Writing Letter of Application

and Resumes
• A real letter of application maybe one of the
most important pieces of writing you will ever
do. It may get you started on a career. As such
letters give prospective employers their first
impression of you, your letters should be
written with great care. If their quality is high,
you may go into an interview with an already-
established favorable inpression. You should
be specially sure that you have mispelled no
words and have made no errors usage. You
should type your letters if possible.
 Observe the following instructions.
• Do not try to butter up your prospective
employer. Do not gush. Do not try
excessive flattery. Do not boast, but be
firm in giving the impression that you will
make a good employee.
• Do not write too much. Keep the letter
fairly short, although you must give full
details. Avoid wordiness.
• Give your vital statistics. An employer will
want to know your age, size, marital status,
state of health, and anything unusual about
your person. You may enclose a photo of
yourself if you want to.
• Give your educational background. Give
special emphasis to any educational
distinctions you have achieved, such as
belonging to an honor group. You may also
mention extracurricular activities or
achievements.
• Give your work experience. You should
mention all work experience even though it
might not pertain to the job in question. Try to
relateq your previous successes to the success
you think you will have on this job.
 The Resume
• Many employers request that a
resume be sent along with your
letter of application. A resume is
simply a summary of your personal,
educational and employment history.
The resume offers employers a quick
and convenient listing of your
qualifications.
• Personal Data - Include your legal name,
address, telephone number, age, social
security number, marital status, and
general health. It is no longer nesessary
to include race, religion or sex.
• Education - Usually start with highschool.
Include any college work degrees earned,
post graduate work, and special schools
or classes you might have attended.
• Extracuriccular Acrivities - Many employers have
found that employees who participated in
student government, sports, clubs, and other out
of class activities tend to be more stable and
effective than workers who never were involved
in such activities.
• Work Experience - For the first job, it is wise to
include part time jobs that you have held as well
as summer work. After you have worked at your
profession for a time, most of these part time
jobs are not really important. Your employer
wants to know what you have done thatbwill
sake you efective at the job you are seeking.
• Professional Activities - These includes anything
you might have published, any special
organizations you belong to, any honors you
might have won.
• References - Usually three or four references are
requested. These always include former
employers or supervisors. A college instructor is
always a good reference. Rarely is it wise to use
relatives (like your mother) or friends unless the
employer asks for them. Make certains that you
have asked the person if it is acceptable for you
to use him/her as a reference. Do not surprise
anyone.
• Additional Information - If you have any
special skills that would make you more
valuable to the employer, include them. Such
abilities might include knowledge of a
foreign language, any special mechanical
skills, familiarity with a foreign country from
wide traveling, or any other items that could
not properly fit under education or work
experience.