0:09

Hello. 
In this unit, we are going to introduce you to professional letter 
writing as the third part of the application process.




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In addition to a resume, 
job seekers include a cover letter as part of their application. 
There are three main reasons to write a cover letter.




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A written letter shows the applicant's personal style, explains 
the applicant's qualifications for the job and formally asks for an interview.




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In later videos, we will take you through each part of the cover letter, 
and how to write a clear and organized cover letter. 
At the end of this unit, you will write your own cover letter to apply for 
a specific job.




0:56

To begin, a cover letter is a one page formal letter and 
there are some parts that looked the same in each cover letter.




1:05

In a later video, we will talk about professional letter format or 
how it looks.




1:13

However, the content or information in the cover letter 
should be a little different from each job you are applying for. 
The cover letter helps an employer to understand more 
about the applicant and helps to direct attention to certain parts of the resume.




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The first reason for writing a cover letter is that it shows the applicants 
personal style or personality.




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Job seekers choose very specific words to introduce themselves to an employer.




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This is how they show their personal style.




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For example, Tom and Beth are both applying for 
the same job as an international student advisor.




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In his cover letter, 
Tom writes, I am interested in working with international students. 
Beth writes, I am very excited to meet and work with international students.




2:13

The word choices in these examples show us their personal styles. 
We see that Tom is interested in working with international student, 
but Beth is very excited to meet and work with international students. 
Beth's personality is much clearer with her word choices, 
excited to meet and work with.




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The second reason for 
writing a cover letter is to explain the applicant's qualifications for the job.




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Using our same candidates Tom and Beth, 
let's see how they would write a short description of their qualifications.




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Tom writes, I have two years of experience 
working as an activities director of a language school.




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Beth says, as a Resident Advisor, I advise students on 
counseling on personal, cultural and immigration issues, 
as well as organize professional, social and cultural programs.




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From the short descriptions in their cover letters most employers 
would want to read Beth's resume to find out more about her experience.




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The third reason, for writing a cover later is to formerly ask for an interview.




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There are different ways to make a request as we will discuss it in later videos. 
When applicants know the name and the contact information of the hiring manager, 
they may say that they will call like at a certain time to arrange for an interview. 
For those who do not know who the hiring manager is, they should give their 
phone number or email address so the employer can contact them. 
To review. 
We now know the cover letter is the introduction to the applicant's 
personal style and gives a summary of the applicant's qualifications 
which are explained in the resume.




4:17

If employers like what they read in the cover letter, 
it is possible that the applicant will be invited for an interview.




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Next, go on to reading number one, which shows two sample cover letters.


0:09

Hello, in this video we will introduce the parts of a professional letter and 
format of a letter or how it should look. 
In the United States, professional writing follows a standard format or 
order and includes four parts. 
The first part is the heading which includes the writer's address and 
contact information, the date and the reader's name and 
address The second part is the salutation.




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The third part is the three body paragraphs, 
opening paragraph, middle paragraph and closing paragraph.




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And the fourth is the closing which includes a complimentary close, 
a signature and a typed name.




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First the heading of a letter begins with the writers address and 
additional contact information such as e-mail address or 
phone number in the top left corner.




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Notice how this job seeker, Beth Bradley, wrote her information here.




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The date follows the US format of month, day and then year.




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Don't forget the comma separates the two numbers.




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For example, Beth wrote this letter on April 26th, 2016.




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The next part includes the full name and address of the reader.




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In this example, Beth is sending the letter to Jane Doe who is the Director of 
the Office of International Programs at the University of Texas. 
In addition to the first and last name of the reader, Beth also writes the title and 
the department as Jane Doe is part of a large university.




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Since you may not know whether the reader is a man or woman, 
it is acceptable to write the first and last name only followed by the job title.




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Nowadays, many job applications are completed online and 
job seekers may not know who the reader will be.




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In this case, it is acceptable to leave the name off of the readers address and 
simply put the department and address of the organization.




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The second part of the letter is the salutation, or 
official greeting, and always begins with the word dear.




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Because this is a greeting, it is better to have a person's name.




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Following the word dear, Beth uses the persons full name and a colon. 
Beth knows the name of her reader, but 
if she didn't know she could write Dear Hiring Manager. 
Generally, the salutation is better if you have a person's name. 
But sometimes job advertisements do not provide the name of the employer.




3:37

Next, come the three body paragraphs of the letter. 
This is where you introduce yourself. 
Explain your qualifications, and ask for an interview. 
We will discuss each paragraph in detail in later videos. 
The opening paragraph tells the reader that you are applying for a specific job.




4:01

We will talk about different ways job seekers write this information 
In the next video.




4:09

The middle paragraph is where job seekers explain their skills and 
how they are qualified for the specific job. 
We will look at examples and discuss how to write this paragraph in a later video.




4:26

The last paragraph is important 
because the closing should make a positive impression of the candidate. 
We will talk about how to write the closing paragraph in a later video.




4:40

The end of the letter includes a complimentary close, 
a signature and the applicant's typed name.




4:49

The complimentary close that is used most often is sincerely followed by a comma.




4:57

The signature is usually hand written by the applicant followed by the typed name.




5:06

As for the format, 
all parts of the letter should be along the left side of the paper. 
The lines should be single-spaced, with extra spaces between each of the parts.




5:21

Writers should try to fit all of the parts onto one page.




5:27

Let's review the parts of a professional letter.




5:31

The heading includes the writer's address and 
contact information, the date and the readers name and address.




5:40

The second part is the salutation. 
The third part includes the body paragraphs. 
The closing part of the letter includes a complimentary close. 
A signature and a typed name. 
Next, go on to a game to practice matching the parts of the letter.