The best approach for an application letter depends on

19.1 Submitting Your Résumé

Your résumé (see Chapter 18) is the centerpiece of your job search package, but it needs support from several other employment messages, including application letters, job-inquiry letters, application forms, and follow-up notes.

WRITING APPLICATION LETTERS

Whenever you mail, email, hand-deliver, or upload your résumé, you should include an application letter, also known as a cover letter, to let readers know what you’re sending, why you’re sending it, and how they can benefit from reading it. (Even though this message is often not a printed letter anymore, many professionals still refer to it as a letter.) Take the same care with your application letter that you took with your résumé. A poorly written application letter can prompt employers to skip over your résumé, even if you are a good fit for a job.2 Staffing specialist Abby Kohut calls the application letter “a writing-skills evaluation in disguise” and emphasizes that even a single error can get you bounced from contention.3

Always accompany your résumé with an application letter (printed or email) that motivates the recipient to read the résumé.

The best approach for an application letter depends on whether you are applying for an identified job opening or are prospecting—taking the initiative to write to companies even though they haven’t announced a job opening that is right for you.4 In many ways, the difference between the two is like the difference between solicited and unsolicited proposals (see page 382). Figure 19.1 shows an application message written in response to a posted job opening. The writer knows exactly what qualifications the organization is seeking and can “echo” those attributes back in his letter.

As with proposals, the best approach for an application letter depends on whether your application is solicited or unsolicited.

Writing a prospecting letter is more challenging because you don’t have the clear target you have with a solicited letter, and the message is unexpected. You will need to do more research to identify the qualities that a company would probably seek for the position you hope to occupy (see Figure 19.2 on page 520). Also, search for news items that involve the company, its customers, the profession, or the individual manager to whom you are writing. Using this information in your application letter helps you establish common ground with your reader—and it shows that you are tuned in to what is going on in the industry.

Resist the temptation to stand out with gimmicky application letters; impress with knowledge and professionalism instead.

If the name of an individual manager is findable, address your letter to that person. (And if it is findable, make sure you find it, because other applicants will.) Search LinkedIn, the company’s website, industry directories, Twitter, and anything else you can think of to locate an appropriate name. Ask the people in your network if they know a name. If you can’t find a name, addressing your letter to “Dear Hiring Manager” is perfectly acceptable.

Figure 19.1 Solicited Application Message

In this response to an online job posting, Dalton Smith highlights his qualifications while mirroring the requirements specified in the posting. Following the AIDA model, he grabs attention immediately by letting the reader know he is familiar with the company and the global transportation business.

Clearly identify the opportunity you are applying for or expressing interest in.

Show that you understand the company and its marketplace.

Figure 19.2 Unsolicited Application Letter: Ineffective and Effective

Demonstrating knowledge of the employer’s needs and presenting your qualifications accordingly are essential steps in an unsolicited application letter.

Never volunteer salary history or requirements unless an employer has asked for this information.

Keep it short—no more than three or four brief paragraphs. Remember that all you are trying to do at this point is move the conversation forward one step.

Show some personality, while maintaining a business-appropriate tone. The letter gives you the opportunity to balance the facts-only tone of your résumé.

Project confidence without being arrogant.

Don’t just repeat information from your résumé; use the conversational tone of the letter to convey additional professional and personal qualities and your reasons for wanting this particular job.

Because application letters are persuasive messages, the AIDA approach you learned in Chapter 12 is ideal, as the following sections explain.

Getting Attention

The opening paragraph of your application letter must accomplish two essential tasks: (1) explaining why you are writing and (2) giving the recipient a reason to keep reading by demonstrating that you have some immediate potential for meeting the company’s needs. Consider this opening:

The opening paragraph of your application letter needs to clearly convey the reason you’re writing and give the recipient a compelling reason to keep reading.

With the recent slowdown in corporate purchasing, I can certainly appreciate the challenge of new fleet sales in this business environment. With my high energy level and 16 months of new-car sales experience, I believe I can produce the results you listed as vital in the job posting on your website.

This applicant does a smooth job of echoing the company’s stated needs while highlighting his personal qualifications and providing evidence that he understands the broader market. He balances his relative lack of experience with enthusiasm and knowledge of the industry. Table 19.1 on the next page suggests some other ways you can spark interest and grab attention in your opening paragraph.

Building Interest and Increasing Desire

The middle section of your letter presents your strongest selling points in terms of their potential benefit to the organization, thereby building interest in you and creating a desire to interview you. Be specific and back up your assertions with convincing evidence:

Use the middle section of your application letter to expand on your opening and present a more complete picture of your strengths.

Poor: I completed three college courses in business communication, earning an A in each course, and have worked for the past year at Imperial Construction.

Improved: Using the skills gained from three semesters of college training in business communication, I developed a collection system for Imperial Construction that reduced annual bad-debt losses by 25 percent.

In a solicited letter, be sure to discuss each major requirement listed in the job posting. If you are deficient in any of these requirements, stress other solid selling points to help strengthen your overall presentation. Don’t restrict your message to just core job duties, either. Also highlight personal characteristics that apply to the targeted position, such as your ability to work hard or handle responsibility:

While attending college full-time, I worked part-time during the school year and up to 60 hours a week each summer in order to be totally self-supporting while in college. I can offer your organization the same level of effort and perseverance.

TABLE 19.1 Tips for Getting Attention in Application Letters

Unsolicited Application Letters

Show how your strongest skills will benefit the organization.

If you need a regional sales specialist who consistently meets sales targets while fostering strong customer relationships, please consider my qualifications.

Describe your understanding of the job’s requirements and show how well your qualifications fit them.

Your annual report stated that improving manufacturing efficiency is one of the company’s top priorities for next year. Through my postgraduate research in systems engineering and consulting work for several companies in the industry, I’ve developed reliable methods for quickly identifying ways to cut production time while reducing resource use.

Mention the name of a person known to and highly regarded by the reader.

When Janice McHugh of your franchise sales division spoke to our business communication class last week, she said you often need promising new marketing graduates at this time of year.

Refer to publicized company activities, achievements, changes, or new procedures.

Today’s issue of the Detroit News reports that you may need the expertise of computer programmers versed in robotics when your Lansing tire plant automates this spring.

Use a question to demonstrate your understanding of the organization’s needs.

Can your fast-growing market research division use an interviewer with two years of field survey experience, a B.A. in public relations, and a real desire to succeed? If so, please consider me for the position.

Use a catchphrase opening if the job requires ingenuity and imagination.

Haut monde—whether referring to French, Italian, or Arab clients, it still means “high society.” As an interior designer for your Beverly Hills showroom, not only could I serve and sell to your distinguished clientele, but I could do it in all these languages. I speak, read, and write them fluently.

Solicited Application Letters

Identify where you discovered the job opening; describe what you have to offer.

Your job posting on Monster.com for a cruise-line social director caught my eye. My eight years of experience as a social director in the travel industry would equip me to serve your new Caribbean cruise division well.

Don’t bring up salary in your application letter unless the recipient has asked you to include your salary requirements.

Mention your salary requirements only if the organization has asked you to state them. If you don’t know the salary appropriate for the position and someone with your qualifications, you can find typical salary ranges at the Bureau of Labor Statistics website or a number of commercial websites. If you do state a target salary, tie it to the value you would offer:

For the past two years, I have been helping a company similar to yours organize its database marketing efforts. I would therefore like to receive a salary in the same range (the mid-60s) for helping your company set up a more efficient customer database.

Toward the end of this section, refer the reader to your résumé by citing a specific fact or general point covered there:

As you can see in the attached résumé, I’ve been working part-time with a local publisher since my sophomore year. During that time, I’ve used client interactions as an opportunity to build strong customer service skills.

In the final paragraph of your application letter, respectfully ask for specific action and make it easy for the reader to respond.