application writing help

application writing help

Writing a Persuasive Application

1. Introduction

To get a good job, that doesn’t mean we have to fight over the right job, but tried and fought with the right job. If we think that better work must have a higher standard, it means we must also be a man with a higher standard than before. A standard that reflects value, attitude, or any form of change leading to a change for the better. High standard will also be proportional to what we want as work, and in the end no one who does not want a job with a good standard and on course in accordance with what we want.

One form of change that must be faced by everyone is when we move to a higher level of life, moving from level to level of education, moving from one work to work better, and so on. When someone is trying to get a good job, it is facing a ‘battle’ in a competition to get the job. And one way to win the competition is by showing the strength and correctness of what we have, through the application process to the company related to the work to be followed. An application is our ‘representative’ when we are not there, so the company can assess the contents of our applications and conclude who we are.

We live in an age where change is constant. There will always be changes that occur in all aspects of life. Some people get changes that happen automatically, but some people are resistant to change, either because they think they are happy with existing conditions, fear losing the ‘comfort’ that they have created, or fear of whether the changes that occur thereafter will bring change to a good thing or even a change that leads to a worse change, so that makes them feel disadvantaged.

2. Crafting a Compelling Opening

This is the time to be bold. Make a clear and concise statement of intent for the job. There is no point being ambiguous about what type of job is being applied for. Both employer and employee need to be absolutely clear about what is being offered. In the case of the applicant, applying for a variety of jobs, this may have different opening letters for different applications. This is fine, but be sure to keep a copy of the original and master it. After all, this is what you are seeking to do.

With these thoughts in mind, you begin to look through the letters. Some will be immediately dismissed (if it is poorly presented and untidy, making it difficult to read, it will no doubt cause annoyance to the employer), but most will be swiftly scanned through, with nothing making them stand out in your mind. This is the position in which the applicant is most afraid of finding him/herself in. This makes the first few lines of the letter crucial.

Imagine you are an employer. You have many things on your mind – from the stresses of contemplating the cost of taking on a new member of staff, to the excitement and apprehension of watching your company grow as your ideas and hard work begin to bear fruit. Now imagine sitting down at the desk with a pile of application letters spilling out of your hands. Questions are racing through your mind: What if no one is suitable? What if it’s impossible to tell who the right person for the job is? And more importantly, what is it about this person that makes them decide to apply for this job?

3. Highlighting Relevant Skills and Experience

This is the key section of the whole letter and is concerned with drawing a direct link between the job advertisement and the writer. It is expected that the writer will do more than simply repeat what has been written in the advertisement. It is assumed that the writer will have sought more information on what the job involves or have had some experience in similar kinds of work. What is meant by relevant skills and experience? This could include formal or informal work experience; paid or voluntary work; structured training; life experience; transferable skills (i.e. skills that can be used in a variety of work situations); and more. You should also leave the reader in no doubt that you want the job and that you are convinced that you are the right person for it. This is often achieved by referring directly back to what the employer is looking for regarding the job. This section should also serve to demonstrate the writer’s major selling points and leave the employer in no doubt as to what the writer has to offer. This should increase the employer’s confidence in the writer being able to fulfill the job to a high standard. To prepare for writing this section, it would be very useful to make a list of the skills and experience that the employer is looking for and a list of the writer’s skills and experience. These can then be compared and it should be possible to decide what the best selling points are and whether there are any areas where the writer does not match what the employer is looking for. In these cases, it is still often worthwhile to emphasize a skill or experience that is particularly strong and to consider whether there is any chance of getting the skill or experience that is lacking before the job has to be applied for. This could involve some more research or training.

4. Addressing Potential Concerns

Prior research carried out by the writing team has indicated that the learning styles theory is widely accepted by teachers, though it has not necessarily been put into effective practice. An informal survey conducted with a small group of various teachers (of different subjects and student age groups) asked them to identify the learning style preferences for some of their students and what percentage of their teaching materials would cater to each style. The results varied, though all teachers showed difficulty in identifying student learning styles, and about 75% of the teachers stated that they were slightly unclear on the specifics of each learning style and what resources would best suit them. This may result in the theory being disregarded as impractical and, at worst, a self-fulfilling prophecy. If students are labeled as likely to underachieve because kinesthetic learners have a tendency to be more disruptive and poorer students, then a kinesthetic learner may see no improved attainment and be incorrectly classified. The current resources and guidance available are not sufficient to avoid these situations. Thus, it is not the learning styles theory itself but the methods to apply this to specific individual students that require questioning, and this is what the VARK system aims to provide in its case example phase.

Introduce potential obstacles and problems and then focus on responses to these concerns. Heads of departments may have different views on the necessity of specialist equipment, levels of support required for students with learning difficulties/disabilities, and the validity of the learning styles theory. Teachers may feel reluctant to get involved simply on the basis that they are happy with their current teaching method and results. This can all appear to be a daunting wall to climb, but this is where sales technique becomes very useful. Acknowledge these concerns and do not attempt to brush them off; they are all valid points to consider. The best approach is to then present counterarguments against these concerns. For example, specialist equipment is a significant investment to make, though it does not need to be considered a gamble. Visual/auditory/kinesthetic-based resources can be beneficial to all students, not just those who have been identified as having learning style preferences. This can also double up as a method to differentiate materials to cater for weaker/struggling students without excluding them from normal activities. Learning style preference is a widely observed theory, and there are many resources available to exemplify ways and methods to package information in accordance with this theory. Finally, for the teachers who are skeptical, it can be shown that adopting VAK teaching approaches promotes creativity in planning lessons and can inject new life and variety into the teaching framework that has become very rigid.

5. Closing Strongly

In sum, the author must remember that the closing paragraph is the last opportunity to convince the reader that the author’s position is a correct one. The closing paragraph should therefore reassert the position that the author wants the reader to accept, and at the same time it should create a feeling of finality on the issue. The first sentence of the concluding paragraph should restate the initial position, with the word for word use of the topic and/or thesis sentences from the introductory paragraph. Next, the author should remind the reader of the position on the issue in a diminishing way (i.e. the stronger the support mentioned last the less strong the support mentioned in the sentence beforehand). The last few sentences should bring the essay to a valid ending, giving the reader a sense of completeness. This may actually be the most important part of the closing paragraph. The sentences must create a mood which answers to the feeling of the completion of the essay at the same time as they are leaving the reader with a final impression made by the ending – a sense of hope, an unqualified statement, a prediction, or a warning. This mood should be developed by taking into consideration the particular type of audience being addressed, and in conclusion, the author should keep in mind that the words put forth in this paragraph will stick in the reader’s mind. What they remember may have a great impact on the results of the persuasion.