I’ve written a lot about the ideas you should express in letters of application, and even some specific suggestions on what to include. We’ve talked about what not to do and what goals you should have, but one of my editors suggested I write an actual nuts-and-bolts how-to style post about writing an application letter, so here you go. How to write an application letter in eight steps.
1) Sit down at your computer and open your word processing program.
2) Write: To Members of the Selection Committee.
3) Write: I am applying for <insert position>. I am currently <your professional role>.
4) Write down everything you can think of about yourself which makes you an excellent candidate. Write down everything you can think of about your interest in the position. It should be many pages long.
5) Trim. And trim. And trim. Take the best parts of what you have written in step 4. It needs to be one page, no more.
6) Proofread. Edit, clean up sentences, make sure the grammar is correct. Make sure the ideas flow from one to the next.
7) Give it to friends, family, mentors- anyone whose opinion you respect. Ask them to use Track Changes or similar to make changes and comments. Read all the comments and changes and take the ones you like.
8) Read it again. Does every sentence serve a purpose? Is there any rambling? Do you use decisive wording or do you sound wishy-washy? Sharpen it.
Now you are done. You have to do this for each step of your professional progression. Don’t refer back to what you wrote for vet school when you’re applying for internships. Start fresh. And remember Kaizen- continuous improvement. Each iteration should be better than the last. Have fun and good luck!