The good application letter

101 Bristol Gardens
Perivale
Middx
UB6 4SD

5 August 2002

Chris Wilson
Wilson Associates
45 Frederick Street
Edinburgh
EH2 1EP

Dear Ms Wilson

I was very interested to read your advertisement in the Daily Mail of 8 June 2002 for a
Personal Assistant with the Royal Mail, as I am confident that I have the experience and
skills being sought.

As you will see from my enclosed CV, I have extensive experience of operating as a
Senior Secretary/PA, serving high levels of management in varied customer orientated
industries. In my most recent post as Secretary/PA to the Chairman of the ABC
Company I have led a team of six staff in providing support to the Board of Directors. It
was my responsibility to recruit, train and motivate this group into a tight knit and efficient
team. Their motivation was a key issue in the building up of this successful operation.
As a result, I was also able to reorganise team functions so that a retiring member did
not need to be replaced.

This personal assistant role would broaden my career and enable me to tackle new
challenges in a revitalised organisation such as Royal Mail. I feel that my experience,
youthful approach and managerial skills, together with my secretarial abilities, could be
used to excellent effect.

I would be delighted to attend an interview and would be happy to discuss how we may
benefit each other. My previous salary with ABC Company was £15,000 with additional
benefits. My telephone number, whilst being on my CV, is (0181) 123 4567; an
answerphone is in operation if I am not able to answer the call. I look forward to hearing
from you soon.

Yours sincerely,

Norma Hooper (Mrs).

Why this letter is more likely to achieve an interview?

1. Applicant’s address includes postcode and she has taken the trouble to find out
the sex of the consultant.
2. She is saying ‘I have what you need – I can do this job’.
3. There is no wishing to apply – she is direct.
4. It is immediately clear which position is being applied for.
5. The applicant has not fallen into the trap of expecting the accompanying CV to do
all the work. It is understood that the application letter complements the CV and
is highlighting those aspects of her career, which are relevant to the job.
6. The details of a specific role have been quoted with evidence. Potential
employers like to see the benefits to the company e.g. reduction in headcount.
7. Although not mentioned in the advertisement, she had read between the lines
and picked out factors that will be of interest to Royal Mail, e.g. Experience of
‘customer orientated industries’.
8. The applicant understands that the purpose of the letter is to achieve an
interview. Therefore, the letter is kept brief and does not tell the whole story. It
provides a taster.
9. The advertisement has been studied, she concentrates on her managerial skills
as stressed in the advertisement, and given an example, with passing reference
to secretarial abilities.
10. Achievements and responsibilities are quantified where possible.
11. The emphasis throughout is mainly on the benefit to the employer rather than to
the applicant (only one sentence refers).
12. Optimistic positive words are used; ‘confident’, ‘successful’, etc.
13. There is strong evidence of ‘blowing your own trumpet’.
14. The applicant asks for an interview and gives a number.
15. The ending of the letter is very positive in that it indicates the next stage of the
process and her keenness to pursue her application.
16. It is recognised that the applicant is the product, the employer is the customer
and the letter and CV are the sales literature. The latter is all that the customer
has to go on to decide whether the product might be worth seeing.

Selling Points:
Remember, in your letters and during your discussions, employers like to hear from
people who can:
Cut costs Preserve competitive advantage
Make it look better Improve the packaging
Get it done quickly Avoid potential problems
Improve appearance Organise it
Expedite the workflow Use old things in a new way
Increase sales/profit/turnover Cut down time
Provide more information Provide a tax advantage
Cut staff costs Reduce inventories
Turn around a bad situation Develop staff performance
Improve teamwork and relationships

http://www.kirklees.gov.uk/employment/jobseekers/goodapplication.pdf