The personal letter is a way to introduce yourself to your future employer. Many people think that the most difficult part of writing a job application is writing the personal letter. The purpose of the letter is to show who you are, create interest in you as a person, and in the long run that you should be allowed to come for an interview.
Many employers prefer application documents via email.
Application documents via e-mail are easier to handle and they contribute to the work becoming more efficient for those who are to recruit. Most recruiters prefer a personal letter and resume via email. 95 percent of all applications are sent today as such. The recruiter first wants to be able to do a rough screening in the computer and then quickly send over the application documents to the right colleague.
You should also be aware that there are companies that monitor internal Internet traffic. Many times it can therefore be safer to send your application by e-mail from home, or even by regular mail, instead of sending it via your e-mail address at work.
The goal is to tailor your personal letter so that the employer can immediately see what benefit you can bring and in what way you differ from other candidates.
Make sure to find a common denominator between you and the company and use it to your advantage in the letter.
Call the people who are in the job advertisement.
You can then refer to your phone call in & nbsp; your personal letter. This makes a more personal touch to your application and means that the recruiter already knows you when he or she makes his or her choice. One advantage is that you can get things clarified that seem a little unclear.
In many cases, you misunderstand words or sentences and it can be a little calmer to write the application after contact as you know a little better what the company really wants. When you call, ask as specific questions as possible, such as what the employer means by "social skills" or "flexibility". It also makes it easier for yourself because you can then become more concrete in your personal letter and really explain in which way you meet the criteria that the employer is looking for.
Do not leave the personal letter longer than one page.
Write short and concise and no longer than one page. The best letters are very short. It is good if you get what you can and want on a half page. Showing proof of a genuine commitment is the most important thing when you want to sell yourself to an employer. A good recruiter immediately notices if a person's commitment and interest in a job is genuine or played. Even if you should never pretend and pretend to be someone you are not, it is recommended that you can pick out different sides of yourself depending on which job you are looking for.
But be honest with yourself and the employer and do not exaggerate or lie. You only do yourself a favor if you are not genuine in your application or in the interview. The rest can be written in the CV. It is enough to take the next step and book an appointment for an interview. Recruiters usually skim through the application documents on the screen. Therefore, do not design for it, but use a clear font such as Times New Roman or Areal, preferably 11-12 points, Word or pdf format is also preferable as most people handle these.
Mixing several different styles gives a messy impression. Divide the text into clear paragraphs. Use margins of at least 3.5 cm to the right and left, it provides space for notes for the person reading the letter.
Focus on your strengths
Many people are unaccustomed to talking about their strengths, but all people have strengths. Write down all the positive feedback that you remember you received over the years. Feel free to talk to friends and family about how they see your qualities and how they experience you. When describing your characteristics, it is good to give concrete examples of how they are expressed.
An old sales ploy is to explain that your knowledge and experience correspond to the requirements set in the job advertisement. Why does your ingenuity and creativity become crucial? If possible, use words that appear in the job advertisement.
Who is the right contact person?
It is important to address directly to the right person. Do you write e.g. "personnel department", it will be more difficult to follow up the letter. Maybe it's the production manager who should see your application. Small details like misspelled name or wrong title can play a big role in your application.
Match your skills to the job you are looking for
Develop the qualifications and talents that are right for the job you are looking for. What makes you unique for the job? Is it the professions you worked in, the positions you held, the employers you worked for, the results you achieved, or something completely different? You should keep this in focus when selecting the qualities and experiences you highlight in the application letter. Sometimes it can be smart to attach work samples to your application.
It can be good for the employer to review your skills at an early stage. An IT technician can, for example, refer to a link with a program code that he / she has produced. You should scan in your latest work certificate or school certificate and attach it to the application.
Systematically describe your personal knowledge. Divide your knowledge into professional and professional. Then list what you have learned through working life, education, and in your free time as well as other knowledge. Also list what you can do and the experiences you have in different industries. Everything does not have to be work-related. In this way, you structure all the knowledge and experiences that you can transfer to your personal letter.
Customize the letter to the job vacancy and tone of the ad. Here, too, the employer's Web site can be a good source of information. If the language is formal, you must also write formally. A rule of thumb is: if the ad is in English, your documents must be in English and if it is in Swedish, you use Swedish. Link to the keywords in the ad.
Be brief
You should always be relevant in your personal letter to the employer and to the job you are applying for. Information about family relationships and hobbies does not necessarily have to be included. After you have written the application, remove unwarranted small words. Feel free to contact someone who you know has knowledge of the Swedish language. It could be your old teacher or someone you know can articulate in words and writing.
References
A reference person is someone who can tell you how you have worked or worked or who you know well. You should bring at least two reference persons. The reference persons may be different depending on the job you are looking for. Job-related references weigh heavier than private ones. Talk to the reference people so you know what they will say about you and make sure they want to be your references. You can choose to write in the application that you provide references on request or during an interview.
Traps
- Never send a resume without a personal letter.
- Always send original letters. Write a new letter to each job you apply for. The employer easily notices if you use a standard template that has no connection to the job.
- Never send a handwritten personal letter, if you have access to a computer.
- Never mention your unemployment in your personal letter.
- Avoid sentence construction errors, spoken language, or incorrect comments and points and absolutely no spelling errors in the personal letter.
- The reason why you quit your previous job should not be mentioned.
- Avoid your partner's work and your children's name and age. That information is rarely relevant to the employer.
- Do not focus on what the company can do for you but what you can do for the company. It's easy to lose focus if you do not have it in mind.
- Always keep a copy of your personal letters so you know what you sent.
- Do not include salary claims in the application letter, not even if it says "indicate salary claim" in the ad, then write instead, "the salary can be discussed in an interview". It is easier to negotiate a good salary when you have learned more about what requirements are set and what other benefits are included.
- Do not use letterhead with address information from your current employer.
- Colored paper or envelopes or glossy and woven paper grades do not give the impression of a professional letter. White is clean and neat.
- Always highlight the qualifications you have and never mention the qualifications you do not have.
- Avoid writing a lot of qualities such as stress-resistant, happy, positive, flexible, proper and energetic. Instead, aim to use fewer words and give actual examples of how your qualities are expressed.
- Do not share with the employer private information that is not related to the job you are looking to do.
- You should not mention your personal health unless it is relevant to the job you are looking for.
