13.2 LETTERSOF APPLICATION
Letters of application，one of the most commonly used practical writing，address a specific person with a recognizable purpose of being admitted to an organization，or of being granted with some privileges.They are sent more often than not in response to advertisements by some organizations for the recruitment of new members or for the candidates of some offerings.Unlike a friendly letter which aims primarily to enhance friendship or to exalt familial ties，an application letter sets as its purpose to persuade the recipient to make a favorable offer in writing back.
Letters of application are widely used in job hunting，choosing a university to study at，applying for a grant，requesting for a membership at a club，etc.
To facilitate a successful outcome，letters of application should provide the necessary information that qualifies the applicant for the advertised membership or offerings.An applicant's degree，experience and other personal data are of paramount importance to the realization of the applicant's wishes.
Letters of application are often used together with resumes，which provide more detailed information about the applicant.They can also be used alone as unattached files，with resumes sent later upon further request made by the recipient.
There are many ways to send letters of application.Based on the different requirements set by different organizations，applications can be variously made in person，on line，via e-mail，or by resorting to the conventional delivery services.An application letter can then be presented in the format of booklet，the format of electronic file with given forms downloadable from the websites of some organizations，or the format of mail.
Some application letters are presented in the form of cover letter that forms part of a complete booklet.They are sent together with resumes or application forms that provide adequate information to qualify the applicant for the positions or benefits in question.This kind of application letters are always presented in person by the applicant to the personnel manager on the job market or at the manager's office when interviewed.The sincerity of the attitude and the faithfulness of the information conveyed in letters of this kind can be verified within seconds.
Another form letters of application might take is the electronic files，especially when the application is made on the websites of some organizations.Submitted together with the application letters are application forms demanding specific information of the applicants visiting such websites.
Letters of application can also be made in the format of mail when no application in person or application on line is available.Sending and receiving letters of application via e-mail are increasingly more popular with widespread easy access to the Internet almost everywhere.
13.2.1 The Layout of Letters of Application
An application letter should include the following information：
●Who writes the application letter？How to reach her/him？
●Who is the application letter written to？How to get into touch with the receiver of the application letter？
●What is the writing purpose of the application letter？
●What qualifications does the applicant have？
●Does the applicant have any reference？
●Is there anything else attached to the application letter？
●What is the applicant's expectation？
●When will the applicant be convenient for an interview if there is any？
In a word，a letter of application often consists of five parts，namely the heading，the inside address，the greeting，the body，the complimentary close and the signature line.The five parts of a letter of application can be organized in three styles，namely the block style，the modified block style，and the semi-block style，as exemplified in the following examples.
Format 1
This is an example in the block style.
Format 2
This is an example in the modified block style.
Format 3
This is an example in the semi-block style.
Whatever style a letter of application may take，a line is to be skipped after each part except the complimentary close where two lines are to be skipped.
The heading in an application letter contains the return address followed by a line of date，sometimes with another few lines of a phone number，a fax number，an e-mail address，or the like imbedded in between.
The inside address always include titles，names，and routing information obtained from recruiting advertisements.It is the address that an application letter is sent to.
The greeting in an application letter normally begins with the word“Dear”and often includes the person's last name，which always has a title such as Mr.，Mrs.，Dr.，or a political title.In letters of application，the greeting usually ends with colon.
The body of an application letter comprises three parts，namely the introductory paragraph，the main body and the closing paragraph.The introductory paragraph generally specifies why the applicant is writing the letter，whereas the main body expatiates on the personal qualities that will convince the recipient of the applicant's competence for what is being applied for.The closing paragraph，on the other hand，expresses the applicant's expectation for an interview at a convenient time with the recipient，as well the applicant's appreciation for the attention paid by the recipient.
The complimentary close customarily begins with a capital letter and ends with a comma.
The signature line is made up of the applicant's first name and last name.It may also include a middle initial，but does not have to.By placing Miss，Mrs.，Ms.or similar title in parentheses before their name，women can indicate how they wish to be addressed.Two lines are to be skipped after the complimentary close.The signature line should be typed out in printed form.In the space between the close and the signature line，the applicant can sign in blue or black ink their name directly above the first letter of the signature line，though in many cases the signature is often omitted.
In the modified block style，as well as in the semi-block style，the heading is usually indented to the middle of the page.While in the block style，it begins at the left margin.Both the inside address and the greeting begin at the left margin in all styles.The first line of a new paragraph is indented in the semi-block style.The block and modified block style have all lines of the body to the left margin.The complimentary close and the signature line begin at the same column with the heading.A line is to be skipped after each part except the complimentary close where two lines are to be skipped.Skip a line between paragraphs if possible.
13.2.2 The Planning of Letters of Application
Letters of application follow the formal business letter style.To achieve their writing purpose，they should follow a direct organization plan.The steps in organizing a directplan application letter are：preparing the heading part，specifying the recipient's address，pinning down the writing purpose，planning the order of supporting details that exemplify the applicant's qualifications，presenting the applicant's expectations and concluding the letter of application.
The heading part will enable the recipient to send a favorable response to the right address.Similarly，the recipient's address will guarantee the timely arrival of the application letter at the recipient's address.The writing purpose will assure the recipient that the application letter is worth reading，while the qualifications will stimulate a favorable response from the recipient.The applicant's expectation as well as the polite conclusion will enhance the sincerity of the applicant in writing such an application letter.
Written to persuade the recipient to make a favorable reply to the applicant's advantage，the application letter should include positive information presented in a persuasive approach.When planning it，the applicant should choose what the recipient may be most interested in.
The general plan for a persuasive message is as follows.The opening sentences secure the recipient's attention by echoing the recipient's benefit，i.e.the writing of the application letter also meets the recipient's need to locate a most suitable candidate for a job vacancy or membership he/she holds or offers.The body intensifies the recipient's determination in offering an opportunity to the applicant by detailing the applicant's qualifications.The ending makes a request for an interview，which will be satisfied if the recipient is adequately persuaded.
13.2.3 The Tone of Letters of Application
The tone of an application letter refers to the applicant's voice.In writing an application letter，the applicant should follow some tips listed below：
（1）Being Sincere
Sincerity must mark the basic tone of a letter of application.It will more often than not draw the recipient to the applicant's side.
（2）Using Polite and Persuasive Language
Politeness in making a request will add force to the applicant's charm.On the other hand，it will constitute a sense of humbleness in presenting personal qualifications，which would otherwise appear too aggressive.(https://www.daowen.com)
Persuasiveness should be another keynote of letters of application.The successfulness of an application letter relies largely on how persuasive it can be.
（3）Being Objective in Presenting Personal Qualifications
Objectivity in presenting personal qualifications will leave a positive impression upon the recipient of the application letter.Exaggeration in presenting personal ability will always induce the recipient into skipping over the application letter，thus skipping an opportunity which would have been given to the applicant.
13.2.4 Presentation of Letters of Application
The application letter is one of the most important documents in one's life career or personal development.An effective application letter often means an opportunity for an interview，but a poorly written one usually spells continued disattachment from any organization.The difference is just a matter of how to handle several key points.Here are some tips to present an effective letter of application.
（1）Individualizing the Application Letter
A recruiting advertisement often results in hundreds or even thousands of responses，some of which inevitably resemble one another in contents，forms or styles.To cut down the boredom on the part of the reader，the applicant should strive to avoid the simple borrowing of the forms and styles adopted in sample letters listed in reference books.Instead，the applicant should try to present their individuality and their distinct qualities.
（2）Addressing a Specific Person
Advisably，the person the applicant writes to should be the individual responsible for the recruiting task of a given organization.Search for the recipient's name in the recruiting advertisements，the organization's publications found at Placement Service，libraries or the websites of that organization.The correctness exhibited in the inside address of the recipient，as well as the addressing part，will demonstrate the applicant's sincerity and familiarity with the organization，which draws unconsciously the reader to the applicant's side.
（3）Catching the Recipient's Attention
An application letter should catch the recipient's attention，stimulate interest，and be appropriate for the membership being applied for.The applicant may，for example，begin the introductory paragraph either by referring to the advertisement that has prompted the application，or by discussing the organization that has put the advertisement.The knowledge of this kind will immediately inform the recipient of the effectiveness of the advertisement，and establish at the same time a touch of familiarity that spurs the recipient to read on for the benefit of the applicant.
To retain the recipient's attention，the applicant should assure the recipient that his goal of writing the application letter matches perfectly with their purpose of reading the application letter，and that they are not wasting their time reading the application letter.Therefore，it is crucial that the applicant make clear his goal in the introductory paragraph.
（4）Highlighting the Applicant's Qualifications
What encourages the recipient of an application letter to offer the applicant an opportunity is the applicant's qualifications，which they believe satisfy their requirements.So in an application letter，the applicant should list the merits that qualify him for what he is applying for.
The qualifications may include the applicant's educational background，work experience，personalities and strong suits.The recipient can refer to the resume for detailed information and letters of recommendation for the liability of the qualifications.
（5）Making Courteous Request
An application letter can conclude with a polite request for an interview to show the applicant's seriousness and eagerness in writing it.To relieve the recipient of the possible inconvenience in making a reply，the applicant should offer the means by which they can be reached.Be specific about the times and places that are convenient for an interview.
In the meantime，the applicant should also express his gratitude for the recipient's time and effort in reading the application letter.
Apart from following the tips expounded upon above，letters of application should not take too long to read.It should be short and simple.
13.2.5 Effective Application Letter Checklist
The following is a list of points to check when you write an application letter.
●Have you addressed your letter to the right person？
●Have you included in your letter your returning address？
●Have you made clear your writing purpose？
●Have you clarified your qualifications？
●Is your writing style consistent in format？
●Have you made a sincere request for a favorable reply？
●Have you achieved correct tone in your letter of application？
●Have you offered a time convenient for an interview？
●Is your application letter persuasive enough？
●Have you extended your appreciation for the recipient's time and effort in reading your letter？
13.2.6 Sample Letters of Application
Sample 13.2（1）:An Application Letter Answering a Job Advertisement
The following is an application letter written in modified block style in response to a piece of advertisement in newspapers for a position available to college graduates.
Sample 13.2（2）:An Application Letter in Block Style Applying for Admission to a Graduate School
Sample 13.2（3）:An Application Letter Applying for the Membership at the Designers'Club
Sample 13.2（44）:An Application Letter Applying for Scholarship
Letters of application for scholarship or grant share the same format and styles with letters of applying for admittance.
