From job applications to university scholarships or college admissions, you will always need to provide a motivational letter for your petition to be complete. At the first glance it may look pretty hard to make. You may want to try to skip it but it never works out this way. With good guidance, following some tips and instructions and also a small investment of your time, you can get through this border pretty easily and open up a lot of new opportunities to yourself that would previously look distant and unaccomplishable.
Why should I write a motivational letter?
A motivational letter, often referred to as a personal statement or a cover letter, is a brief one-page-long essay that tells the reader everything there is to know about the writer. Using examples from your interests and accomplishments, it demonstrates why you’re the ideal candidate for the job. Due to its purpose, a motivation letter is ideal for applicants with little to no work experience or for those seeking an internship or a volunteer position. It is usually attached to your CV/resume and it is the one that highlights your exceptional writing abilities, distinguishes you from other applicants, and demonstrates that you went above and beyond.
How to write a motivational letter!
As with every letter, it has to have an introduction. Starting with it, a requirement for all motivational letters is that you must address your letter to a particular person. If you have no idea of who that person will be, do the proper research in order to obtain that information. After that, you have to explain the reason that you are writing this letter. It is a vital part of it, as it is the part that will create the interest in reading the letter or storing it onto the pile. Lastly, you have to read and put in mind the requirements for this job-program. Find them out and target the most important ones, explaining why you are a suitable candidate according to them.
The main part is the part that you will have to sell yourself. Using short stories or relevant examples, you have to persuade the person that will read it about the fact that you share the organization’s – company’s values and aspirations and also that you are incredibly qualified for this position. You have to show that you want to be there and will really try your best but be careful not to cross the line between showing interest and pleading.
Last but not least, you have to make a nice conclusion. It should flawlessly continue the rest of the letter and not force an ending. Here is the right place to write what you believe you will gain from this experience, like new skills, enrich your knowledge, practice your soft skills, etc. You can also use a call to action in order to create to the reader the feeling that you really engage yourself into this position.
How to format a motivational letter!
Having great content in your motivational letter is as important as formatting it the proper way. These are the things that you should consider to have a correctly formatted letter ( unless you have received specific instructions):
- Use a professional letter font and set it to 12 pt size.
- Set your letter spacing to 1” on all sides of the page.
- In order for recruiters to identify your motivational letter right away, make sure to establish a professional letter file title.
- Always pick a letter style that complements both your personality and the position you’re after.
Helpful tips and tricks!
• Be interesting: This is unquestionably the most crucial component of a motivational letter. On paper, it’s much less likely that you’ll obtain a positive response if you come across as dull. Additionally, the interest you communicate must be personal and pertinent to your objectives. Producing a page or two about your efforts and how passionate you are about your subject is absolutely pointless. This is precisely what every other applicant will provide, so if you want to be noticed, you need to stand out.
• Use simple language: While proofreading, look for any terminology or jargon that are overly complicated and replace them with clearer alternatives. Write precise, succinct sentences that are active.
• Input your personality: Write in a conversational tone that mimics how you would speak in real life. Fill your motivation letter with intriguing insights to make it stand out from the crowd. Pick a more somber tone instead of humor because it can be misunderstood.
• Use pronoun ‘‘I’’ wisely: It may appear that you are primarily concerned with what you may earn from the company if you use too many “I” statements. What the business can get from you should be the main focus.
• Keep your formatting consistency: Consistency in visual presentation is crucial. Use the same font (and size) as you did for your resume and limit your letter to one page. Make sure the formatting is correctly converted when changing the letter to a PDF.
• State your professional aspirations: Never be afraid to position yourself in the future. Clearly state your aspirations for your career. Talk about your accomplishments and things you are proud of as well.
Summarizing, a motivational letter can be a tricky and time consuming task. It is though a mandatory part of a job-academic application and a great weapon to achieve success in those. Having read this article will have already provided you with the necessary knowledge, in order to be able to create an appropriate and appealing motivational letter. Not having to be confused or afraid of creating a motivational letter anymore, we are really confident that your application will catch recruiters’ attention in any position you may have to apply for!
Vaggelis Moutsios
Vaggelis Moutsios is a newly inspired author and a book lover since a young age. Born in Agrinio, Greece, graduate in Physical Education and Sport Science at Democritus University of Thrace, he decided to make a turn to his professional career. Remote work and the freedom it provides earned him. Following his passion for writing combined with his 6 years experience in the WFH market, he dedicated himself into introducing this world to more and more people.
