CHAPTER 4:

Communication for Work Purposes

Presented by: MELANIA A. BANGUNAN

 Lesson 8

The Application Letter

 Engaging!
 Compare the two advertisements below and answer the following
questions.

 What are the common qualifications employers are looking for?

 What employment advertisement is relevant to your discipline or
industry are?
 Do you have qualifications required by the advertisement?
 What is an Application Letter?
It is the first thing your prospective
employers will see, and it should motivate
them to read you resume. It provides a
positive impression since it contains your
claims that you have the qualifications
they are looking for.

It also serves as a formal

introduction of yourself to your
prospective employer. It goes with your
resume, so you don’t have to give much
information. It does, however, have to
make favorable impression so you can get
an interview. This is achieved through
how the letter is written and presented.
 Below is an example of an application
letter which cites details that are specifically
tailored to a particular position.

Applicant’s Address
Line space
between
Recipient’s Information paragraphs
Salutation, with a colon Line space
Position identified

Experiences

Availability
Gratitude
Closing
3-4 lines space for signature
Sender’s name, typed
 Features of an
Application Letter
 Qualifications
In an application letter,
you need to make clear
you’re interested in the
position or the organization,
to indicate what skills you
possess that matches what the
company is looking for or to
stipulate why the person
you’re writing to should at
least want to meet you.
 Pleasing Tone
When writing application,
you need to go beyond simply
stating your accomplishments.
Through your words, you
need to demonstrate that you
will be the kind of employee
the organization wants.
Presentation is also important-
your letter should be neat and
error-free.
 Format
Application letter typically
follows a prescribed format,
which is a conventional
businesslike format. The most
common is the block format
shown in the examples. It
includes the writer’s address,
the date, the recipient’s name
and address, a salutation, the
message, a closing, and a
signature.
 Guidelines for
writing an
Application Letter
 1. Focus
Application letter is not
personal and should not
be chatty. Keep it focused:
when you’re applying for
a position, include only
information relevant to the
position. Don’t make your
audience wade through
irrelevant side issues.
 2. Stay on topic
State the reason for the letter.
Unlike essays, which announce
their topic in a subject line,
letters need to explicitly
introduce their reason for being
written, usually in the first
paragraph. When you’re applying
for something, say so in the first
sentence: “I am writing to apply
for the FASIN Scholarship for
students majoring in
accountancy.”
 3. Think of your letter as an argument
When you’re asking for a
job, you’re making an
ARGUMENT. You’re making a
claim – that you’re qualified for a
certain position – and you need to
support your claim with reasons
and evidence. Franchesca
Morales, for example, cites his
education and his work
experience – and he offers to
supply references who will
support his application.
 4. Choose an appropriate salutation
If you know the person’s name
and title, use it: “Dear Attorney
Lim.” If you don’t know the
person’s title, one good solution is
to address him/her by first and last
name: “Dear Jean Chavez.” If, as
sometimes happens, you must write
to an unknown reader, use “Dear
Sir/Madam.” Whenever possible,
though, write to a specific person;
call the organization and ask whom
to write to. Once you’ve had an
interview, write to your interviewer.
 5. Proofread
Few writing situations demand
greater perfection than professional
letters – especially application letters.
Employers receive dozens, sometimes
hundreds, of applications, and often
can’t look at them all. Typos,
grammar errors, and other forms of
sloppiness prejudice readers against
applicants: they’re likely to think that
if this applicant can’t take the time
and care to PROOFREAD, how badly
does he/she want this position? To
complete, strive for perfection.
 Introspecting !

Explain the
relevance of
the topic to
your career.
 Firming up !
1. Using a graphic organizer, illustrate how the content of an
application letter should be organized.
2. Evaluate the following application letter. Underline the lines
which are incorrect or ineffective. Using arrows and marginal
notes write the corrections of the lines you underlined.
 Concretizing !
1. Write an application letter for the job advertisement you used and
the resume you made in lesson 7.
2. Before submitting your application letter, evaluate it using the
following:for specific company
Adaptation Organization
Is the letter addressed to specific If you know the company is hiring, does
person (either the person specified in the paragraph indicate that you are
the ad or the person with the power to applying for the job and list your major
create a job for you)? qualification(s)?
Does the letter show your knowledge of If, as far as you know, the company is not
the company and the position? hiring, does the first paragraph catch the
Does the letter specify the position you reader’s interest and create a bridge to
are looking for? talking about yourself?
Does the last paragraph ask for an
interview?
Specific Supporting Details Style and Mechanics
Do details show that you have the basic Is the writing smooth, tight, and forceful?
qualifications specified in the ad? Does the text avoid using I at the beginning of
Do details show that you can go beyond every paragraph?
the basics to contribute to the company? Does the text use you-attitude and positive
Do details separate you from other emphasis?
applicants? Is the letter free from typos and other errors?

Format and Visual Impact

Does the letter use a standard letter format?
Is the page visually attractive, with a good mix of paragraph lengths?
Thank you!