Composing a Letter of Application

Students will learn the importance of letters of application, what letters of application should contain, and how to format the letters. They will also enhance their composition skills, language skills, and proofreading skills.

By Joyce Shepard

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Learning outcomes

Students will:

• learn the importance of an application letter and why one must accompany a resume.
• learn what an application letter should contain and how to format it.
• pull together their composing skills, language skills, and proofreading skills to produce a document applicable to them from an actual employment ad.
• hopefully become more aware of how important it is to plan for their futures.

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

90 minutes

Materials/resources

• Help Wanted ads from a local newspaper--ads must have a mailing address
• Local telephone books for reference
• Completed, corrected resumes pertaining to the students in their present situations

Technology resources

Computer with a word processor

Printer

Pre-activities

Knowledge of keyboarding by touch with keying capabilities of at least 30 gwan.

Ability to compose while keying.

Knowledge of creating and saving the first employment document, a resume, and having a corrected hard copy of a resume for each student.

Activities

Emphasize that a resume is never sent by itself, even if the newspaper ad reads simply, “Send resume.” The cover letter that goes with the resume is the letter of application. Together, the resume and the letter of application are the student’s introduction to the company in the ad.

Point out how difficult it is to find appropriate ads for students with their current level of knowledge and experience. Provide copied ads for students if they could not find an ad for which they qualify. Assist students as they choose an ad in which to respond.

Explain the content of the letter of application:

• Limit to one page
• Use four paragraphs
• Have the first paragraph specify the job applied for and mention how the student found out about it. It could begin with a question. Have students key possible questions that could begin the first paragraph and then share their work.
• Have the second paragraph list the relevant skills of the student as far as the job is concerned.
• Have the third paragraph convince the reader that the student has special skills. In this paragraph, “sell” yourself to the company. Include items not in the resume.
• Have the last paragraph restate the student’s interest in the position and ask for an interview.
• Discuss appropriate complimentary closings.
• Discuss the importance of a neat signature in black ink.

Demonstrate the formatting of the letter of application and then direct the students as they begin their letters. Remind the students that the letter will have an enclosure.

Each student will format and compose an original letter of application addressed to the ad chosen.

Students will edit and proofread their letters and then print a hard copy. The hard copy will be signed in black ink and placed on top of the resume previously completed. Resumes with any newly-discovered problems will need to be reprinted. Or, the resume can be opened and customized for the particular job ad being used.

Assessment

Students present teacher with their two pieces of completed work, and the teacher will grade the hard copies for two grades. One grade will be given for whether or not the letter of application and resume are mailable. Any keyboarding error makes the set not mailable. The mailability grade will be a 100 (if mailable) or an 80 (if not mailable). The second grade will be on development of content. A 100 will represent all four paragraphs developed as instructed. A 90 will represent only three paragraphs developed properly. An 80 will represent two paragraphs developed properly. A 70 will represent only one paragraph developed as instructed. A 60 will be given if no paragraphs are correct.

Students will be given the option to correct and redevelop their work. The correcting will take place before or after school. Any higher grades will replace the first grades.

Supplemental information

It will be extremely difficult to find ads with mailing addresses for which a high school student qualifies. But, they can be found. Most students will depend on the teacher to provide the ads, but students should be encouraged to comb the newspapers and bring in ads.

Students will find it very difficult to be keying about themselves. Most keyboarding activities are “generic.” This is one of the most realistic activities a keyboarding student can perform.

It would be useful to follow up this lesson with a lesson on the importance of follow-up letters.

Many courses in the Trade and Industrial Education track have “Complete a letter of application, a job application, and develop a resume” as an objective.

Related websites

Writing Resumes and Cover Letters Theme Page
http://www.cln.org/themes/writing_resumes.html

Comments

My students have always loved the employment unit. They are shocked to find they qualify for almost nothing! They will also want to fabricate rather than use their actual situations.

The “mailable” grading standard may seem harsh, but by this time in a high school keyboarding course a student must realize that not a single error can appear in acceptable work. This is the one unit where the mailable standard can be justified.