mwakenya

    One of the most challenging things to write is a job application letter….how long should it be?, how do I address it?, how should I finish it?....many questions flood your mind when you think about it and you ended up writing all the same something you are not quite sure off….to enable you write a fairly good and acceptable job application letter here are some tips   

 Size

There are many questions surrounding the topic of how long an application letter should be…before we tackle this topic let us first ask ourselves some questions such as…how many application letters does a HR officer receive for job application?, how long can he/ she read your letter before deciding whether you get an interview?....from your answers I can tell that now you know the answer is not long…not more than a page

Font size and fonts

When typing an application letter what fonts should you use?, what size?....the answer is don’t be too ambitious with the fonts just do the ordinary types such as Calibri, new times roman or Arial which ever you prefer…when it comes to size don’t go above 12 and bellow 11

Paper

When writing a letter whether a printed one or hand written one always ensure that it is clean, plain, smooth and of reasonable thickness…paper with many writings and decorations will distract the reader from the content besides making the words less clear

Version of word processing software

One of the basic things to remember especially where you are making applications via e-mail is that you need to save your work in compatible versions of software’s…for example if using Microsoft word program save the document in a lower version say 97-2003 since the recipient may not have an up to date system

Should market your CV

What most individuals don’t understand is that your application letter should market your CV by highlighting the main highs of your CV in brief captivating captions based on what the potential employer value in his/ her job announcement…

Your address and phone number

Always remember to write your name and contacts at the beginning of a letter so that the recipient knows who you are…lack of the contacts and name could mean you are not serious with things

Check the grammar

Remember to always check the spellings, punctuations and grammar before sending the letter….if you use a computer word processor program then first review the later go through it yourself before asking some one else to do so for you…errors portray a bad image of the applicant

Hand writing

If the letter is hand written then do mind your handwriting…if it is not readable then no matter how artistic it looks it will not serve its purpose which is communication…ask yourself this, does the employer have all the time in the world to decipher your handwriting?

Don’t repeat too much the “I’s”

One common mistake job applicants do is being respective in words…most say, “I am” more that it is necessary making the whole letter uninteresting to read

Don’t write looong paragraphs

Don’t write long paragraphs of sentences since no person that is short on time has all the time to read a whole paragraph to get your point…paraphrase your writing into short paragraphs

Don’t use common cliché’s

Most people use the same cliché’s when addressing employers….this are such phrases as, “following your recent announcement”…be unique don’t say that you are a hardworking, independent , prudent, etc….if you use the same cliché’s how will you stand out from the rest?

make bullets and formatting to work for you

It makes it easier for the employer when you format your content in easily identifiable bullets rather than huge blocks of text…therefore highlight the main points and follow up sub-points in bullets

Use simple English

Many people try to use huge vocabularies that are not common…remember if the employer gets in contact with this huge vocabularies he/ she will be turned off supposing he doesn’t know….it could also indicate that you are a snob or show off.

 Good luck on your job applications