Writing a job application letter is often one of the things that job hunters struggle with the most. Whether you are trying to find your first career opportunity or are feeling a bit rusty as you haven’t looked for a new job in a while, the job application letter can be a challenge.
However, a covering letter is nothing to worry about if you know the rules of writing one. Take a look at the 7 key steps below to ace your job application letter and put yourself on the right track to success!
1. Format and Structure
Your job application letter should be structured like a business letter in order to make you look professional:
- Put your address in the top right corner.
- In the top left corner have the employer’s address and the date.
- If you are unsure who to address it to, then play safe and go with ‘Dear Sir/Madam’.
- Sign off with ‘Yours Faithfully’.
- Try to ensure that your covering letter is no longer than 1 page.
2. Introduction
The first paragraph of your covering letter should introduce yourself, state what you are currently doing and also the role that you are applying for (if the application is speculative then you should state here what kinds of roles you are interested in within the company).
If you are looking for your first career opportunity then you should include what degree you have completed, when you graduated/are graduating and what role you are applying for. This introduction should only be 2-3 lines long.
3. Why the company?
The next part of your application letter should be a couple of lines that explain why you are specifically interested in applying to work for that company. Be sure to have done some research on their website and social media platforms to find out what sets them apart from their competitors and describe why this is appealing to you.
If your covering letter is being sent to a recruitment company for a role advertised that does not name the employer, then just skip this paragraph.
4. Why the role?
Consider the job description when writing this section of your job application letter. Use any stand out responsibilities or areas of interest in the job description and write about why these are appealing to you.
5. Why you?
At this point, you need to sell yourself and let the employer know why you are the right person for the job. This paragraph is likely to be the longest in your job application letter, but don’t go overboard with trying to mention all of your experience and successes. 2-3 reasons why you are a good fit for the role and relevant examples to back them up is enough.
6. Clarify necessary details
Your application letter is a good opportunity to clear up anything that the employer may question on your CV. For example, if the address on your CV is miles away from where the opportunity is based but you plan to relocate then let the employer know this.
7. Conclusion
Round off your job application letter politely with a ‘Thank you for reading my application’. You can also give your availability at this stage. This is a good idea if you are going on holiday/travelling in the next month and will be unable to attend interviews or take calls during that time.
If you have any further questions about writing your job application letter then feel free to leave a comment below. Where possible, you should always send a covering letter alongside your CV when applying for any job, as it is another opportunity for you to persuade the employer to consider you.
TOP TIP: To ensure that your job application letter is well written and grammatically correct, we recommend using Free & Quick Proofreading by Grammarly!
