A friend sends a text message that a new job opportunity is open in her department. She has a connection in human resources to help you land an immediate interview. A requirement for the role is for the resume submission is to include a job application letter. What does it mean? How can you write it in a way that can help you win the job?
Before you start a job search and thinking that writing a job application letter is a difficult task, consider these tips with your next resume job submission.
The Job Description is Essential
The job description is a blueprint to an application letter. Think about the list of skills, education and the responsibilities for the role. A list of ideas to help you get started is below:
- If the role requires a person to present speeches at work, provide examples of each job that speaking in front of colleagues was the norm. For example, “Presented team meetings on a biweekly basis in a room of 15 managers, executives and team members that resulted in implemented strategies that helped improve spending in the organization.”
- Apply the same tips to skills required for the position. A role that expects a person to lead is an example of a sentence to include in the application.
A successful job application letter is one that is similar to the skills, education and work responsibilities in the description of the job posting. Most job seekers are not aware of this which opens the door of opportunity for you.
Active Voice
What is an active voice? It is creating sentences that sound as if you are completing a responsibility. For example, rather than writing “I helped the hospital admit patients into intensive care supporting the head doctor with 5,000 patients per year.” This sentence can be changed by writing the following:
“Assists doctors in the hospital by communicating effectively with patients which results in close to 5,000 patients admitted per year.” This sentence sounds confident and precise because it tells a human resources expert it is a skill you practice every day.
Information Not in A Resume
A job application letter is like gold if the information in the letter is different than a resume and cover letter. The letter can include achievements within the past five years of work experience. It can include volunteering, starting a part-time business, community service or an internship. Achievements can also include committee involvement or projects implemented from a worthy idea.
A Confident Tone
As you write the letter, use enthusiasm and confident words to convey the job are perfect for you. In most cases, people write these documents in a dull tone, which loses a recruiter’s attention. The application letter that stands out is one that uses words listed below:
- Action words such as delegated, invented, owned, devised, accomplished or designed. These words show leadership, high self-esteem, and a forward-thinking candidate.
Confidence can be shown in an application letter by reading it a few times aloud. Think as if you are a hiring manager reading it. What kind of employee would you want to hire?
Avoid “I” Statements
The word “I” can be throughout a letter. However, using it for every sentence can appear as if the candidate is new in the workforce. I recommend using one “I” statement per paragraph. It can be replaced professionally. Here are a few examples listed below:
- Achieves a high level of success as a mentor for The Boys and Girls Club foundation teaching children the fundamentals of personal development.
- The experience as a teacher at Dominion High School created a foundation of principles in speaking to children of diverse backgrounds.
It may sound odd, but a hiring manager will understand these sentences are about you without the word “I” in the entire letter.
Concluding Thoughts
A job application letter is an excellent tool to be noticed from the competition applying for the same job. A confident tone, action words, using a job posting as a blueprint and avoiding the word “I” for each sentence is a good start. Most importantly, remember to change the content for each letter because recruiters can tell when a person recycles it for each job posting submission. However, if you are looking for someone to write a custom letter for you, you can hire professional letter writers online. Good luck!
