Job Application Letter Sample and Tips

Whether you are want Job Application Letter Sample and Tips in answer to a job advertisement or just searching for work that has not been advertised, the aim is the same – you want to get an interview. The letter of application is likely to be the first correspondence you will have with an employer. They will judge you on this letter as to your worthiness of an interview.

Competition for jobs can be tough and your application needs to stand out. Employers may deal with hundreds of applications for the one position. Application letters are an important part of the job package you send to the employer. Your resume will necessarily outline your relevant work history, qualifications and specific details about your job duties whereas the cover letter will generally contain more personal information and will include your reasons for applying for the position. 

Job Application Letter Sample and Tips are a useful way to 'fill in the gaps' that may be present if an employer was only to read your resume. For example your cover letter can explain things like: interstate relocation, career change, periods of unemployment and other details that may be unclear from reading your resume alone.

 

Tips :

• Your letter should be clear and to the point. The employer's first impression of you is formed through this document.
   
•     Double check that the spelling and grammar are correct. Use paragraphs and punctuation. Have a friend or family member read through the letter to see if they can spot errors.
   
•     Check to make sure that the letter is formal and does not contain any slang or informal language.
   
•     Use a relevant font. Try to go for Arial or Times New Roman. Avoid fun fonts, such as Comic Sans, as this will ruin the reputation of the letter immediately as it displays a lack of professionalism. There are some quirky jobs where this will go over well but they're the rarity, so err on the side of caution.
   
•     You can type or hand-write your letter. However, typing is preferable because it is considered to be more formal and it's easier to read, making it more likely that your letter will get read.
   
•     Include a phone number, e-mail address or name of your reference and the best times when the employer can contact them. Alternatively, ask someone to type a reference up for you and include it when you give your CV to the employer.

Job Application Letter Sample and Tips to ensure you include all of the relevant information.

Full Block Business Letter Components and Sample

This is Full Block Business Letter Components and Sample. Some of these components are optional for typical, employment-related business letters. You may download or copy samples, examples or templates of employment-related business letters, by clicking on the links below.

• Job Application Letter Sample
• Effective Business Letter Example
• Writing a Job Application Letter
• Sample Cover Letter for Job
• Business Letter Example

 Here are Full Block Business Letter Components and Sample

Legend :

1. Return Address:  If your stationery has a letterhead, skip this. Otherwise, type your name, address and optionally, phone number. These days, it's common to also include an email address.
2. Date: Type the date of your letter two to six lines below the letterhead. Three are standard. If there is no letterhead, type it where shown.
3. Reference Line: If the recipient specifically requests information, such as a job reference or invoice number, type it on one or two lines, immediately below the Date (2). If you're replying to a letter, refer to it here. For example,
           Re: Job # 625-01
           Re: Your letter dated 1/1/200x
4. Special Mailing Notations: Type in all uppercase characters, if appropriate. Examples include
           SPECIAL DELIVERY
           CERTIFIED MAIL
           AIRMAIL
5. On-Arrival Notations: Type in all uppercase characters, if appropriate. You might want to include a notation on private correspondence, such as a resignation letter. Include the same on the envelope. Examples are
           PERSONAL
           CONFIDENTIAL
6. Inside Address:  Type the name and address of the person and/or company to whom you're sending the letter, three to eight lines below the last component you typed. Four lines are standard. If you type an Attention Line (7), skip the person's name here. Do the same on the envelope.
7. Attention Line: Type the name of the person to whom you're sending the letter. If you type the person's name in the Inside Address (6), skip this. Do the same on the envelope.
8. Salutation: Type the recipient's name here. Type Mr. or Ms. [Last Name] to show respect, but don't guess spelling or gender. Some common salutations are
           Ladies:
           Gentlemen:
           Dear Sir:
           Dear Sir or Madam:
           Dear [Full Name]:
           To Whom it May Concern:
9. Subject Line: Type the gist of your letter in all uppercase characters, either flush left or centered. Be concise on one line. If you type a Reference Line (3), consider if you really need this line. While it's not really necessary for most employment-related letters, examples are below.
           SUBJECT:  RESIGNATION
           LETTER OF REFERENCE
           JOB INQUIRY
10. Body: Type two spaces between sentences. Keep it brief and to the point.
11. Complimentary Close: What you type here depends on the tone and degree of formality. For example,
            Respectfully yours (very formal)
            Sincerely (typical, less formal)
            Very truly yours (polite, neutral)
            Cordially yours (friendly, informal)
12. Signature Block: Leave four blank lines after the Complimentary Close (11) to sign your name. Sign your name exactly as you type it below your signature. Title is optional depending on relevancy and degree of formality. Examples are
            John Doe, Manager
            P. Smith
            Director, Technical Support
            R. T. Jones - Sr. Field Engineer
13. Identification Initials: If someone typed the letter for you, he or she would typically include three of your initials in all uppercase characters, then two of his or hers in all lowercase characters. If you typed your own letter, just skip it since your name is already in the Signature Block (12). Common styles are below.
            JAD/cm
            JAD:cm
            clm
14. Enclosure Notation: This line tells the reader to look in the envelope for more. Type the singular for only one enclosure, plural for more. If you don't enclose anything, skip it. Common styles are below.
            Enclosure
            Enclosures: 3
            Enclosures (3)
15. cc: Stands for courtesy copies (formerly carbon copies). List the names of people to whom you distribute copies, in alphabetical order. If addresses would be useful to the recipient of the letter, include them. If you don't copy your letter to anyone, skip it.

Tips Full Block Business Letter :

• Replace the text in brackets [ ] with the component indicated. Don't type the brackets.
• Try to keep your letters to one page, but see page 2 of this sample if you need continuation pages.
• How many blank lines you add between lines that require more than one, depends on how much space is available on the page.
• The same goes for margins. One and one-half inch (108 points) for short letters and one inch (72 points) for longer letters are standard. If there is a letterhead, its position determines the top margin on page 1.
• If you don't type one of the more formal components, don't leave space for them. For example, if you don't type the Reference Line (3), Special Mailing Notations (4) and On-Arrival Notations (5), type the Inside Address (6) four lines below the Date (2).