Cara Membuat Lamaran dalam Bahasa Inggris

  

How To Write a Cover Letter

1. Keep to only one page
• The cover letter should not be longer than one page, otherwise the interviewer will lose interest.
• Maximum five paragraphs only.
• Use simple words.

2. Address the letter to the Human Resource Manager by name, if possible, followed by company name and address
• Do not write Dear Sir/Madam, Gentlemen, Sirs, Mr President, or To Whom It May Concern.
• If you do not know, find out beforehand. Do not spell the person’s name wrongly.

3. Layout

a.       The Opening – Include your full name, address, date, employer’s designation and company address, correct salutation and subject.

b.      Introduction – Indicate position applied for, branch/state position available (if applicable), source and date of job information. Briefly mention your qualifications.

c.       Sales Pitch – Highlight to what extent you match the job requirements. Summarize your education, experience, capabilities and skills. Mention your interest in the company and the reason you are applying for that particular position.

d.      Request for further action – Write that you look forward to receive their call for an interview. State your availability to attend interviews. End by thanking the person for his/her time and consideration.

Get yourself covered

by Romelda C. Ascutia

In some ways, job-hunting is like walking a tightrope-a wrong step and you could fall flat on your face. But while most job searchers take careful steps in making their resume, they often become footloose in drafting the cover letter.

But a cover letter is just as vital. Think of it as giving a girl you admire a box of her favorite chocolate. Sure, you don’t have to, but it’s bound to earn you pogi points with her.

Specifically, a cover letter is your vehicle to:

• Disclose info that may not fit in your resume (like a large employment gap, why you’re changing careers, etc.).
• Make a personal marketing pitch (highlight relevant skills, talents and experience that may get buried in your resume).
• Give a sneak preview of your desirable traits (“sounds like someone I’d like to interview”).

Dos and don’ts of cover letter writing:

The long and short of it.
Cover letters are like TV commercials: They’ve got to grab attention, sell the product (you) and linger on in memory-and they have to do these in just 30 seconds. So keep it between three and five paragraphs, no more than three sentences each. On paper, keep it under one page. For emailed versions, don’t exceed one screen.

Hello, stranger!
How would you feel if you were addressed as “Dear Sir/Madam,” or “To Whom It May Concern”? Warm up to your reader by making discreet inquiries about the recruiting person’s complete name and title (usually a Human Resources officer). For blind or “we’ll-call-you” ads, use “Dear Hiring Manager” instead.

Customize, customize, customize.
What’s worse than omitting a cover letter? Sending a “free size” one to every company you apply with. Would you wear a large dress if you were petite? Or squeeze into an XS if you’re medium size? Make sure your cover letter fits you perfectly. Find out your particular strengths and accentuate them. Replace generic sentences with “branding” statements. Ensure every word stays true to your goal-convincing the recruiter that he should hire only you.

Write it right.
Unlike the telegraphic style of a resume, the cover letter is written in prose-which will either display your command of English and your writing skills, or lack of them. Use the computer’s spell-check function to weed out misspellings. Proofread your work again and again. Then ask someone competent to edit your work, especially for common Pinoy grammatical pitfalls such as subject-verb agreement and tense usage.

Say it right.
It’s a tricky balancing act: How to lend a personal touch without becoming too familiar? How to catch attention without making a fool of yourself? How to promote yourself without boasting? The secret of a commanding cover letter is keeping to the three S’s-simple, straightforward, and sincere. Write in a professional but conversational manner, with none of the “as per your recent advertisement” stuff. Don’t resort to flattery or clichés. Avoid self-aggrandizement by citing specific incidents and numbers.

So how do you know if your cover letter has accomplished its goal? It’s when it succeeds in impressing others, not you.

Writing A Cover Letter

by Ngeow Yeok Meng

A complete job application consists of a cover letter and a resume. The cover letter is meant to highlight your individuality or personality, and to make you stand out from among hundreds of other applicants.

When there are more job seekers around than job vacancies, human resource personnel tend to be more selective when short listing candidates for interview. Hence, you should use the cover letter as a tool to win the heart of a prospective employer. Market yourself to create a positive first impression in the cover letter, so that the person will read your resume, shortlist you for an interview, and offer you a job. A poorly written cover letter is likely to get instant rejection from the employer given the current job market.

As there is no standard format for cover letter, you are encouraged to write a particular cover letter, one at a time, to apply for the position of your interest. Cover letter should not be generic, i.e. you should not use the same cover letter for all the companies you wish to approach. This is because details like where and when you learnt about the vacancy, why you are interested to apply, what you have to offer to the company etc. are different for each of these companies.

Generally, a well written cover letter should provide answers to what the employers want to know:

• Are you the kind of person they are looking for?
• Do you have the relevant education, work experience and skills?
• Can you handle the work demands, based on the job description?
• Have you shown a commitment to this particular field of interest?
• How well can you communicate with others?
• Are you a team player?
• Have you any leadership qualities?

Guidelines for writing a cover letter:

• Organise your thoughts carefully
• Express yourself clearly and reasonably
• Use strong action words to describe your achievements
• Use active rather than passive voice
• Avoid jargon
• Avoid long sentences
• Avoid bad grammar and spelling mistakes
• Limit the length to one page only
• Proof read before you send via e-mail

Layout of a cover letter

1. The opening
• Include your name and address, the date, employer's designation and address, salutation and subject.
2. Introduction
• Nominate the job for which you are applying for.
• Indicate the source and date of the job information.
• Mention briefly your qualifications
• Indicate your interest, career objective or goal.
3. Sales pitch
• Highlight the extent to which you match the requirements of the job.
• State your relevant experience gained from industrial attachments, projects, vacation or part-time jobs.
• Give a brief summary of your educational achievements, experience, qualities, capabilities and skills.
• Outline any further points in your favour related to the job and mention the attached resume.
• Mention your interest in the organisation and your reason for applying for that particular position.
4. Request for further action
• Write that you look forward to a call or letter.
• State your availability for interview.
• Thank the person for his or her time and consideration.
5. The complimentary close
• Remember to sign personally and include your name. State your enclosures such as your attached resume, academic results or references.

Sample Cover Letter 1

Ngeow Yeok Meng
12-A, Jalan Kajang Mewah 10
Taman Kajang Mewah
Kajang 43000
Selangor

5 December 1998
The Human Resource Manager
JobStreet Sdn Bhd
Suite 4.3, Wisma Maran
338, Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman
50100 Kuala Lumpur
Dear Sir/Madam,
APPLICATION FOR THE POST OF CHIEF EDITOR
I refer to your advertisement placed in JobStreet's homepage dated 2 December 1998 for the above position. Realising that Internet is no longer an alternative but a necessity in the next millenium, I am keen to enhance my career in the content development of web site of your company.

Allow me to introduce myself briefly. I gained basic knowledge of journalistic reporting, feature writing and editing skills from my major in Media Studies from the University of Malaya. My present job as a senior editor in a news agency since 1994 provides me with work experience and on-the-job training in the above areas.

In 1997, I had the opportunity to write for Alta Vista, an Internet content provider for the Asia Pacific region. The extensive knowledge I gained from my research work on employment trend and labour market information has enlightened me in many ways. I believe I can share my expertise with JobStreet in terms of recruitment practices and human resource management if given the opportunity.

I'm also well-versed in HTML and Pagemaker 6.0 as I have been actively involved in maintaining the web site of the news agency I serve. I'm able to meet deadline promptly as a result of many years of working at a fast pace in this agency.

The attached resume of mine will provide you more information about my work experience. I'll be glad to attend an interview to furnish you with more details. I can be reached via e-mail ngeow@mol.com.myThis e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Yours faithfully,

-----------------------------
(Ngeow Yeok Meng)
Enclosed: Resume, Academic Results, References.

Sample Cover Letter 2
Rosli Abdul Hamid
13, Jalan 17/21
Sri Petaling
57000 Kuala Lumpur
5 December 1998
Mr. Geh Thuan Hooi
Group Human Resource Manager
AE Technologies
7, Jalan 7, Cheras Jaya
Jalan Balakong
43200 Selangor
Dear Mr. Geh,
RE: APPLICATION FOR MANAGEMENT TRAINEE POSITION
I wish to apply for the position of management trainee as advertised in JobStreet homepage on the 1st December 1998.

I'm currently enrolled in the final year of a business administration course at the Universiti Utara Malaysia, and will graduate in April 1999.

Your company's unique involvement and position in the manufacturing of precision metal stampings and tooling has prompted me to apply for the management trainee position in your organisation. I am very interested in pursuing a career in the area of business administration. My academic transcript, which I have enclosed, shows that I have completed a wide range of subjects that provide me with a firm base of knowledge and skills relevant to the requirements of the management trainee position.

I notice that the position you advertised requires two years of work experience. Although I have not any work experience pertaining to the manufacturing industry, I have gone through a five-month industrial training during my final year of study where I was given tasks equivalent to a management executive. I have performed well during the training which had helped me expose to various managerial skills and practical knowledge.

My attached resume demonstrates my capacity to be a leader who is able to work in a team environment, set and achieve long and short term goals, think analytically and solve problems. I believe my knowledge and technical know-how in the field of management will help me contribute a great deal to your company. Above all, I possess the interest and determination to perform well in the graduate position you are offering.

I look forward to meeting with you to discuss the position further. I can be contacted on 012-2116888 between the hours of 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., and the following e-mail address: ahrosli@hotmail.comThis e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Thank you for your consideration.

Yours sincerely,

The Magic of Cover Letters

by Ngeow Yeok Meng

Cover letter is a letter accompanying your resume in job application. It is a tool to project a professional image about yourself before the employer decides to see you face-to-face in an interview.

Sending a resume without a cover letter is like going to a job interview barefoot. It gives an impression that you don't take the employment opportunity seriously and you really don't care about anything concerning the job you apply for.

In real life experience, employers and HR personnel do judge a resume by its cover. A well constructed cover letter can impress the employer to take action on your resume. In other words, the piece of paper covering your resume actually generates prospective interview and increase the chances of you being employed.

A cover letter should be typed and confined to one page to catch the reader's attention.

• You should convince the employer about your strengths, and support your strengths with evidence.
• You should address to a specific person by name and position, and not "ToWhom It May Concern".
• Your cover letter should reflect your personality and style – qualities that are important in the hiring decision.
• Your tone should be professional, personal, positive, upbeat and value neutral throughout the letter.
• You should be career-centered or employer-oriented by indicating your wish to progress with the organization, to be educated and trained on the job etc.
• Avoid using self-centered statements about yourself, or flattering the organization you intend to join.

Wondering what to include in a cover letter?

• Where and when you learned about the position. Employers like to know where candidates learn about the vacancy in order to determine the effectiveness of their advertising strategies.
• What are your special skills and experience directly related to the employer's needs. This will save the employer's time to search for these important elements in your resume.
• Why you're interested in this position and/or the organization. Find out more about the organization so that you can state your objectives in line with the organization's goals.
• Address your gratitude followed by your signature using good quality pen.