PracticalWritingApplicationsandResumesThewrittenwordShouldbecleanasbone,Clearaslight,Firmasstone.TwowordsarenotAsgoodasone.ApplicationsandResumesInwritingyourlettersofapplication,youshouldkeepinmindthreepoints:Yourtoneshouldbepoliteandconfident.You’dbetterpresentyourbestqualifications---youreducationandexperience----inthemostfavorablelight.Butdon’tbetooaggressiveandtooconfident.Theemployersmayfearthatyouwon’tbeabletogetalongwiththeotherstheyhavealreadyemployed.Ontheotherhand,don’tgototheotherextremeandbegforajobforsomepersonalreasons.Suchappealssimplydon’twork.Youshoulduseastandardbusinessletterformat.Theemployersjudgejobapplicantsasmuchonthewaytheirletterslookasonwhattheysay.Yourlettershouldbebriefandtothepoint----nolongerthanoneortwotypewrittenpage,possiblythreeorfourshortparagraphs.Thebodyofabasicjobapplicationlettercanbebrokeninto3parts:effectiveopening,presentationofqualificationsandsettingupaninterview.Thefollowingsectionswillshowyouwhattoconcentrateonineachoftheparts.(1)WriteaneffectiveopeningIfyouareapplyingforajobthatwasadvertised,youshouldwriteagoodopeninginthemostdirectwaywhichmakesclearwhatkindofjobyouwant.Whyyouarequalifiedforitandhowyourskillscanbevaluabletoaparticularbusiness,forexamples:“Mytrainingandexperienceasasalesmanagerandqualityinspectorshouldbeusefultoyourfirm.”Anotherwayofopeningyourapplicationletteristoaskaquestion:”Doyouneedagood,experiencedproof-reader?”Thatcatchestheemployers’attentionandgetsrighttothepoint,butyoumustsupportyourclaiminthenextparagraph.(2)PresentyourqualificationsWhatisthemostimportanttoyourapplicationletteristheproofthatyoucandothejobyouwant.Creatingagoodimpressionisnecessary.Youdon’tneedtobelong-winded(唠叨的)aboutitbecauseyou’llincludearesumesupplyingthedetail.Yourlettershouldmentiononlythosethingsthatbestqualifyyouforthejob.Experienceisessential.Ifyoudon’thavemuchworkexperience,youcanemphasizeyourtrainingandyourgrades,iftheyaregood.Youcanalsoransack(tosearchthoroughly)yourpastforotherusefulexperience.Ifyouwanttotakeajobwhichneedsorganizationalability,youcanlistsomethingsasexamplesofyourabilitytoorganize.Beasresourcefulasyoucanwhenconsideringyourskills,butdon’texaggeratethem.Employerslikeemployeeswhoaredevotedtotheirwork.Theyalsopreferemployeeswhohaveahighopinionofthecompanytheyworkfor,sotrytoworkinanindirectcompliment.Justbecarefulnottooverdoit.Forexample:“ApositioninyourcompanywouldoffermemoreopportunityforadvancementthanIhavewithmypresentexcellent,thoughsmaller,firm.”Remembertoexplainyourdesiretochangejobsinapositiveway.Salaryisasubjectthatshouldnotbedealtwithinapplicationletters.Ifanad.asksforyoursalaryrequirement,suggestthatthematterbediscussedinyourinterview.(3)SetupaninterviewToobtainaninterviewisarealobjectofanapplicationletter.Concludeyourletterbyofferingtobeinterviewedatthecompany’sconvenience,andaddthanks.Intoday’stightjobmarket,youshouldmakeeveryefforttoappearforaninterviewifyouareofferedone.Afteryou’vehadyourinterview,youshouldwriteabrieffollow-uplettertotheinterviewer.Inthisletteryoucouldmakesomecommentsonsomefeatureofthecompanywhichimpressedyouandexpressyourthankstoyourinterviewersfortheirtimeandconsideration.Asyourpurposeisonlytoremindthemofyourname,afewbrief,friendlylineswilldo.Butifyouarenotexpectedtocallyourinterviewer,nofollow-upletterisnecessary.Sample1.(AJobApplicationletter)500WestMainStreetNormal,IL61761March15,2008Ms.MariaValdez(name)PersonalManager(title,ifany)GreatWesternPublishingCorp.(company,ifany)77777StateStreet,Room456(streetaddress)Chicago,IL60606(city,state,andzip)DearMs.Valdez(salutation),Doyouneedagood,experiencedproofreaderorcopyeditor?FortwosummersIworkedasaproofreaderatTheDailyDelugeinColfax,Illinois,andforthreeyearsasapart-timeadvertisingcopywriterforradiostationWXYZinNormal.Astheenclosedresumeindicates,ImajoredinEnglishandminoredinjournalismatIllinoisStateUniversity.Myexperiencewithvariouswritingandproofreadingassignmentscouldproveusefultoyourfirm.Iknowapositionwithyournationallyknownfirmwouldbesatisfyingtome.Asitwouldfurthermyambitiontobecomeaprofessionaleditor.MayIcomeinforaninterviewatyourconvenience(I’dbemostgladtomeetwithyouanytimenextweekexceptTuesdayafternoon,whetheratyourofficeorsomeotherlocation)?Thankyouforyourconsideration.SincerelySueLeseure(typedname)Enclosure:Resume(4)AttacharesumeAresumeisalisting,ineasy-to-readform,ofeverythingaboutyouthatmightbeusefultoanemployeroraboss.Yourresumeshouldincludeworkexperience,education,professionaltraining,personaldetailsandalistofreferences---twoorthreepeoplewhowilltestifytoyourcharacterandcapabilities.Sinceyourresumeisyourrepresentative---apersonalrecordofyouraccomplishments,itmightwell:BeasattractiveandinformativeasyoucanmakeitPresentbestpointseffectivelyFiteverythingononeortwotypedpageBeinbrevityEmphasizeyourownstrongpoints(strengths)inaproperformBeginwithyourname,addressandtelephonenumberMakeeachofthefourparts---education,experience,personaldataandreference---aseparateheadingResumeYourresumeisakeyjob-huntingtooltogetajobinterview.Itsummarizesyouraccomplishm