Remember, employers love hearing why their job is more attractive to you than other ones because it makes you seem loyal from the get-go. For instance, if you’re applying for a government IT position, you might want to talk about how a job with the government gives you a chance to use your skills to serve the greater good of the community.
For instance, you might whittle your EOI’s purpose down to something like: “The purpose of this letter is to demonstrate how I can use my unique skills and experience in a high-demand veterinary aide role. "
If you don’t know who this person is, you can either call the company to ask (which shows major initiative) or use a general greeting like “Dear Hiring Professional,”. Note that most business resources now recommend against using “To Whom it May Concern,” since this opener can come across as a little stilted and impersonal. Whenever you can use someone’s name, definitely include it—this extra step adds more warmth and personality to your letter while keeping it formal. [4] X Research source
For instance, if you’re applying for a role as a veterinary assistant, the following might be a perfectly fine introductory section — it tells who you are and why you’re writing in under 3 sentences: “My name is Alex Lester, and I am very interested in working in your office as a veterinary assistant. Beyond my education and experience, my passion for this work and tending to people’s pets make me a great addition for your practice. "
It’s okay if you’re just starting out in your chosen field! For instance, if you’re applying for your first-ever job as a line cook in a local restaurant, you might describe your culinary background (including any cooking classes) as well as non-cooking work you’ve done in restaurants (like serving, hosting, etc. ).
Personality. Are you friendly and honest? Have you generally gotten along with your coworkers in the past? Employers like hiring team players — people who will keep a positive attitude at work and keep company morale high. Social preferences. Are you a talkative, gregarious extrovert? Are you a quiet, focused introvert? Your habits for interacting with other people can have a serious effect on your job performance — some jobs demand great talkers while others don’t. Goals and passions. Is this job something you love to do? Can it help you make achieve what you’ve always dreamed about? Employers like hiring people with intense personal motivations for taking the job.
For instance, you might conclude with: Feel free to contact me via phone at (303) 555-4444 or email at alex. lester@gmail. com. I look forward to hearing from you! Thank you for your time and consideration. Sincerely, Alex Lester
If you have time, take a quick break between when you complete your EOI and when you start proofreading. Most writing experts recommend looking at your writing with a fresh pair of eyes so you can spot mistakes more easily. [9] X Research source Avoid using overly complicated language or jargon in an attempt to impress the recipient. Hiring professionals are not likely to appreciate having to wade through a lengthy EOI just to find your skills and qualifications.
For example, if you’re talking about your work history, the sentence “From 2002 to 2006, I worked as a freelance consultant for several personal contacts” sounds much more dignified than “From 2002 to 2006, I did a little freelance work for a couple of guys I know”, even though both statements have almost the same meaning. Take care to keep these formatting issues in mind: Headings: In the top left corner of the letter, provide your name, address, phone number, and email address (each on a separate line). Leave a space between your heading and salutation. Spacing: Keep the text in your paragraphs single-spaced. Leave a space between each new paragraph. Indents: Either indent the first sentence of each paragraph or leave them aligned with the left side of the page. Many sources recommend against indenting if you skip lines between paragraphs. [10] X Research source Closings: Leave 3 spaces between your closing (e. g. , “Sincerely,”) and your name.
Work from a printed page, not a computer screen. Seeing your work in a different format lets you view how it appears on the page and can help cure a case of “glazed-over eyes” from looking at a computer screen for hours. Read out loud. Hearing your text with your ears in addition to seeing it with your eyes gives you a new and effective way to detect any errors. This is especially good for spotting run-on sentences that might otherwise escape you. Get a friend to help. Someone who’s never seen the text before may be able to see errors that you can’t. Often, spending a long time writing a document can make you overlook errors in it that you’ve gotten used to seeing.
An EOI also proves that you have your heart set on working for a specific organization (as opposed taking on a role anywhere else). This can really endear you to hiring managers. Even if a company doesn’t have any job openings, they’ll likely keep your EOI on file. They may even reach out to you as soon as they’re ready to hire new people.
