Prep work
Analyze the ad/job/description and list the requirements
in order of importance.
Make a list of your qualifications and list them
in order of importance.
Writing the
letter
General tips:
- Keep in mind that this letter is meant to explain to the employer exactly why you are the perfect candidate for the job
- When you write the letter, always put yourself in the employer’s shoes – what would they want to know, what do they not care about
- Try never to start a paragraph with "I" or "My" – try starting at least one paragraph with "You" or "Your", or perhaps even with the addressee’s name
- (e.g. "Mr. Smith, you may also be interested that I helped reorganize a large filing system at a medical office")
Try to come up with something a bit more interesting than "I read your ad in the paper …", e.g.
"Your ad for a clerk at the B.C. Cancer Society really caught my attention – ever since I volunteered as a candy striper at VGH, I have wanted to work helping persons with cancer."How do you meet their requirements?
Take the most important requirement and tell them how you have met it in the past or how you imagine you might meet it in your new job, e.g.
"Attention to detail is one of the qualities you are looking for. When I worked at B.C. Tel, my manager always sought me out for special bookkeeping projects because he knew that I have a good eye for detail."List all the other qualities that you have which refer specifically to their requirements
You may also want to list two or three other qualities that do not seem to be clearly related to the requirements but which you want to "advertise" nevertheless. Again, you may want to turn the most important one into a complete sentence, using examples.
What now?
Tell them what you think should happen next; if at
all possible, tell them that you will contact them, e.g.
"Ms. Butterworth, I am really looking forward to discussing this with you in person. I will take the liberty of contacting you by November 30 in order to ensure that you have received my resume and to answer any questions you may have."
Who
we are
What
we offer
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