1. Job Letter Conventions Getting a Job in the Real World

2. The Job Letter Gives you a chance to present yourself in narrative form a format that lets you clarify and add details that don't fit into a traditional résumé Not a place for you to write a confessional Should emphasize skills and enthusiasm for a specific job you are applying for.

3. Introductory Paragraph Should set the reader’s expectations for the remainder of the letter Explain your topic and purpose Name the position that interests you Say how you found out about the position Explain why you are interested in this job or company Say why you believe you are right for this job (this is a forecasting statement)

4. Body Paragraph(s) Because you forecasted why you are a good fit for this job, you want to use the body paragraphs to make your case If you divide your qualifications into "experience" "skills" and "interests", then you would want to dedicate a (short) body paragraph to each

5. Body Paragraph(s) II Use the first sentence of each paragraph as a "topic" sentence to identify what the paragraph will be about The sentences in the body of the paragraph should give information (details) that back up the topic sentence by: Emphasizing which of your experience/skills/interests apply to the job Pointing out what qualifications you've acquired from your education or experience Mentioning projects or work that has prepared you for the job. Making sure that you are supplementing the résumé, not just repeating it Showing how you can be distinguished from others applying for the same position

6. Concluding Paragraph The concluding paragraph should have you end with some standard information. Say again why you are right for this position Give a summary of the main points of the letter Ask for an interview or when you would be available for an interview Be sure to have all your contact information included

7. Action Words administeredcoordinatedevaluatedmaintainedprovided advisedcorrespondedexaminedmanagedpurchased analyzedcreatedexpandedmonitoredrecorded assembleddeliveredhiredobtainedreported builtdevelopedidentifiedoperatedresearched collecteddevisedimplementedorganizedsolved completeddirectedimprovedperformedsupervised conducteddiscoveredincreasedpreparedtrained constructededitedinstitutedproducedwrote From Markel (7 th Ed.), p. 402