community College with a major in Quality Assurance Technology. I passed the American Society for Quality Control certification exam for Quality Engineering and am certified as a Quality Engineer as December 1995. In the Department of Defense, I am certified in the Quality Assurance area including Electronic Commodity, Mechanical Commodity, Nuclear Commodity, and NASA. Additionally, I am certified in all of the nondestructive test disciplines. Enclosed is a resume that provides a more detailed listing of my background and qualifications. I am confident that I possess all the necessary qualifications for the position and am ready to meet with you at your convenience. You can reach me at (512) 292-0220 between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Sincerely yours,

Juan Morales Encl.: resume