HFCC Learning Lab Special Writing Forms 8.3. Writing the Cover (Job Application) Letter

Transcription

1 HFCC Learning Lab Special Writing Forms 8.3 Definition: Writing the Cover (Job Application) Letter Cover letters are a special type of business letter used to apply for a job. Normally, they are accompanied by resumes. Rather than being predictable, generic from letters, the most effective cover letters are personalized to fit the needs, expectations and interests of a specific company or employer. The focus on a select few skills in the resume that would most relevant and impressive to the employer and then elaborate on those skills, moving beyond the brief overview provided in the resume. The best cover letters link the writer s skills and experiences to the duties and requirements of a specific job. Like other business letters, cover letters follow a standard format and consist of well-focused, well-developed paragraphs. Cover letters are usually one page long. Purpose: The main purpose of a cover letter is to persuade an employer to invite you in for an interview. In fact, many people think of the cover letter as an initial interview in writing. In such a situation, the prospective employer is trying to discover something about both your abilities (including communication skills) and your personality, i.e., whether you are capable of doing the job you re applying for and whether you are responsible and personal. Therefore, content, tone, clarity, and correctness are all critical to a cover letter s success. Writing Process: While there is more than one way to approach a cover letter, the writing process described below (and demonstrated by the sample at the end of the worksheet) should yield a persuasive and informative draft. Prewriting: 1. Research you audience: In order to tailor your cover letter to fit a specific employer and job, you will probably need to do some research. Classified advertisements usually list only the basic job duties. You should also try to identify any additional requirements, the probable reader(s) of the cover letter and their level of expertise, their priorities (normally all job duties are not equally important) and their/the company s personality conservative or liberal, formal or casual, etc. There are several good ways of gaining that information: talk to family or friends who have worked for that company or held a similar job elsewhere, research the company and type of job at the library, or even look the company up on the Internet. If the advertisement does not specify a contact person, try calling the company s Human Resource Office to get a name, and verify its spelling. If all you have is a post office box, you will need to make some educated guesses about what the prospective employer values most.

2 2. Prioritize your job skills your audience is looking for, and match those skills with your qualifications and experiences. Because cover letters should go into significant detail yet not exceed one page, you will need to carefully select the points to include. Using your readers as a starting point will help ensure that you stay well focused on their needs and achieve the proper emphasis. One way to take notes is to create two columns: in the first list the job s requirements (most to least important from the employer s perspective), and in the second list your specific skills, training and experience that match each of the requirements (see sample at the end of the worksheet). Those specifics can become the evidence in your letter that proves you can do the job you re applying for and do it well. 3. Narrow your focus. Concentrate on the two or three attributes that will be most impressive to your audience. As you narrow your focus, you will need to consider both which skills are important for the job and which you have the strongest relevant experience with. Arranging: As is the case with the resume, the cover letter might not be read from beginning to end. Therefore, you should arrange your letter from most to least important from your audience s perspective. In that way, you will hook them in the beginning and help ensure that they read to the end. Drafting: When composing sentences and paragraphs, remember that your goal is to write a letter that is straightforward, clear, persuasive and easy to follow. Thus, you should include clear, concise thesis and topic sentences as well as a clear statement of purpose and strong transitions. Your tone should sound confident and enthusiastic but not arrogant or presumptuous. Normally, focusing on concrete examples and evidence of your skills and experiences will result in an appropriate tone and will help you avoid exaggerating. Consider focusing and developing your cover letters as follows: 1. The opening (introduction) of your letter should establish why you are writing that is, your purpose. You should state clearly what particular job you are applying for and how you found out about it. (For example, refer specifically to the newspaper advertisement or job posting, including the date.) Additionally, you can set yourself apart from other applicants by noting something specific about the company that you have discovered and that you like. (Be sure to be specific vague flattery will sound insincere and have the wrong effect!) Finally, your introduction should include a strong thesis answering the question, Why am I highly qualified for this job? That thesis of course, will also preview or forecast the upcoming body paragraphs. You may also alert your audience to your enclosed resume. 2. Your body paragraphs should break down and expand upon your thesis. While there are several ways to focus and develop those paragraphs, the following approach often creates the

3 strongest link to your audience and so can be very persuasive: Have each topic sentence focus on one important job requirement and how your past training or experience will enable you to fulfill that requirement. Then elaborate on your qualifications, giving your audience a reason to read the cover letter in addition to the resume. (For example, a topic sentence might sound something like this: Through my computer classes, I have become familiar with many of the software packages used by your company. Then you would illustrate or prove that claim by describing some of the classes you took and the specific programs you learned.) 3. Your conclusion should reiterate your qualifications briefly and emphatically, and it should request an interview. Supplying your telephone number(s) and, if necessary, the best times to call will make it easy for your audience to take the next step. If you like, you may also give your e- mail address. Revising, Editing, and Proofreading: Style is just as critical as content in creating a persuasive image of yourself as a job applicant. Your audience will look at your sentence style for hints about your personality and, especially, your communication skills. 1. If you are applying for a specialized or technical position, using the language of the field is a powerful way of showing that you belong and that you are capable of and familiar with the work. For instance, if you are applying to be a computer technician but avoid technical terms of the trade, your audience will probably question your experience. On the other hand, speaking the language of your readers shows that you are one of them, that you understand the field and that you will be able to communicate with your colleagues precisely and efficiently. 2. Writing concisely reveals your mastery of the English language (e.g., your ability to use precise, accurate vocabulary). Additionally, conciseness enables faster, easier reading of your letter, an important consideration for your audience when your letter is in a stack with 200 others! 3. Proofreading reveals your mastery of English as well as your carefulness and attention to detail. A cover letter with grammar or spelling errors may be automatically rejected by the employer. (Scanning for such errors is also the easiest, fastest way for the employer to reduce the number of applications he or she has to read and evaluate thoughtfully.) Clearly, proofreading is critical to your cover letter s success. Format: Cover letters follow conventional business format, either the block format or the modified block format. Each of these approaches is illustrated by a sample letter toward the end of the worksheet. There are several standard elements in a cover letter: address headings, a salutation line, paragraphs, and a closing/signature block.

4 Address Headings: Unless you are using customized stationary, your address and the date should appear at the top of the page (along the left-hand margin if you are using the block format and along the right-hand margin if you are using the modified block format). Including your telephone number and address there is optional. Leave a one-line space. Then type your audience s name, title, position and complete mailing address along the left-hand margin. If you are unable to determine a specific person to write to, you may use a job title or department instead of a name (e.g., Human Resource Director) in both the address block and the salutation line. Use postal abbreviations for states in both address blocks. Salutation Line: This line establishes a professional tone and engages your reader, leading him or her into the paragraphs that follow. For formality, begin with Dear followed by the audience s title (Ms., Mr., Dr., Professor, etc. use Mrs. only if you know your audience prefers that title), the audience s last name and a colon. If you know your audience personally and think a more informal tone would be appropriate, you may use your audience s first name followed by a comma. Paragraphs: Leave a one-line space between your salutation line and your first paragraph, between each body paragraph, and between your conclusion paragraph and the closing/signature block. In the block format, paragraphs are not intended. Closing/Signature Block: Usually, cover letters close with Sincerely, or, Yours Truly aligned with your return address block and followed by a comma. Leave a four-line space, and then type your name. In the space, handwrite your signature in pen (in black or dark blue ink). You may also note your enclosed resume by double spacing again and typing Enclosure along the left-hand margin. Overall Appearance: To create a professional job application package, use high-quality paper and a word processor. Never send a handwritten cover letter. The color and weight of the paper used for your cover letter, resume and envelope should be the same. Unless you are applying for a job where your ability to use color creatively is important (e.g., graphic designer), stick with neutral, conservative colors for your job application package (e.g., white, ivory, light grey) and use black ink with a clear, crisp, printout. These colors are easier to read and will not distract from the message contained in your letter. Use a standard, easy-to-read type size (12 point) and 1 to 1 ½ inch margins.

5 Envelope: Remember that the envelope is the first thing your audience will see and your first chance to make a good impression. Send your cover letter and resume (do not staple or paper clip them together) in a business sized envelope, with address typed, not handwritten. Be sure to proofread it. In the top left-hand corner, type your name and address. Then space down a couple inches and in the center of the envelope, type your audience s name, position, and address. Prewriting Sample Cover Letter Profiling the job and audience: Mary Jane Dole has decided to apply for a sales position at a local store, Have a Ball Sporting Goods, which she saw advertised in the Dearborn Press and Guide. The advertisement read as follows: Seeking dependable experienced salesperson with strong customer service skills and the ability to operate a cash register. Knowledge of sporting goods preferred. Given such a brief description, Mary knew she should do more research. She began by visiting the store several times and observing the clientele. Customers were mostly amateur athletes and included children, and the merchandise consisted of both clothing and equipment. The salespeople were providing one-on-one advice as well as ringing up sales and handling returns. Wanting to personalize her cover letter, she called the store when she got home to find out who would read her application package; she obtained the name of the name of the store manager in charge of hiring, Jill Jock. Prioritizing the skills needed: From the advertisement s wording, Mary determined that customer service and register skills were most important to her audience, and her visit to the store helped her better understand these qualifications. For instance, she saw that the cash register was computerized and that the store accepted cash, personal checks with identification, and major credit cards. Furthermore, salespeople had to be able to provide information, and they had to be able to adapt to a range of ages, knowledge, and attitudes in the customers. Most customers did not need advanced information on merchandise, just very basic guidance on the store s organization and the look and fit of clothing. Often, one salesperson was juggling more than one customer and transaction at a time. More time was spent interacting with customers than running the cash register. Matching required skills to personal qualifications and experiences and narrowing the focus: Realizing that she had limited space, Mary decided to focus on the two most critical skills: customer relations and cash register experience. She decided to take the most important details from her resume and put them in her cover letter.

6 Job Requirements (most to least important to employer) Customer service: provide basic information/advice about merchandise help customers with store layout, communicate well with adults and children handle returns, exchanges and complaints Cash register: handle cash, check and credit card payments, verifying identification as needed operate computerized register process sales, exchanges and returns My Relevant Skills, Training, Experience MI Soccer: describe how I helped customers choose which type of ticket would be best by answering questions about the different packages and helping with a cost comparison describe the types of complaints I handled and how I did so diplomatically without compromising the business profit or image Penny Lake Grocery: describe briefly (in conjunction with MI Soccer example since they re both illustrating the same skill) how I helped customers find and select merchandise College activity: describe how being involved in the Association for Childhood Education gave me the chance to work with kids, as a way of demonstrating my ability to talk with them in a relaxed and comfortable way Penny Lake Grocery: describe the fact that while most sales were cash, checks were also common and involved documenting two forms of identification and catching customers whose checks had bounced in the past describe how I handled the switch to a modern, computerized cash register, taking only an hour to learn it MI Soccer: describe how I took credit card orders over the phone As you read through the above notes, notice two things. First, notice how Mary elaborated on the examples in the resume; that extra detail will make her examples clearer, persuasive, and directly applicable to the sales position she s seeking, demonstrating a perfect fit. The extra detail will also ensure that the cover letter supplements the resume instead of merely repeating it. Second, notice the information in the resume that Mary did not include in the prewriting chart above. For instance, she realized that marketing research was not part of the job s duties, so elaborating on

7 her work at Allstate Insurance Company and her college coursework would have been inappropriate and irrelevant. Clearly, Mary used well her audience s needs and interests to narrow down the focus of her cover letter and personalize it. On the next page, you will find the cover letter that Mary wrote her cover letter based on her notes: the first letter used the block format and the second uses the modified block format. A correctly formatted envelope follows.

8 2345 Melody Lane July 15, 2010 Ms. Jill Jock, Manager Have a Ball Sporting Goods 6789 Michigan Avenue Dear Ms. Jock: I am responding to your advertisement for a salesperson in the July 14 issue of the Dearborn Press and Guide. Interested in discovering more about your merchandise and clientele, I visited your store and was impressed by the range of customers you serve and by your employees helpfulness and efficiency. As my enclosed resume demonstrates, through my past retail experiences and college activities, I have developed similar sales skills, and would welcome the opportunity to join such a motivated and committed staff. In order to provide good customer service, I have learned to anticipate and answer customers questions. As a sale representative at Michigan Soccer and a cashier at Penny Lake Grocery, I assist customers in selecting merchandise. For instance, they are often confused about the different types of ticket packages offered by Michigan Soccer. Similarly, at Penny Lake Grocery, I explain unit pricing as well as the store s layout, enabling customers to find merchandise easily. From observing you employees, I realize that communicating well with children is just as important as communicating well with adults. Fortunately, as a member of the Association for Childhood Education during college, I learned how to relate to children in a relaxed, enthusiastic manner and how to explain concepts to them clearly by using age-appropriate vocabulary. Finally, I can process various types of transactions accurately and efficiently. As a cashier at Penny Lake Grocery, I quickly learned how to use a computerized cash register similar to the one in your store. Currently, I process cash sales as well as payments made by personal check, verifying the customers identities and checking their names against a list of customers who have bounced checks in the past. Furthermore, at Michigan soccer, I take credit card orders over the phone. My familiarity with all three methods of payment would make my first days at your store go smoothly. As you can see, with my extensive retail experience, I would be a valuable addition to your staff. I hope to hear from you soon to arrange an interview; I can be reached at (313) Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Mary Jane Dole Enclosure

9 2345 Melody Lane July 15, 2010 Ms. Jill Jock, Manager Have a Ball Sporting Goods 6789 Michigan Avenue Dear Ms. Jock: I am responding to your advertisement for a salesperson in the July 14 issue of the Dearborn Press and Guide. Interested in discovering more about your merchandise and clientele, I visited your store and was impressed by the range of customers you serve and by your employees helpfulness and efficiency. As my enclosed resume demonstrates, through my past retail experiences and college activities, I have developed similar sales skills, and would welcome the opportunity to join such a motivated and committed staff. In order to provide good customer service, I have learned to anticipate and answer customers questions. As a sale representative at Michigan Soccer and a cashier at Penny Lake Grocery, I assist customers in selecting merchandise. For instance, they are often confused about the different types of ticket packages offered by Michigan Soccer. Similarly, at Penny Lake Grocery, I explain unit pricing as well as the store s layout, enabling customers to find merchandise easily. From observing you employees, I realize that communicating well with children is just as important as communicating well with adults. Fortunately, as a member of the Association for Childhood Education during college, I learned how to relate to children in a relaxed, enthusiastic manner and how to explain concepts to them clearly by using age-appropriate vocabulary. Finally, I can process various types of transactions accurately and efficiently. As a cashier at Penny Lake Grocery, I quickly learned how to use a computerized cash register similar to the one in your store. Currently, I process cash sales as well as payments made by personal check, verifying the customers identities and checking their names against a list of customers who have bounced checks in the past. Furthermore, at Michigan soccer, I take credit card orders over the phone. My familiarity with all three methods of payment would make my first days at your store go smoothly. As you can see, with my extensive retail experience, I would be a valuable addition to your staff. I hope to hear from you soon to arrange an interview; I can be reached at (313) Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Enclosure Mary Jane Dole

10 Mary Jane Dole 2345 Melody Lane Stamp Ms. Jill Jock, Manager Have a Ball Sporting Goods 6789 Michigan Avenue