Tips in Business Letter Writing

Things to Consider in Writing an Effective Application Letter
by: Mike J. Herald

Formal letter writing, in this case, writing an application letter, involves skills in written communications. Unlike the spoken language, errors can easily be detected because words are seen visually. In this fast changing world, people who are adept in written communication are already ahead of others who are not.

Read also: 7 Tips for Human Resource Department Job Application

The first thing that we should all remember about formal or business letter writing is that the personality of the writer is revealed in the manner he writes. This means that a letter that is neat, presentable and free from grammatical errors is a reflection of the writer himself.

Don't forget to put your signature above your printed name
to validate your application letter.

Secondly, a formal letter should be brief and direct to the point. Bear in mind that the people you are communicating with are indeed busy individuals who have a hundred tasks to accomplish in a day. Thus, a letter that beats around the bush would easily get into their nerves. They may have many application letters in their hands so it is smart to make your letter concise yet effective.

Remember the four magic letters in effective business letter writing – T, W, R, R. This acronym means Think, Write, Revise and Rewrite. Even the worst writer can improve his work of he has the patience to revise and rewrite all the time.

Writing a Letter of Application

An application letter is perhaps the most often written communication of all time. People look for jobs, and once they do so, application letters are required of them as well as resume’s and other pertinent documents. An applicant’s effective application letter means a good chance of getting the job.

Letter of Application Styles and Formatting

The most formal type of an application letter follows the full block style. This means that there are no indentions in the beginning words of the paragraphs and all the parts of letter start on the left side.

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Example of Formal Type Application Letter
Full Block Style

September 14, 2013

345 Mahogany Street,
State of California
United States of America

Miss Pamela Laces
HR Department
Smart HRD Journey

Dear Madam:

Should there be a need for an additional employee in your company, please consider me as an applicant who is willing to accept responsibilities and tasks.

I am Mike J. Herald, 37 years of age, married and in good health. I may not be a degree holder but I believe that my different exposures and experiences for almost 15 years in the field helps me gain full knowledge and understanding in my chosen career. With my own pursuance to be a part of your company, I am very much willing to undergo training if needed.

Attached herewith are facts that will provide the details relevant to my field and experiences from which you may be able to obtain more information about my individual characters and abilities.

I am very much available for an interview. I may be reached through my telephone number 555-4289 or you can send me an email message at mike.j.herald@gmail.com

Thank you.

Respectfully yours,
Mike J. Herald

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The indented style is similar to the way we write the parts wherein the words does not form a straight line. Instead, the patter followed is slanted.

Example of Formal Type Application Letter
Indented Style

September 26, 2013

49 Pink Blossom Street,

Las Vegas, Nevada

United States of America

Mr. Randy Santiago
HR Department
Smart HRD Journey
112 Purple Avenue
Las Vegas, Nevada
United States of America

Dear Sir:

I have read from the Herald News Today dated September 14, 2013 at the classified section that your department is in need of an assistant. I would like to apply for the position.

I am 20 years old, a graduate of the University of HR Development with a degree of Commerce Major in Human Resource Management. I have worked with the Rural Bank of Las Vegas for one year and my experience has enhanced my skills in handling the job I am applying for.

For references, you may contact the following:

Ms. Cynthia Jimenez-Figeroa – Branch Manager, Rural Bank of Las Vegas – 555-6589
Mr. Michael Smith – HR Department Head, Rural Bank of Las Vegas – 555-6988

I am willing to come for an interview anytime convenient to you.

Thank you.

Respectfully yours,
Cielo D. Nadal

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The modified block style of business letter is different from the indented style since the parts have no indentions.

Contents of an Application Letter

Unlike the ordinary friendly letter that contains 5 parts, an application letter contains 10 parts. These are: the inside address, heading, greetings / salutation, source, reason for writing, qualification, references, an expression of willingness to come for an interview, complimentary close and signature.

The inside address is the address of the writer. Why is it important in writing an application letter? The receiver needs to glance at the inside address to scan for quick information about the writer and where he or she lives.

The heading provides all pertinent information about the receiver of the letter, his position, the name of the company or corporation and its address.

The greeting of a formal application letter usually starts with “Dear Sir” or Dear “Madame” and it ends with a colon. A colon is the more acceptable punctuation mark used in the salutation of business letters.

The first paragraph of the body of an application letter starts with the source. This is a statement that reveals how the writer or the applicant gets the information about the corporation’s need of applicants. The source maybe the classified ads section of a newspaper, pamphlets, leaflets, billboards, television ads, radio ads or an online job search website. It may also be a person who provides the information. If the applicant’s source is the newspaper, give the complete information such as: the date the paper was published and the name of the news paper.

After the source, the next sentence should be about the reason for writing. This is the formal announcement that the writer would like to apply for the position hereby stated.

The second paragraph is the chance of the applicant to make himself worthy of the position he is applying for. In this part, he reveals his qualifications. All information that is necessary should be stated here including his work experience and his accomplishments.

The third paragraph informs the reader about the references – the people who can vouch for the applicant’s character. Names of relatives should not be included here. Possible references could be the parish priest, a former boss or superior and a person of higher authority who knows the applicant well enough. The address and phone number of these people should also be included.

The last paragraph should be a polite way of expressing the applicant’s willingness to come for an interview.

The complimentary close commonly used are “Respectfully Yours” and “Sincerely Yours” or simply “Sincerely”.

For the last part of the application letter, make sure that the signature is written above the printed name.

Tips to Remember

Use Arial font style with a 12px font size when writing your application letter.
Place your finished application letter, together with your resume, in a short file folder.
The application letter will serve as your cover letter.

Good luck!

Smart HRD Journey