Ubong's Inspirational - How To Write An Application Letter

HOW TO WRITE AN APPLICATION LETTER
People spend a great deal of time at work, work can be fun, boring and engaging, today we hear tales of good old days were jobs came calling immediately after schooling, today's case may be different, so to stand a chance of getting a great job, you must constantly improve yourself, by building capacity and continuous learning, on this note, writing a good APPLICATION LETTER, stands you out, it is your first tool, and sadly many of us are not used to this.

STEPS TO WRITTING A GREAT APPLICATION LETTER:

1. UNDERSTAND THE COMPANY: Take out the time to study extensively, what the company stands for, what they do, what are the qualifications and skills they need, their core values and mission statement.

With the knowledge of this, you can be the judge and know if you are eligible or not.

Eg. If one of the core values of the company is HARDWORK, somewhere along the line, you may add, that HARDWORK is a fabric of your day to day life.

2. YOUR ADDRESS:
If you have ever scribbled any formal letter in your life, it wil be natural to just start off with your address at the top right side of the page.

This is the standard, although some format might have it at the left hand side.

Include your contact information (phone number, email and residential address) here and the date.

EMPLOYERS CONTACT:
This should be inscribed on the left hand side of page, it does not need to be bulky, but basic address of your employer.

SALUTATION: It is important to show courtesy be saluting your prospective employer, if you know your employers last name, you could use it with any of this prefix “Dear Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms/Prof/Dr. /Eng./Senator.” Etc. In situations were you are not sure of either the gender or status, you can go with a generic salutation like “Dear Sir/Ma”.

BODY OF THE LETTER
Opening Paragraph: In this paragraph, you will state the position you are applying for and where you saw the job advert. It will serves as the introductory section and should be brief.

Second Paragraph: This is like the core of the letter. Here you will state why you are applying for the job and how you fit the description perfectly.

Third Paragraph: This paragraph is sequel to the second paragraph where you can add a few of the skills you possess which are in line with what the company wants. good lines spacing will enhance readability and make it look professional.

Final/Closing Paragraph: In this final paragraph, you can express your gratitude in advance.

Eg. Thanks in anticipation.
Complimentary Closing
You remember the orthodox “yours faithfully” or 'your sincerely' in letters right? This is the part where you use any and add your name after it.

Signature
After the complimentary closing, you can wrap the entire letter up with your signature either handwritten or scanned.

I Wish you success in your applications for opportunities, remember, keep trying till you get it.

Ubong Usoro
Director of Information, EFSA.