Monday, September 7, 2009

#3 - Job Application Letter (Cover Letter)

Goh Chai Yee
Blk 991 Jurong West St 99 #08-609
Singapore 640991
6098 7654
9123 4567
chaiyee@hotmail.com

6th September 2009

Human Resources Department
Atotech S.E.A. Pte Ltd
20 Tuas West Road
Singapore 638379

Dear Hiring Professionals,

Laboratory Technician (Contract) - JobsDB Ref.: JDBS144393201

I am writing in response to your advertisement in JobsDB.com for the position of laboratory technician (contract) posted on 4th September 2009. I am interested in filling this position because I have a strong passion for doing lab-related work. I believe I can meet your requirements for the job.

I will be graduating from the National University of Singapore (NUS) with an Honours degree in Chemistry in July 2010. I am well-equipped with various laboratory skills from the intensive amount of laboratory work I have done during my course of study in NUS. I am trained in the operation of lab equipment such as AAS, HPLC, CVS and UV. I am also well-versed in the working principles of these techniques from the modules on Spectroscopic and Analytical Chemistry I have taken. With a deep understanding of the equipment, I am confident of maintaining and operating them proficiently.

I am participating in a research project in my Honours year which trains me to work independently with self-motivation. I need to have the initiative to read journals constantly and decide on the direction of my research. Moreover, I possess good analytical abilities from the vast amount of data analysis I have done for my research project and the coursework in NUS. After the completion of each experiment, I have to analyze the experimental data and submit a report on the findings. Given these qualities, I believe I am capable of completing my tasks independently and efficiently.

I am a team player who can work well with others. In NUS, I have taken arts and social sciences modules which required me to do group projects with course mates. I am used to and comfortable with working as group. In addition, I have taken a module on Professional Communication which equipped me with good interpersonal and communication skills. I have learnt to be aware of emotions and the behavior I should adopt in maintaining good relationships between me and my team mates. I have also practiced skills to write speak, and listen effectively. Hence, I believe I can communicate and get along well with my co-workers.

Having worked several times as an administrative assistant, I have developed an eye for detail and a meticulous nature since I needed to handle minor and miscellaneous stuff. My prior experience in data entry also trained me to be meticulous due to the large amount of data I had to organize and input correctly into the system. I believe such a quality of mine can be put to good use for quality assurance and analysis.

I am a conscientious and enthusiastic person. I believe with my academic achievements and analytical and communication skills, I am able to work to your expectations and be competent as a laboratory technician. I am sure that I will be able to pursue a challenging yet satisfying career with a company like yours. I hope to have the opportunity to meet you personally so that I can demonstrate my qualities in greater details. I will call you at the end of next week to discuss whether such a meeting would be possible and the appropriate steps to follow up. I look forward to receiving your favorable reply.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,




Goh Chai Yee

Link to Job Advertisement

3 comments:

  1. Hi Chai Yee,

    Your qualifications, experience and skills have been well elaborated. You have managed to "sell" yourself not just in terms of your Chemistry related knowledge and skills but also shown yourself to be someone capable of zooming at details and has good interpersonal skills.
    You made a good ending in this letter by using a persuasive tone to convince your employer to give you a chance to be interviewed.
    However, you might want to consider explaining to your employer how you can be an asset to the company to enhance your chances of being callup for interview.

    Cheers,
    Xin Wei

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Chai Yee,

    I think your application letter is well written. It shows alot of emphasis on the soft skills and transferrable skills you have. However, I feel that it was a little lengthy and your ending was a little too pushy. Since this was a published job opening, it should be assumed that there would be an interview for the shortlisted candidates. The last few lines of the conclusion could have been left unsaid. Remember what Prashant said, offer to call but do not state a deadline.

    Lastly, I feel that the requirements such as "AAS, HPLC, CVS and UV" could have been elaborated in greater detail. Perhaps include how often you've used them or your use of these things in your FYP.


    Wang Ting

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi Xin Wei and Wang Ting,

    Thank you for your valuable comments! On a second look at my application letter, I agree with you Wang Ting that it is a little lengthy. I need to bear in mind that employers are usually very busy people and would not spend so much time reading my letter. Hence, I should have practised conciseness by including only the most relevant points. I could also have elaborated more on these relevant points (such as what you mentioned on the laboratory skills), instead of the less important ones.

    When I was writing the part on offering to call back, I was actually in doubt as to whether it would seem pushy. But I concluded that it is alright, and is able to show that I am really keen on having the job. Since it really does seem pushy, I will take note not to include such deadlines in my letter.

    Once again, I thank both of you for taking time to help me improve on my application letter!

    ReplyDelete