Want to land a work-study program interview? Need cover letter tips? This article has you covered!
Recruiters often request cover letters alongside resumes. So, how do you write a strong one and stand out? What should a work-study cover letter include? We'll guide you!
Before writing your cover letter
#1 Gathering information about the structure
The first thing to do when looking for a job is to find out about the organization. Who is the founder? What is the mission? What are the values? What are the organization's challenges? What are its news? By gathering this information, you will be able to build the first bridges between yourself and the organization.
#2 Why is the work study program right for you?
Review the job offer carefully. Do your skills and background align with the tasks required? How can you demonstrate you're the ideal candidate? What skills can you contribute during the program? What motivates you for this specific work-study position? What sets you apart from other applicants?
Writing the cover letter for the work-study program
#3 The structure of your letter
Start your cover letter by mentioning the specific work-study program you're applying for. For example: "Application for a 1-year work-study program starting in September 2023."
The structure remains similar to a full-time job cover letter with 3 paragraphs:
A paragraph about the company
In which you express your interest in the organization and the proposed assignment. To stand out from the crowd, you can, for example, try a hook based on something you found on their website, in the work-study offer or in their news! In impact companies, the interest in the mission is often what can make the difference in the eyes of SSE recruiters.
A paragraph about you
Here you highlight your skills and elaborate on 2 or 3 experiences related to the organization's mission.
You X the company
In this last paragraph, demonstrate the benefits of a future collaboration with you! You can talk about what you would like and could bring to the company. You can also mention the coherence of the position with your future professional project.
#4 To each experience, its own example!
In order for a recruiter to understand how your profile is interesting for their position, illustrate each experience with a concrete example, always relate it to the missions and skills required for the work-study program.
⇨ For example, if versatility is a required skill for the position, here's how you could present your experience: "My volunteer experience at several sporting events involved operational management, interacting with attendees, and team coordination. This developed my adaptability and versatility."
#5 Avoid copy/paste
Recruiters will only retain letters that stand out from the crowd! To succeed in this mission, one piece of advice: avoid copying and pasting! Taking ready-made sentences from a cover letter template on the internet or writing the same letter for all your applications could indeed be a disservice to you. On the one hand, this will be felt when reading, and on the other hand, writing sentences that come from you will allow the recruiter to better understand your personality! To personalize your letter, you can for example express your feelings about the mission or the company's commitment.
⇨ Here is an example of a personalized hook: "As a sailing lover and a witness to the pollution of our seas and oceans, your commitment to the reduction of plastic waste has made me want to apply for your work-study offer."
You can also use some keywords used by the organization on its website to adapt your communication to theirs.
#6 Tools to build your letter
If you are more of an old-fashioned person, you can opt for a handwritten letter. Otherwise, there are word processing tools like Word or Open Office to write it. With these tools, you can choose your font, build a nice layout and correct your mistakes. In fact, you have an option to review your spelling mistakes! Not bad, right?
#7 Small details matter!
Paragraph structuration, commas, spaces between each line (1.15 or 1.5) and between paragraphs, a well readable font, are all details that will make reading easier for the recipient.
#8 An ending
To address any cover letter, a greeting must appear at the end! Here are 3 examples of politeness formulas you can use as inspiration:
⇨ "Looking forward to hearing from you, please accept, Madam, Sir, my sincere regards."
⇨ "Please accept, Madam, Sir, my best regards."
⇨ "Hoping that my application will hold your attention, please accept, Madam, Sir, my distinguished consideration."
Proofreading and sending the cover letter
#9 Warning about mistakes !
Once your letter is written, proofread it well or have it proofread by someone close to you, because spelling mistakes can be a problem for some recruiters.
10# Sending your cover letter
In general, the ideal format for the letter is the pdf! Once finalized, if your cover letter is in word format or in another format, you can download it in pdf format to send it.
Here is a sample letter
In this example of a cover letter, the student is in the 2nd year of a Bachelor's degree in Sustainable Development, specializing in communication and is looking to complete his 3rd and final year in a work-study program.
Last name First name
Postal code/City
Tel
Last name First name or company name of the addressee
Address
Postal code/City
Done at..., on...
Subject: Application for the position of CSR communications manager on a work-study basis.
As a student in the second year of the Bachelor's degree in Sustainable Development, specializing in communication, I was interested in your offer for a work-study Communication Manager. Passionate about local, organic and short circuit productions, I would like to promote the work of your market gardeners.
My bachelor's degree has enabled me to develop skills in creating and managing sustainable communication strategies that are coherent both in their messages and in their techniques. I would like to apply these skills to help you create a strategy aligned with your values, your commitments, while sharing techniques to reduce the impact of all your digital productions.
Joining (Name of the company) for a work-study program would be for me the opportunity to apply my theoretical knowledge to the service of field actors, drivers of the ecological transition through their work. Wishing to continue in this professional path, understanding your communication issues would also be a real asset.
I am at your disposal for any further information, and please accept, Madam, Sir, the expression of my respectful greetings.
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