Job Application Letter

and Résumé
By
Marissa P. Panogaling,
PhD
Objectives

At the end of the discussion, the participants

should be able to:
1.describe a job application letter and résumé;
2.Differentiate the types of job application letter;
3.Differentiate the types of résumé; and,
4.Write their own job application letter and
résumé.
 Introduction

• It is generally known that a résumé and a job

application letter (a.k.a. a cover letter) are two
essential documents in the employee
recruitment process. In some practice, a job
application letter functions as a transmittal
document for the enclosed résumé.
Bhatia (1993), however, pointed out that the letter
offers an applicant with an opportunity not only to
clarify the information in his/her enclosed résumé but
also to exhibit an association between such
information and the required qualifications in the job
advertisement. By considering these characteristics,
Bhatia (1993) categorized a job application letter as
part of the promotional genre in business settings
(Thumnong &Tongpoon-Patanasorn, 2017).
 What is an application letter?

• A job application letter, is a type of

personal business correspondence which
states a person’s intention to work in a
particular company or organization (Barrot,
2018).
 Why do we write a job application letter?

• A job application letter is usually the first step

to initiate the job application process. This
makes it the most crucial step towards
bagging your dream job(Agrawal,2020).
• Job seekers create application letters, also
called cover letters, to send to prospective
employers in an attempt to get an interview
(VanBaren, 2018).
• The ability to write a convincing and persuading job
application letter is important for students to attain
their intended job after graduating (Latipah &
Gunawan, 2020).
• Although application letters are generally considered
optional components of applying for a job, more and
more frequently, employers are singling out those who
actually take the time to write an application letter as
their top picks (Lemoine, 2019).
 Types of Application Letter

Solicited Job Unsolicited Job

Application Letter Application Letter
• A company announced a job • A company had not asked for
opening or vacancy. applications.
• The goal is to obtain an • The applicant hopes that the
interview for a specific job company has any position,
position which the applicant within a certain area,
mentions in the letter. available.
• The applicant often includes • The applicant often states
where he heard about the where he heard about the
opening. company.
Sample Solicited Application Letter
Sample Unsolicited Application Letter
 Tips on how to write effective application
letter (Doyle, 2020)

• Length: A letter of application should be no more than

one page long.
• Format and Page Margins: A letter of application should
be single-spaced with a space between each paragraph.
Use about 1" margins and align your text to the left, which
is the standard alignment for most documents.
• Font: Use a traditional font such as Times New Roman,
Arial, or Calibri. The font size should be between 10 and
12 points.
What to include in each section of the
letter?

Heading: A letter of application should begin

with both your and the employer's contact
information (name, address, phone number,
email) followed by the date. If this is an email
rather than an actual letter, include your contact
information at the end of the letter, after your
signature.
• Your information (for both written and email letters) should
indicate:
• Name: Add your full name.
• Street address: State the address where you currently live.
• Location: Also include your city, state, and zip code.
• Phone number(s): Mention the number where you can most
easily be reached. If you are reachable at a mobile number by
day, and a home office phone number by evening, you can
choose to list both numbers—label one "Mobile phone" and
the other "Evening phone."
• Email address: This is only needed for written cover
letters; for email cover letters, the email itself serves
as a record of your email address. Be sure to include a
professional handle for your email contact information,
preferably a variant of your name or initials.
• Preferred method of contact: Indicate the quickest way
to contact you from the available options you provide—
be it a mobile phone number or email contact
information.
• Your recipient's information (only included in written cover letters) should
include:
• Name: This should be the full name of the recipient—usually the
department manager who is in charge of hiring. If needed, check the
company website or LinkedIn to find out the department manager's
name. When in doubt, call the company's main line and ask the
receptionist. If you cannot determine the contact's name, use the name
of the department in the contact information.
• Title: Add the job title of the recipient—for example, "Sales Manager."
• Company: State the recipient's company name.
• Address: Include the address of the recipient's company.
• Location: Add the city, state, and zip code of the recipient's company.
• Salutation: This is your polite greeting. The most
common salutation is "Dear Mr./Ms." followed by
the person's last name. Find out more about
appropriate cover letter salutations, including
what to do if you don't know the person's name,
or are unsure of a contact's gender.
• Body of the letter: Think of this section as being three distinct
parts.
• In the first paragraph, you'll want to mention the job you are
applying for and where you saw the job listing.
• The next paragraph(s) are the most important part of your letter.
Remember how you gathered all that information about what
employers were seeking, and how you could meet their needs?
This is where you'll share those relevant details on your
experience and accomplishments.
• The third and last part of the body of the letter will be your thank
you to the employer; you can also offer follow-up information
• Complimentary Close: Sign off your email with a polite
close, such as "Best" or "Sincerely," followed by your
name.

• Signature: End with your signature, handwritten,

followed by your typed name. If this is an email,
simply include your typed name, followed by your
contact information.
 What is a résumé?

• According to Benz (2020), a resume is a formal

document that provides an overview of your
professional qualifications, including your
relevant work experience, skills, education, and
notable accomplishments. Usually paired with a
cover letter, a resume helps you demonstrate
your abilities and convince employers you’re
qualified and hirable.
• The goal of your resume is to convince
employers you’re worth interviewing. To that
end, your resume is a valuable tool you can use
to highlight your experience to prospective
employers.
• If your resume provides a concise summary of
your relevant qualifications and skills in a format
that makes your ability to handle the work as
clear as possible, you will get more interviews.
• A resume is a formal document that a job
applicant creates to itemize his or her
qualifications for a position. A resume is usually
accompanied by a customized cover letter in
which the applicant expresses an interest in a
specific job or company and draws attention to
the most relevant specifics on the resume
(Bloomenthal, 2020).
• Resume, meaning summary, comes from French
(though the French themselves call this document a
CV).
• A resume (also spelled résumé) is a formal document
that serves to show a person’s career background and
skills. In most cases, it’s created in order to help a
candidate to land a new job. A traditional resume
consists of a professional summary, work history, and
education sections. It works like your job hunt
marketing document (Mucha, 2021).
 What to Include on a Resume

Contact information: your name, phone number, email

address, and optionally relevant social media handles, such as
your LinkedIn profile. In most cases, leave your address off your
resume.
Resume profile: a short summary of your skills and proudest
accomplishments. It tops your resume and serves as your job
bio.
Work experience: the meat and potatoes of your job
application. It’s where you tell your career history. Your job titles,
company names, duties, and years worked—these go into this
section.
Education on a resume: your school names, degrees,
major/minors, and optionally—GPA plus relevant coursework.

Resume skills: job-related skills that may be of value to your

prospective employer. According to statistics, a well-crafted
key skills section can boost your chances of getting a new job
by 59%. Include soft skills and hard skills.
Consider adding one of these resume nice-
to-haves:

Conferences
Certifications and Publications
licenses
Projects
Resume languages
Freelance work
Awards and honors
experience
Volunteer work
Hobbies and interests
• If you are a fresher on the job market, list your
education first, and don’t forget about internships,
extracurricular activities, and volunteer work.

• Remember to double check your resume for

grammatical errors and typos. These are always a big
no-no.
• Plus, keep it short and sweet. According to an HR
statistics report, Hiring managers look at each resume
only for about six seconds. If your resume feels like a
never-ending story with plot twists and turns—it won’t
sell well.

• It is much better to tailor your resume to the job post,

instead of listing all skills and duties that come to your
mind. Targeting your resume for a specific job is what
 Types of Résumé
• Depending on your specific skill set or work history, one
format might be better suited to highlight your qualifications
than another.
Chronological Resumes. A chronological resume opens
with an introduction, and then provides an overview of your
professional history in reverse-chronological order (meaning
your most recently held position is listed at the top).

• The chronological resume format is the most common type of

resume used by job seekers today, and is suitable for
candidates with a variety of different experience levels.
Sample Chronological Resume
Functional Resumes. A functional resume is formatted to focus on your
skills and abilities, rather than your chronological work history. It’s
preferred by professionals who want to draw attention away from their
traditional work experience, such as those who are changing careers or
have significant gaps in their work history.
 While similar to other resume formats, functional resumes are unique a
few key ways:
The resume introduction and skills section are longer and more detailed
than usual.
The work experience section is de-emphasized.
Sample Functional Resume
Targeted Resumes. A targeted resume is a resume tailored
for each position you apply to.
• This means highlighting any highly relevant skills and
experience you have, and writing your resume to focus on
these qualifications.
• To write a strong targeted resume, scan through the job listing
for the position you want to fill. Typically, hiring managers
include the skills, responsibilities, and traits that they want
candidates to possess in the job description. Then, highlight
these qualities on your resume to demonstrate that you’re an
ideal fit for the position (if you have them).
Sample Targeted Resume
Combination Resumes. A combination resume is a
format that (true to its name) combines the best
aspects of a functional resume and a chronological
resume.

• While a chronological resume focuses heavily on

experience and a functional resume emphasizes skills,
a combination resume typically leverages both work
history and skills equally to demonstrate your
qualifications.
• Combination resumes are ideal for candidates who
have extensive experience or a highly developed
set of skills that they want to showcase.
Sample Combination Resume
 Tips on how to write a résumé

• Since your future career depends on the quality of

your resume, it is important to have it right. So first,
give your resume a clear structure so it pleases the
recruiter’s eye right from the beginning.

• Follow these simple resume formatting tips:

• Set one-inch margins on each side of the page.
• Go for single or 1.15 line spacing.
• Use the legible font for a resume and keep it 11 or
12pt.
• Present your contact info in a separate resume
header.
• Divide your document into easy-to-navigate resume
sections.
• Describe your experience in the form of bullet points.
• Leave enough white space for a balanced resume
layout.