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The covering letter is an essential part of your application
and is seen by many employers as being as important as a CV
or Application Form. It is a means by which you are able to
introduce yourself and generate interest in the skills and experience
you have to offer.
The next few paragraphs will assist you in making the most of
your first point of contact and show the best way to write a
stimulating covering letter.
What to include
Application letters introduce you and your CV to a recruitment
consultant or potential employer. Such a letter should contain
three distinct parts:
1. Introduction: Why you are writing?
2. Statement: What you have to offer?
3. Conclusion: When is it going to happen?
Why are you writing?
The first section should clearly state the reasons why you
are making contact.
Adverts
If responding to an advert, it is crucial to state the source
(newspaper name, Internet or other), the date it was advertised,
and job and reference number, if provided.
Examples of the first paragraph in a letter of application
are:
'In response to our recent conversation, I would like to express
my interest in the position of Structural Architect that was
advertised on your Internet site on 13 June 2005.'
The purpose of this first paragraph is to clearly put you in
the running for the job you have applied for. Busy recruiters
handle a number of positions with similar titles at the same
time, and advertise these on similar dates. The first paragraph
should put you in with a fighting chance of the job by at least
getting your application into the right pile.
Before responding to advertisements, you should, if appropriate,
contact the owners of the job or the recruiters managing the
recruitment assignment. Written advertisements give you a clear
indication of whether you should be making personal contact
or whether the job owners or recruitment firm would initially
prefer an email or hard copy of the application.
Personal Contacts
If you are writing to an individual, you should indicate the
source of where or who you got their name from and you need
to indicate the help, advice or information you are seeking
from them:
'Your name was given to me by Fred Smith as somebody who may
be able to help me find information about Far East and Chinese
import/export markets.'
What you have to offer?
The second section of your letter should clarify what you have
to offer and why you are the appropriate person for this particular
job.
Advert
When preparing to write the second section, you should read
the advertisement carefully and identify the selection criteria
for the role. You should also be guided by conversations that
you have had with recruitment consultants or company recruiters
so that you clearly understand what skills they think are important
to the role. They often give you extra clues that are not in
the advertised media.
How you express this section is up to you. For example, you
might be more comfortable with a succinct approach:
'I believe I am ideally suited to this role because I have
over 15 years experience in sales, have the suitable qualifications
and have managed accounts in excess of £X etc'
Or you may prefer a bullet-point format, for example:
'I believe I am ideally suited to this role because:
- I have 15 years experience in sales
- I have suitable qualifications in sales and marketing
- I have managed accounts well in excess of £X'
Personal Contacts
The second section of a personal or networking contact should
relate to the skills, experience or aspirations that relate
to the information you require:
'Enclosed is my CV from which you can see that I have gained
a lot of experience providing import/export services to China.
Fred Smith told me that your company specialises in providing
services to South American countries, and I was wondering if
you have ever thought of expanding into the Far East/Chinese
markets?'
When it is going to
happen?
When concluding your letter, express your interest in the job
and provide any particular contact details that you feel are
important, for example:
'I look forward to discussing this application with you in the
near future. I can be contacted on XXX (mobile number).'
Another example might be:
'I would welcome the opportunity of discussing this application
with you in greater detail in the near future, and will be available
for interview at a mutually convenient time.'
If the role you are applying for requires you to be proactive
and chase things up, another conclusion to your letter could
be:
'I will call you next week confirm you have received my details
and will be happy to answer any questions you may have about
my suitability for the role.'
This material has been reproduced with the kind permission
of http://uk.hudson.com/
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