Letter of Application

A typical letter of application is a job application letter. Compared to the formal letter (see link above), there are a few obligatory elements to include, as you can see here:

 

Dear Sir/Madam,

(Where did you find the advertisement? Name and date of the newspaper.)

(What job are you applying for?)

(Why are you interested in this job?)

(Why should you get the job? Education, work experience)

(Your interests, skills and personality.)

(How can you be contacted? When can you begin to work? Are you willing to come to an interview?)

References: (Fill in two persons who can tell good things about you.)

Yours faithfully,

(Your signature)

Enclosed: CV

 

But you might also want to write a letter applying for funding for a project or to propose a project (for example the May 2012 exam asked pupils to write a letter to the school administration about a school trip).

Let us assume you are writing an application for a school trip.

 

Making a good impression

Your application is the first contact you will make with the school administration on this matter so it is important to make an immediate good first impression. 

It is therefore very important to plan your application carefully.  Make sure that you use a good structure (as we have suggested here) and make sure all the information is clear and easy to read.  Don’t overstate your case and don’t write too long a text. Check your spelling carefully and check for any grammar mistakes, for example: have you written full sentences, do you avoid run-on sentences and do you change paragraphs where appropriate?

 

Contents

• Refer to the destination of the school trip.
• Put in important information about the place you want to go/the programme you want to take part in.
• State your purpose for the trip.
• List benefits of the trip, and here it would be a good idea to link these benefits to competence goals in the curriculum.
• State how you plan to finance the trip.
• Close your letter with a brief summary of the learning benefits from the trip.
• A good closing sentence could be as follows: “We hope you find the school trip and its benefits interesting and look forward to a positive reply.”

 

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