You are admitted! Why A Good Motivational Letter Is So Important for Graduates

When applying for the university, a job position or an internship, a good resume is what makes or breaks a candidate for an interview. But is that always the case, or is the motivational letter relevant or even important in today’s age?

What many people fail to realize is that motivational letters are the deciding factor when choosing which candidate to call for an interview and which not. While the resume contains all the relevant information about your education, experience and skills, it’s the motivational letter that expresses the reason behind your application.

Employers like passionate and forward-thinking people who dare to say what they feel and think. Motivational letters are the expression of our personal “Why” and not just the reason for that particular position. So what are some of the main reasons you should pay close attention in crafting your cover letter?

It introduces who you are

While your skills and expertise are important for work, it’s also important to show the human side behind the application. Your motivational letter will be the first informal contact you make with your future employer, and it’s important to show yourself in good standing. Don’t be afraid of expressing your thoughts, mindset and world views with your interviewer.

Chances are that this will be the make-or-break part of your application, and it’s important that you are completely honest. There’s nothing worse than getting the position based on writing what your employer might want to hear, only to realize later that you don’t like how things are.

It shows your writing skills

How you write your motivational letter is just as important as what you write. This means that your employer will take a close look at your proofreading, formatting, tone of voice and other details that give away your writing skills. Make sure that you give it your best when you format your motivational letter. There really is nothing worse than writing a satisfactory letter only to submit it full of grammar and punctuation errors.

You can start writing your motivational letter by setting a clear outline of what you are trying to convey. A simple three-part structure with introduction, body and conclusion will do the trick. Just make sure that you always keep the information and narrative going forward and not repeat any sentences. This will make the employer think that you don’t have anything else relevant to add and simply repeat what you have already said.

A good idea is to use some help formatting your paper. There are numerous ways to do this, and one of them is looking for online help. There are writing services out there that can help you edit your paper and you can choose among the list of several best services out there. You can write your paper personally and then submit it for editing or simply give one of the many professional writers detailed instructions and briefing about the contents of your motivational letter.

Don’t use any kind of template or pre-written motivational letters. These will end up in the trash fairly quickly, robbing you of any chance to get a position you want. You’re not the first or the last person that your interviewer is reading up on. Make sure that your cover letter is original and inspiring. Don’t talk about how good you are, just how you can help your employer and add to his or her cause. Being modest and professional is always a way to go.

It shows that you care about the University or your employer

People like attention. That’s a simple fact that everyone knows. What most job applicants don’t know, is that employers like attention just as much, if not more. Doing proper research before writing your cover letter is what will help you stand out in the crowd of applicants. Make sure that you read up about your employer and their company carefully before writing. This will help you realize what business they do and what drives them forward. How do you fit into their mission and what makes you the perfect candidate for their company? Don’t tell them, show them.

Whatever small bits of knowledge you show in your letter will let them know that you are serious about the application. Follow this up on the interview and make sure that you are familiar with everything they stand for. Employers like to see people with passion and will to learn new things. You’re not there to get a position and receive salary. You are applying to become a part of their family.

In summary

You realize by now how important a motivational letter is. In today’s world,the university, as well as employer will often look for passionate and energetic people with leadership potential as opposed to someone with a good resume. This shows that a cover letter is more relevant to a job application than ever before. Write it with the same amount of attention and passion as you would your resume. Once you’ve crafted your perfect motivational letter, the only thing left is to show how much you really mean it and ace the interview.

Author Bio

Steven Mehler is an experienced writer, blogger, SEO specialist and social psychologist that works as an editor at a local newspaper and a freelance writer. Steven also runs his own content agency and is writing a book. He has a long-term experience in writing articles based on blogging, marketing, SEO and social psychology.