How to Write an Outstanding Motivation Letter
Posted July 23rd, 2016 -- 2:41 PM

For most recruiters or employers, the Motivation Letter is the first thing that enable them form a perception about a job seeker. An outstanding motivation letter creates an amazing perception for you and ensures that the recruiter / employer will have a look at your CV. From your CV, if you appear to have the required skills and experience, then you will most likely be called for an interview. And provided you can prove your worth, the job is yours.

Motivation Letter ---> CV ---> Interview ---> Job

But it is not easy to get the recruiter or employer to read your CV. From the hundreds or thousands of applications recruitment managers see everyday, they have created some shortcuts that enable them make faster decisions. They all start with the Motivation Letter.

What is a motivation letter? It is a simple statement that seeks to convince the recruiter that you are the right person for the company and the job. This may appear simple, but it is not.

If you must be considered right for the company, it implies there must be something in you that connects to the company. The greatest Motivation Letters are those that bring out this connection to the forefront as clearly as possible.

The easiest way of making a connection with a company is to be recommended by someone from the company. However, most people don't have such connections. But that does not mean all hope is lost. Without any recommendation from someone inside the company or industry, you are left with making an objective and purposeful connection with the company.

To make an objective connection with the company, you need to connect with their mission / purpose, values / guiding principles and/or vision. This connection has to be clearly stated in the first sentence of your Motivation Letter.

Once you have established your connection to the company, the next thing to do is to highlight your functional / technical (hard) skills and how it relates to the position you're applying for.

The final aspect of an outstanding Motivation Letter will have to detail your soft skills. These are skills that can only be gotten through real life experiences. These may include leadership, public speaking, persuasion, emotional intelligence etc.

If you nail these three in your Motivation Letter, you are sure the recruiter / employer will give your CV a chance.

A great Motivation Letter has three parts:

• Connection to the company
• Highlight of Functional / Technical Skills
• Highlight of Soft Skills