Miray sat staring at her laptop, contemplating. She was trying to finally write a speculative application to her dream employer, a well known shipping company. Somehow she felt unsure about everything, from which tone to choose to how to advocate for herself. She knew that she needed to be formal, but she wasn't sure whether to be excessively so or merely to use normal business terminology. Should she use "Sincerely," "Regards," or another phrase as her sign-off? Since she didn't know who was in charge of hiring, she wasn't even certain how to address her email. As the role wasn’t officially advertised, she needed to come up with a compelling subject line and preview that would catch the recipient's interest. Perhaps there was a suitable template online? Miray had heard that personalizing emails was crucial for success, but how should she achieve this when she didn’t know who would be reading her application? “Why is writing emails so hard?” she thought to herself. She took a deep breath and started typing:
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am writing to express my interest in an Analyst position at your reputable shipping business. I think I would be a great fit for your company, having recently completed my MSc Economics at the University of Chicago.
I graduated with honors with a 3.8 GPA, demonstrating my strong academic background. Throughout my time at university, I also had the chance to work on a variety of research projects, which offered me great expertise in data analysis, economic modeling, and problem-solving. I am a motivated and enthusiastic person that is eager to grow and contribute to the team. Please find attached my CV and letter of motivation.
I am certain that my qualifications and experiences make me the ideal candidate for the job, and I am enthusiastic about the work that your shipping business does. If you could give me the chance to further discuss my candidacy in an interview, I would be tremendously excited.
Thank you in advance for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you.
Kind regards,
Miray Demir
Dear Miray,
We appreciate you reaching out to us and inquiring about an Analyst position at our prestigious shipping firm. Your strong academic background and eagerness for the post impressed us and we read your application with great interest.
We would like to invite you to an interview on Tuesday, April 4th at 10am. This will give us the chance to get to know each other better and you will have the opportunity to learn more about our business and the possibility to work with us.
We are eager to speak with you in person and learn more about your candidacy. If you have any inquiries or need more information, don't be afraid to get in touch.
We hope to meet you soon.
Candice Lim, HR ManagerHi Candice,
Hope you're doing well! I wanted to follow up after our meeting last Tuesday and thank you for taking the time to chat about my candidacy with you. Learning more about the position, your team, and the company was fantastic.
As discussed, I am attaching the article I wrote in reference to key challenges in shipping this year. I’d also love to catch you up on the new research project about fossil fuels which I am working on with my university mentor. I remember you expressing interest in it when we spoke.
I'm really excited about this opportunity and can't wait to learn about what comes next. Would you mind telling me when I can anticipate hearing from you? Additionally, it would be wonderful if you could keep me posted about any procedure modifications.
Once again, I appreciate your thoughts and time. Talk to you soon!
Miray
- Write an application email for a study abroad scholarship. Describe why you want to study abroad and why you deserve this scholarship. Choose a formal tone. Make sure to write and effective subject line and preview!
- Imagine you want to buy party decorations for your co-worker’s birthday party. Write an email to “Balloons & Party Supplies”, describing what you need and asking for any additional information required. At the end, place your order. Make sure to write and effective subject line and preview!
- Imagine your friend got into a fight with a co-worker and is trying to address the situation in an email, with HR CC’d. You are helping them craft the email, talking about what happened, apologizing for your part, and talking about how to move forward. Write in a polite and professional manner, but stay firm in defending your friend’s perspective.