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Guidelines for writing
a cover letter
A complete
job
application
consists of a cover letter and a resume. The cover letter is meant to highlight
your individuality or personality, and to make you stand out from among hundreds
of other applicants.
When there are more job seekers
around than job vacancies, human resource personnel tend to be more selective
when short listing candidates for
interview. Hence,
you should use the cover letter as a tool to win the heart of a prospective
employer. Market yourself to create a positive first impression in the cover
letter, so that the person will read
your
resume,
shortlist you for an interview, and offer you a job. A poorly written cover
letter is likely to get instant rejection from the employer given the current
job market.
As there is no standard format for
cover letter, you are encouraged to write a particular cover letter, one at a
time, to apply for the position of your interest. Cover letter should not be
generic, i.e. you should not use the same
cover
letter
for all the companies you wish to approach. This is because details like where
and when you learnt about the vacancy, why you are interested to apply, what you
have to offer to the company etc. are different for each of these companies.
Generally, a well written cover
letter should provide answers to what the employers want to know:
Are you the kind of person they are
looking for?
Do you have the relevant education,
work
experience
and skills?
Can you handle the work demands, based on the job description?
Have you shown a commitment to this particular field of interest?
How well can you communicate with others?
Are you a team player?
Have you any leadership qualities?
Guidelines:
Organise your thoughts carefully
Express yourself clearly and reasonably
Use strong action words to describe your achievements
Use active rather than passive voice
Avoid jargon
Avoid long sentences
Avoid bad grammar and spelling mistakes
Limit the length to one page only
Proof read before you send via e-mail
Layout of a cover letter
The opening
Include your name and address, the
date, employer痴 designation and address, salutation and subject.
Introduction
Nominate the job for which you are
applying for.
Indicate the source and date of the job information.
Mention briefly your qualifications
Indicate your interest,
career
objective or goal.
Sales pitch
Highlight the extent to which you
match the requirements of the job.
State your relevant experience gained from industrial attachments, projects,
vacation or part-time jobs.
Give a brief summary of your educational achievements, experience, qualities,
capabilities and skills.
Outline any further points in your favour related to the job and mention the
attached resume.
Mention your interest in the organisation and your reason for applying for that
particular position.
Request for further action
Write that you look forward to a
call or letter.
State your availability for interview.
Thank the person for his or her time and consideration.
The complimentary close
Remember to sign personally and
include your name. State your enclosures such as your attached resume, academic
results or references.
Sample
Cover
Letter
1
Ngeow Yeok Meng
12-A, Jalan Kajang Mewah 10
Taman Kajang Mewah
Kajang 43000
Selangor
5 December 1998
The Human Resource Manager
JobStreet Sdn Bhd
Suite 4.3, Wisma Maran
338, Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman
50100 Kuala Lumpur
Dear Sir/Madam,
APPLICATION FOR THE POST OF CHIEF
EDITOR
I refer to your advertisement
placed in JobStreet痴 homepage dated 2 December 1998 for the above position.
Realising that Internet is no longer an alternative but a necessity in the next
millenium, I am keen to enhance my career in the content development of web site
of your company.
Allow me to introduce myself
briefly. I gained basic knowledge of journalistic reporting, feature writing and
editing skills from my major in Media Studies from the University of Malaya. My
present job as a senior editor in a news agency since 1994 provides me with work
experience and on-the-job training in the above areas.
In 1997, I had the opportunity to
write for Alta Vista, an Internet content provider for the Asia Pacific region.
The extensive knowledge I gained from my research work on
employment trend
and labour market information has enlightened me in many ways. I believe I can
share my expertise with JobStreet in terms of recruitment practices and human
resource
management
if given the opportunity.
I知 also well-versed in HTML and
Pagemaker 6.0 as I have been actively involved in maintaining the web site of
the news agency I serve. I知 able to meet deadline promptly as a result of many
years of working at a fast pace in this agency.
The attached
resume
of mine will provide you more information about my work experience. I値l be glad
to attend an interview to furnish you with more details. I can be reached via
e-mail ngeow@mol.com.my.
Thank you for your time and
consideration.
Yours faithfully,
覧覧覧覧蘭
(Ngeow Yeok Meng)
Enclosed: Resume, Academic Results,
References.
Sample Cover Letter 2
Rosli Abdul Hamid
13, Jalan 17/21
Sri Petaling
57000 Kuala Lumpur
5 December 1998
Mr. Geh Thuan Hooi
Group Human Resource Manager
AE Technologies
7, Jalan 7, Cheras Jaya
Jalan Balakong
43200 Selangor
Dear Mr. Geh,
RE: APPLICATION FOR MANAGEMENT
TRAINEE POSITION
I wish to apply for the position of
management trainee as advertised in JobStreet homepage on the 1st December 1998.
I知 currently enrolled in the final
year of a business administration course at the Universiti Utara Malaysia, and
will graduate in April 1999.
Your company痴 unique involvement
and position in the manufacturing of precision metal stampings and tooling has
prompted me to apply for the management trainee position in your organisation. I
am very interested in pursuing a career in the area of
business
administration.
My academic transcript, which I have enclosed, shows that I have completed a
wide range of subjects that provide me with a firm base of knowledge and skills
relevant to the requirements of the management trainee position.
I notice that the position you
advertised requires two years of work experience. Although I have not any work
experience pertaining to the manufacturing industry, I have gone through a
five-month industrial training during my final year of study where I was given
tasks equivalent to a management executive. I have performed well during the
training which had helped me expose to various managerial skills and practical
knowledge.
My attached resume demonstrates my
capacity to be a leader who is able to work in a team environment, set and
achieve long and short term goals, think analytically and solve problems. I
believe my knowledge and technical know-how in the field of management will help
me contribute a great deal to your company. Above all, I possess the interest
and determination to perform well in the graduate position you are offering.
I look forward to meeting with you
to discuss the position further. I can be contacted on 012-2116888 between the
hours of 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., and the following e-mail address: ahrosli@hotmail.com.
Thank you for your consideration.
Yours sincerely,
覧覧覧覧蘭
(Rosli Abdul Hamid)
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