Function

• Application letters serve both as cover letters for resumes and as introductions for job seekers. Unless otherwise specified by a job posting, an application letter should always accompany a professional resume.
  
  

Purpose

• In an application letter, a job seeker should identify the job in which she is interested, the reasons for her interest, her qualifications for the job and a request for an interview.
  
  

Content

• Application letters should always be tailored to the position for which they are being submitted, with information that is both relevant and specific to the job and the hiring company.
  
  

Format

• In an application letter, a job seeker should include a brief opening paragraph, one to three body paragraphs, and a closing paragraph, along with other features standard to business letters.
  
  

Considerations

• Application letters should always be addressed to a specific individual within the hiring organization and should indicate how a job seeker learned about a particular job opening.