Application Letter/Personal Statement Writing
DePauw University Writing Center
Unlike your resume, which you will probably send to each employer in the same form, the application letter is usually tailored to each individual employer. (The same may or may not hold true if you are writing a personal statement for medical, law, or graduate school).
Like your resume, an application letter gives you the opportunity to advertise yourself to the potential employer. For this reason, you need to peak the reader’s interest and show how you can fulfill the organization’s needs.
The letter should also reflect your personal style – be yourself! BUT – be business-like too; avoid sounding too cute, gimmicky, or overly creative. If you’re applying to a job that requires imagination (like advertising), you have more creative liberty; otherwise, err on the conservative side.
It never hurts to show potential employers that you’ve "done your homework." Knowing something about the company (school, program, etc.) allows you to write about how your qualifications fit its needs.
As you begin organizing your resume,
keep in mind the AIDA model:
| Attention |
(Opening Paragraph) |
| Interest |
(Next Several |
| Desire |
Paragraphs) |
| Action |
(Closing Paragraph) |
|
Attention
The opening paragraph needs to capture the reader’s attention. Some potential ways to do this follow.
Solicited Application Letters are those sent in response to an announced job opening. Try opening your letter in one of these ways:
- Source opening. When responding to a job ad, identify the publication in which the ad appeared and briefly describe how you meet each requirement stated in the ad.
- Summary opening. Present your strongest, most relevant qualifications, with an explanation of how they can benefit the organization.
Unsolicited Application Letters, those sent to an organization that has not announced a job, but one that you would like to work for, will have more trouble capturing a reader’s attention. One of the following tactics may be appropriate:
- Name opening. Mention the name of a person who is well known to the reader and who has suggested that you apply for the job.
- Question opening. Pose an attention-getting question that shows you understand an organization’s problem, need, or goal and have a genuine desire to help solve, meet, or attain it.
- News opening. Cite a publicized organizational achievement, contemplated change, or new procedure or product, and then link it to your desire to work for the organization.
- Personalized opening. Present one of your relevant interests or views, mention your previous experience with the organization, or cite your present position as a means of leading into a discussion of why you want to work for the organization.
- Creative opening. Demonstrate your flair and imagination with colorful phrasing, especially if the job requires these qualities.
No matter how you capture your reader’s attention, your opening paragraph also needs to clarify your reason for writing: You are applying for a job and you need to write something like I am seeking an entry-level position in web-technology.
Interest and Desire
In the middle section of your letter:
Summarize the qualifications directly relevant to this job
- Do not repeat information on your resume; instead, interpret you past employment/education experience and tell the employer how your past experiences will help you in the job for which you are applying
- Relate aspects of your training or work experience to those of the target position
- Outline your education preparation for the job
Show how you have put your qualifications to use
- Back up your claims of ability by citing specific achievements
- Demonstrate a knowledge of the organization and a desire to join it by citing its operations or industrial trends
- Provide evidence of desirable personal qualities
- Eliminate boasting
- Provide proof that you learn quickly, are a hard worker, can handle responsibility, and get along well with others
- Present evidence of personal qualities and work attitudes that are desirable for job performance
- If asked to state salary requirements, provide current salary or a desired salary range and link these to the benefits of hiring you
- Refer to your resume
Action
Your closing paragraph has two main purposes: to ask the reader for a specific action and to make a reply easy. When you write this section, try to sound natural and appreciative.