Writing a motivational letter can be
nerve-wracking.
When presented with the question of “Why
would you like to be part of this organization?” you find yourself
staring at a blank page, thinking of how to correctly word “I'm passionate
about going to college so I don’t starve to death.”
Two hours and three coffees in, you’ve
scrolled through your Facebook newsfeed (twice), watched one episode of the
last season of Game of Thrones, sent angry tweets to its creators, and donated
for the knee surgery of two dogs. You go back to your open Word doc and you
have only managed to write: “This organization seems like fun” or “I’ll
totally be a great fit”.
You know you are not this generic or basic.
You’re a capable guy or gal who has a lot to offer and there are genuine
reasons behind your decision to apply.
It’s just hard to put it into words… And we
get that!
In this guide, we’ll
walk you through the process of creating a motivation letter that gets you
accepted anywhere.
We're
Going to Cover:
·
What a Motivational
Letter Is (And Why It Matters)
·
How to Structure a
Motivational Letter
·
How to Write a
Motivational Letter [+Some Helpful Tips to Get Those Ideas Out of Your Head and
Into the Paper]
·
How (and Why) to
Create a Motivational Letter With Novorésumé
What is a Motivational Letter and Why it Matters?
A motivational letter is a one-page letter
that’s used to describe why you are the perfect candidate for a
certain position. It is usually attached to your resume.
You are required to write a motivational
letter in these 4 specific scenarios...
- You are applying to get admitted to an educational
program at a college or university (undergraduate, graduate, or
postgraduate).
- You are applying to work at a non-profit organization.
- You are applying as a volunteer in an
organization.
- You’re applying for an internship in a
company.
The motivational letter shouldn’t be confused
with a cover letter,
the purpose of which is to highlight how specific information on your resume
matches a job opening. Think of a cover letter as the introduction to your
resume for a hiring manager and your motivational letter as the powerful
closing sales pitch for a university or non-profit.
So why exactly does the motivational letter
matter? You’re a doer more than a talker: you’ve listed everything there is to
know about you on your resume. That should be enough, right? Wrong!
All organizations are looking for people who
genuinely want to be there and are excited about what they do. The intent
should be your driving motivation!
Writing a good
motivational letter can be an absolute game-changer. It can provide a boost
for your resume, but also make up for lacking required skills.
How to Structure a Motivational Letter
A good motivational letter is a one-pager where
you introduce yourself, your story, and show your interest in the position or
organization you are applying to.
There are two main ways to structure your
motivational letter:
- Using the classic 3 main paragraphs structure,
where your motivational letter has the introduction, the body, and the
conclusion.
- Using the 5-7 paragraph structure, where
you divide your main body paragraph into smaller 1-3 sentence paragraphs
according to the main points.
Now, which one do YOU go for? The rule of
thumb is if you want to be more factual and to the point, go for the
7-paragraph structure. This way, you can use each body paragraph to discuss
specific achievements or points.
If, on the other hand,
you’re going for a more story-telling approach, you’d go for the 3 paragraph
option, so as not to break the flow of the story.
