Job advertisement response – private enterprises
Carefully analyse the job advertisement to determine the content of this type of letter. In your letter you should describe succinctly and clearly how you meet that criteria.
Advertisements for graduate positions most often appear in the large display advertisements in the careers or professional section of the newspaper, not in the positions vacant section.
A display advertisement will usually consist of three parts – a description of the employer organisation, an overview of the job role and then the selection criteria. The selection criteria part of an advertisement usually starts with a sentence like "The successful candidate will demonstrate/possess ..." or "To be successful in this role you will ..."
The focus and main content of your letter should be about how you meet the selection criteria. This is because the decision to hire will be based on how well candidates meet the selection criteria.
In your introductory paragraph:
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Refer to the position, including a reference number, if applicable, and where you saw it advertised.
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Say that you are interested in the role, and express confidence in your ability to perform the role to the standard required.
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Then write a sentence introducing the reader to the main body of the letter, for example, "Following is a summary of my qualifications and experience based on your selection criteria: ..."
In the main body of your letter:
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Use sub headings, either in bold font or underlined, for each of the selection criteria, and then detail under each heading the information in dot point summary form about how you meet the criteria.
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Indicate that you have enclosed your resume which contains further information about your skills and qualifications in relation to the position.
The concluding paragraph:
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Indicate that you look forward to meeting the person to whom you are writing in the interview, at which time you will be able to further demonstrate your suitability for the role and outline the contribution you can make to the organisation.
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Avoid a weak closing sentence which states that you "hope to hear" from them – indicate in the tone of the letter that you are confident about your capabilities and that an interview is expected!
Tip: Avoid doing what inexperienced job seekers tend to do, which is to write about their ability to carry out the described role, rather than attempting to match their skills and experience against the selection criteria.