An Application Letter is a stand-alone letter that a person writes to the hiring managers of an organization to show interest in an available job position.
This letter contains all the necessary details of the job applicant, including their skills and experience at the job and their qualifications.
A job application letter usually contains details of a person’s interests, skills, levels of exposure and experience, expertise, and education. The applicant usually addresses the application letter to the hiring company to inform them of the benefits of selecting the said applicant for the job interview and employment.
The application letter is more detailed and personal than the cover letter and serves as the first interface between the employer and potential employee as it gives the impression of an almost physical meeting.
Here, the applicants have ample opportunities to sell themselves in the best light, stating past experiences that will suit the organization’s needs. An organization is always looking to employ the best asset in the job market, and only one that can convince them of this worth gets the job.
Hence, a job application letter is one of the most important documents that get to your potential employer, and you must write an excellent application letter that captivates the reader to the end. For this reason, this article breaks down application letter writing into basic steps, and we have provided application letter examples to guide you as you write yours.
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Differences Between an Application Letter and a Cover Letter
A job applicant may find both cover letter and application letter as useful documents to present to the potential employer. However, these two documents differ in the following ways:
Purpose of the letter
A job application letter covers every detail of your professional qualifications, including years of experience and expert skills. It conveys your capacity to the potential employer and convinces the employer to interview and employ you. This is quite different from a cover letter, which only defines your qualifications and the letter’s aim.
Introduction
The cover letter gives brief details about the job applicant as it links the potential employer to the applicant’s curriculum vitae and is usually about three to four sentences long. For example:
“I am Victor Paul, applying for the Sales Representative position at Monte Crafts Limited. With my 7 years of experience in marketing and sales, I believe I will be suitable and fit for this position.”
However, an application letter contains more detail and depth, containing all necessary details of the skills and experiences that qualify the candidate for the position, for example:
“My name is Rose Peter, and I have been working at the Poll Intinent for 12 years as the head sales and organization manager. I have seen the company’s clientele rise from a meager number of 120 to about 4,500 customers. This result is due to my team’s diligence and hard work, as well as our communication and managing skills. I have obtained a dual degree in psychology and business management and several workshops that have honed my people management and communication skills.”
Work history
The cover letter is an introduction to the applicant’s curriculum vitae and contains little work history details. The application letter, however, contains a brief summary of the applicant’s qualifications, for example:
“In my years of service, I was opportune to head several marketing and sales interventions for my current company of employ, which were all successful. Hence, I believe that my skills in sales and marketing will come in handy in your company’s sales department.
Letter content
A cover letter is usually brief and has minimum information, which compels the reader to read through the rest of the application. In contrast, the application letter contains all information that the potential employer needs to know, including the applicant’s educational background, skillset, and experiences in similar workspaces. In addition, the application letter has details that are of interest to the potential employer and will pique their interest in you as an applicant.
Letter length
The cover letter is usually brief and consists of short sentences that link the employer to other application documents and the applicant’s qualifications, whereas the application letter is a bit lengthy and contains vital professional information, interests, and qualifications of the applicant.
Letter attachment
The cover letter is usually part of the applicant’s documents and goes alongside their curriculum vitae and recommendation letter(s).
An application letter, however, can be a stand-alone document which you submit to the potential employer. It covers all details and information about the applicant that is of relevance to the employing organization.
Educational purposes
Applicants use cover letters to apply for job opportunities alongside their curriculum vitae, but you can use an application letter for much more than a job. Since an application letter is all-encompassing, you can also use it to apply for an internship or field attachment. It contains your career goals and gives the potential employer an insight into your core values.
When to Send Each Letter?
A cover letter is generally most acceptable when applying for a job with a vacancy. A cover letter goes alongside the curriculum vitae of the job applicant and other necessary documents, while an application letter comes in handy when you are applying for a job without an announced opening. Here, the letter contains more details that are professional because you are trying to convince the employer to consider you when there is a job opening that suits your qualifications.
How to Format Application Letter?
Your job application letter format largely depends on your mode of submission. When sending an application letter to a potential employer via email, its format is a little different from a printed or handwritten letter. We have compiled several detailed application letter examples to guide you as you write your job application letter.
Your application letter should contain the following:
Header
This usually contains the applicant’s address as well as the potential employer’s address and the date. The header should have the name, residential address, phone contacts, and email addresses of the applicant and recipient of the letter. The header ends with the date. This is the format of any formal letter header, but when sending this letter through an email, you must include your contact after your signature to help the organization contact you to set up an interview or meeting.
Salutation
This comes next after the header and entails politely addressing the potential employer. The most common salutation is, “Dear Mr./Sir/Ms.” followed by the person’s name. If you are unsure of the person’s gender, you can address the person’s official position. For example, “Dear Manager.”
Subject line
This single line serves as the letter’s title, carrying a summary of the purpose for writing the letter. It is usually in capital letters and underlined. For example, “Application Letter For Head Sales Manager.”
Introduction
This is the letter’s opening paragraph, where you should write briefly about yourself and your qualifications. This must be colorful and rich without being too flashy as it determines the depth of the potential employer’s interest in your letter.
Body
The body of the letter can be divided into three distinct paragraphs. Firstly, you should mention what job position you are applying for and where you saw the job vacancy. Then move on to the next paragraph, where you talk about specific skillsets and beneficial areas of expertise that can solve the employing company’s real and potential needs. The third paragraph is the concluding part of the body of the letter, where you are to appreciate the employer for their time sincerely.
Conclusion
In concluding a formal application letter, you must sign off politely using words such as “Yours sincerely” followed by your name and signature. If you send the letter via email, you must include your mobile contact after signature.
Sample Formats
Following are some sample for mats and examples for best understanding
Writing a Perfect Application Letter
A job application letter is usually the first interface between a potential employer and a job applicant. Hence, you must strive to make the best first impression on your potential boss through your application letter.
This is why we have provided a breakdown of the necessary steps in writing a job application letter.
We have also provided application letter examples to help guide you as you write your application letter:
Describe your interest in the position
In the opening paragraph of your letter, you should begin by stating the exact position you are applying for and how you learned about that position in the organization. You must then state the qualifications and experiences that make you the best fit for that position and present yourself as apt and capable to function excellently in said position.
This is the first paragraph of the letter, and so it is most likely the paragraph that determines the interest of the potential employer in the rest of your letter hence it must be captivating and professional.
Highlight your experiences and qualifications
You must highlight all educational qualifications as well as professional experiences. This is especially important in your job application letter because you may not attach it to a copy of your resume, and so the application letter must be concise and yet have all the necessary details of your qualifications. It is helpful to have an outline of all your qualifications and then match them up with the needs of the position for which you are applying.
Emphasize your skills and abilities
In the job-seeking market, your soft skills and various unique abilities in your field set you apart from the crowd. Hence, it is wise to emphasize these skills and abilities. It will do you good to investigate the organization and know what skills are of interest to them. When you achieve this, you will capture the employer’s interest by emphasizing the skillsets that the organization needs in order to thrive.
Include aspects of your personality
The employer wants to know you beyond your educational qualifications and professional experiences, so positive traits such as hard work, diligence, and team player come to play. Mention aspects of your personality that will raise your score with the potential employer. This is a necessary part of your job application letter.
Express your appreciation
Sincerely appreciate the potential employer for taking the time to review your letter before concluding the job application letter.
Sample Letters
Below are two job application letter examples that will guide you when you write your own:
Sample 1
Lois Mende
134 Jenney Street,
New Orleans
129 009-8762
loismende@gmail.com
Orin Kendel
Hiring Manager,
Jed and Jen
754 Olin Street
New Orleans
September 23, 2021
Dear Mrs. Orin,
APPLICATION FOR THE POSITION OF MARKETING CONSULTANT
In response to the advert in the New Orleans Daily Newspaper of September 22, 2021, I am applying for the position of Project Researcher. I have held the position of head researcher in the Orleanslad for 21 years, and I believe that with my experience and skills, I will be able to contribute meaningfully to the Berkley project in your company.
I have a bachelor’s degree in resource management and urban planning and another in research methods. I have served as head of several research projects, including the humid post rate of disease and infection in New Orleans, the Beta research project, Foodborne disease, and the animal Adaptation to Urbanization Research of 2004. I have several training certificates for each research project and a certificate for each year’s project mining workshop.
I hope to improve my skills through new experiences of research, especially the proposed Water Cleansing project in 2022 that your organization plans to begin. My core values are diligence, hard work, and team building. With these, I believe that I will best suit the position of research manager.
I am sincerely grateful that you took the time to read through this letter, and I hope to hear from you soon.
Yours sincerely
Lois Mende.
Sample 2
Maureen Peter
345 Kelvin Street
Alabama – 12
342-9099-098
maureenpeter@gmail.com
Wisdom Samson
Alabama Mining City
Alabama-12
July 12, 2019.
Dear Sir,
APPLICATION N FOR THE POST OF MINING ENGINEER
My name is Wisdom Samson, and I want to express my interest in your company’s mining engineer position. In my previous jobs, I conducted various mining activities such as researching the various land mines and mining methods and planning and mining several ores from sites. Due to my diligence and work experience, I consider myself a great fit for this position.
I obtained my bachelor’s degree from the prestigious Alabama School of Engineering and have since obtained an MSc and Ph.D. in Field Mining and Processing. I have served as head of the Ore Processing Unit for the past eight years in Uncle and Mines. I hope to harness all my experiences and skills in achieving new mining fits in Alabama via your company.
My core values are doggedness and endless learning. I hope these values can come to play in the Alabama Mines team, and I hope to learn from all the projects set before the company.
I am extremely grateful you reviewed my letter and hope to hear favorable news from you.
Yours sincerely,
Maureen Peter
342-9099-098
7 Best Practices to Follow
The following tips will help you create an exceptional application letter, especially using the above application letter example as a template to write your application letter:
Review information
Most companies look to employ more people when they are taking on a new project and hence will naturally consider the applicants who will help in such projects. Therefore, you must research the company’s ongoing projects and think of ways to serve in such projects. You must be able to sell yourself as the best candidate for the position and company to secure the position.
Use a professional format
It is very important to keep up with the professional application writing format. Hence the reason for the job application sample letters. This makes you a diligent professional and speaks highly of you to the employer.
Be brief
As much as you want to be detailed, keeping the letter brief and concise is very important. You must focus only on the most important aspects of the letter and keep on track without flamboyant words.
Review the job listing keywords
Most organizations will include certain skills and qualifications as requirements for a certain job, and so you must carefully note these and emphasize the keywords when writing a job application to such an organization. As in the application letter examples above, common keywords include
“communication skills, punctuality, time management skills, diligence, and hard work.”
Always write one
Always write an application letter for every job position that interests you. This is unless the employing organization specifically asks you not to do so. However, an application letter improves your chances of obtaining the job as the employer gets to interact with you almost as though in a physical meeting.
Sell yourself
Employers search for the best employees there are, so you must sell yourself in your application letter as the best in your field. This involves emphasizing your strengths and qualifications, especially those that are beneficial to the organization.
Proofread
The application letter gives the employer the first impression of you, so you must make this impression positive and flawless. Your letter must be impeccable and free of errors, and you must also stick with the rules of writing a formal business letter. Proofread your letter as many times as you can to correct any errors that may be. Write the first draft as a sample, proofread and then write the final draft of the job application letter.
Final Thoughts
A job application letter is a necessary document in applying for a job position and must be formal and professional. It is, most times, the first interface between the employer and applicant, and so it must be flawless and free of errors. It must represent the applicant as capable of the job position and the best in that career path.
The job application letter must follow the patterns of a formal letter and must include all major components of a job application letter. This may be time-consuming and burdensome, but with the application letter examples, sample letters, and templates in this article, you now have a guide that you can follow as you write your job application letter.