What is a Letter Writing Sample?
Some applicants may not be aware of it but among employers, asking for a letter writing sample is a growing trend. For employment seekers, the attractive cover letter and the astounding resume may not be all there is to applying for a job. You may also have to ace that letter writing sample before you are even granted an interview or a slot in the organization. For some employers, your letter writing sample is a crucial determining factor and will either make or break you. So what should you know about writing your own sample.
Types
Your employer can choose to ask you for a letter writing sample in two ways. You can be asked to submit your sample along with your cover letter, resume and other documents. You can also be asked to immediately write a sample on the spot after your initial interview. It would probably be good for you if you were asked to prepare your sample and submit it together with your other pertinent documents. This would at least give you enough time to write it correctly and probably even look for good examples to study. If you are not an organized writer however, you would be at a disadvantage if you were asked for a letter writing sample on the spot. This is why it helps to expect to be asked to write even if you are not sure that you will be. If the advertisement for the job vacancy you are applying for does not specify that you submit a letter writing sample, the general rule is do not submit until you are specifically asked to.
What Employers Look For
There can be two reasons why employers ask for a letter writing sample, they will either analyze your sample using graphology or they will look into your content. If the purpose is to analyze your handwriting, then this is understandably one of their ways to look into your personality based on your scribbling. In most cases however a letter writing sample is analyzed for its content. Employers can choose to ask you to write about a specific topic or they will give you a set of questions to answer. If this is the case, then it is obvious that employers are after the applicants who can best express themselves and give the best answers in writing.
How you Should Go About It
The content of your letter writing sample would depend on what position you are applying for and what is specifically asked of you. Some are of the opinion that a sample should be 2-5 pages. It all depends however as to whether you were asked for an essay or you were simply asked to answer specific questions with limited sentences. Depending on what the employer is asking, you may also opt to say something about what you have achieved and what good qualities you have that will make you perfect for the position. These are things that you can only mention limitedly in your cover letter. The general rule however is that you should only write about what is asked of you. If the questions do not, in any way, point to your achievements, then it would be best not to mention anything just yet. Maybe your interview will give you a better opportunity to expound on your abilities.
