Writing a letter of intent ...every beginning is hard

Writing a letter of intent is for many candidates one of the most difficult parts when preparing a job application. The purpose of this document is to grab the attention of the hiring manager, introduce the applicant, and inform the manager of the applicant’s abilities as well as answering several questions. All this in one page document and without copying what is written in the resume.

Here is how a young candidate is trying to get the attention of the employers and find his first job.

Email content:

Dear HR at [...],

Hello, I am […], who have just graduated from […] University of Munich yesterday!! And here I am to apply for the job: "ENGINEER ".

Maybe there is a gap between your requirement and my ability, since you are looking for some guy with at least 3 years professional experience. However I consider myself as faster learner with positive "Can do" attitude. And also I have almost 2 years experience in the industry level as a working student. So I think it won't be a problem to fit into the new environment.

Anyhow, please spend some time to have a look at my CV and Cover Letter attached in this e-mail, and I  really appreciate for your time and effort!!

Wish you have a nice day and future.

Best Regards,

[…]  

Letter of intent

Dear Sir/Madam at […],

Hi, I’m […], who just graduated from […] university in Munich on Oct 22th this year (2013).

I find myself a competitive candidate for the position ‘’Engineer” for the following reasons:  […]

Last but not least, I consider myself as a fast learner with energetic “Can do” attitude. Since I have overcome so many difficulties during my studying and working time, I believe I can and will survive in the future career. :-p

To sum up, I think myself a very excellent candidate and have confidence to handle this job perfectly. Please pay some attention on me and I won’t let you down.

Best Regards,

[…]

Do you think this candidate will be invited to an interview for the position he applied for? Do you think this approach will bring any good results at all? How would you react or respond if you were a recruiter or a hiring manager who receives such an application?

Why nobody replies to my application?!?!

If you ever asked yourself this question maybe at the end of this article you will have the answer. When after a month of constantly sending applications you receive no feedback at all, it might be a good idea to review your CV and letter of intent. Answering the following questions could be a good starting point.

This exercise will work only if you are honest to yourself. In some cases it might be necessary to ask the opinion of one or two friends.

1. Did you write your phone number and email on the CV? If yes, are you sure they are correct?

2. Read again your email address? Is it anything else than a combination of your first and last name? Maybe the email address you created when you were 14?!?

3. Take a look at the picture on your CV. Is it really a CV picture?

4. Go through your experience. Did you write perhaps the whole job description for each position? If yes, it would be a good idea to keep only the most important 4-5 responsibilities.

5. How many pages has your Resume? No matter how rich is your work experience the CV shouldn't have more than three pages. Otherwise it will only make recruiters take a deep breath and move on to the next candidate.

6. Did you read the job ad before applying? Do you really think that your experience, studies and qualifications match the job profile?

7. Are you sure that your CV has no grammar and spelling mistakes? If yes, ask a friend to read it carefully for you. You might have some surprises.

8. Did you write your work experience and studies in chronological order? Did you start with the most recent activity?

9. Look at the dates on your CV? Are there any unexplained gaps in employment? If yes, this might raise lots of questions for the recruiters who will rather focus their attention on other candidates with complete Resumes than call you to clarify the gaps.

10. Read again the cover letter. Is it addressed to the right person? If yes, go further and read it as if you are the employer. Did you perhaps get bored in the middle? Is it really saying why you are right for the position?

Even if you have the feeling that your CV is great, it is always a good idea to ask for a second opinion. Ideally it would be great to have a professional opinion however you don’t have this opportunity, even a friend who has nothing to do with recruitment, might give you feedback that could help improving your CV.