MOTIVATION LETTERS Please note that if we help you with your letter, you letter will be visible on the

World Wide Web for others to view. Please make sure that you don't use confidential information in your letter. If you do not want your information made public, then please consult another resource. Our aim is to help as many people as possible. We do that by sharing our assistance and answers with everyone. So before you request our assistance, make absolutely sure that you are comfortable with your information being displayed on the Web. MANY initial attempts at motivation letters are poor because the letters do not convey a sense of the individual. Instead, they are often stories: "Once upon a time I was born and had a childhood; I plan to go to university, start a great career, marry a prince or princess, and then live happily ever after. The End." Unfortunately, that tells the reader very little about you. Other initial attempts provide a laundry list of schools and activities. "I went to this prestigious school; I participated in that activity; I held this office in this club; I speak 10 different languages, sometimes simultaneously; this program in university is next on my checklist." Again, that tells very little about you, other than that you've been busy. Before you even begin to write your letter, think of who you are. What motivates you? What do you like and dislike? What brings you pleasure? What annoys you? What are you naturally good at? What are your weaknesses? You might want to look at a job hunter's book called What Color Is My Parachute. In that book are a lot of exercises that will help you identify your strengths and weaknesses. You should also take a personality test to learn more about yourself. One very popular test is called the Meyer Briggs test. You can complete an online test. If you search for books at Amazon.com using the search terms Meyers Briggs, you can purchase books related to the test as well. You will learn how to better interpret the results. NOW you have a better understanding of yourself. You know what your strengths and weaknesses are, you know what you like and dislike, and you know how your personality fits in with your career aspirations. Next, decide what your selling points will be. If you wanted a friend to describe you in a positive light, what would you want him or her to say? If that friend said you were smart, what proof or evidence does your friend have? What you should do is make a list of your positive selling points with evidence or proof to support your assertion. These selling points should align with your career goals. When you are writing your motivation letter, you need to do the following things:

1. Be very clear on what you want to achieve (get a nursing degree) 2. Be very clear on what you will do with this degree (how do you see yourself in 5 to 10 years)? 3. Why do you want to pursue your chosen career? You know the answer to this question from your strengths and weaknesses as well as from your personality profile.

4. What have you done to prepare yourself for your chosen career? Here you are selling yourself. Use your prior information and your supporting evidence to bolster your position. 5. Highlight anything that is extraordinary that needs to be taken into consideration.

Looking at these five items, you can see that you need not tell a story about your life. In fact, doing so probably doesn't really address the heart of the issue as outlined by points 3 and 4. You might think that providing them a laundry list of schools and activities fills your objective. No, wrong-- again, it merely tells the reader that you were busy and it fails miserably to address point 3. Let's take a closer look at writing your motivation letter: Covering points 1 and 2 ought to be very straightforward. Next, think about why you want this career. What motivates you? What do you like about it? What passions does it stir in you? How do you see yourself performing in this role? Does it suit your personality? Now begin to tell about things in your past that suggest you and your career goals are aligned. Tell about those activities that support your career aspirations or things needed for your career. Your activities need not be directly applicable. For example, my first degree was a mechanical engineering degree. In point or short form (as a crude example)-I I I I I I I I I like science. I have always been interested in science. like taking things apart and putting them back together again. like following technological developments and seeing their implications. like problem-solving. like building things. played a lot of sports as a kid. learned the values of teamwork and commitment. learned how to concentrate and focus on goals. learned how to structure my time to fit my activities into my schedule.

With my personal traits and a science background, I knew that I would be well prepared for business as well. An engineering background is an excellent pathway to business. I always enjoyed learning about business. I found it fascinating. So it is easy for me to talk about my career ambition (engineer) and what I want to do (be employed in an engineering capacity). Why? Here I can talk about how I have always done well in school in math and sciences. I can talk about how I enjoy problem-solving and figuring things out. I can talk about how I enjoy fixing things (cars and my bikes). I can talk about how I love science in general and am always interested in learning how things work. What else? I played a lot of sports as a kid. I learned the values of teamwork, how to win, how to work hard, how to focus and concentrate, and how to balance my time and

priorities. Now I can just briefly mention the activities that support what I have learned. The key point in this discussion is NOT what activities I have participated in, but rather what I have learned and experienced. The activities are merely the supporting arguments to what I am claiming. Anything else? I could talk briefly about business. At that time, my exposure to business was minimal, but I enjoyed reading the business pages. I didn't fully understand what was happening, but I was fascinated by how companies operated and the effects on their stock prices. So the above commentary gives me lots of stuff to play with for a letter. All I need to do now is provide a summary paragraph. This summary should weave much of the information already discussed into a coherent and strong paragraph that demonstrates my passion for wanting to become an engineer. The key to all this is to let the reader get to know you. Knowing your activities doesn't tell the reader about you. If someone were to ask the reader to describe you, could s/he provide an accurate description and assessment? Or would s/he be forced to recite your life story or just provide a list of activities? In my case, she could say, "He is a typical kid with interests in math and science who plays sports. He seems to understand hard work, time management, and the need to focus and persevere. He has some lofty goals in his life, and I hope they work out." That's it. It isn't hard. But you need to tell the reader who you are. If you don't do that, you've failed to communicate your message. Remember, this is an opportunity to sell yourself. Get used to it-- it's an important part of life. You need to be able to present your case for many opportunities in life. Finally, keep in mind that there is no one correct way to write you letter, so long as you convey the five elements mentioned earlier.

How to write a letter of motivation, or cover letter "Letter of motivation" seems to be a literal translation of the French "lettre de motivation". In the English-speaking world, the document is called a cover letter. Remember that it is a letter, so the layout must be correct: Here are some tips to keep in mind when writing a cover letter.

A "letter of motivation" or cover letter (CL) is your opportunity to "sell" yourself, i.e. convince the institution or company that they need to have you. Do not be modest: when applying for a job, explain clearly why you think you are suited for the position.

The goal of a CL is to provide a picture of your background and goals that will persuade the admission committee to accept you.

Recruiters expect you to show that what you have matches what they want. Remember, this is a question of interpretation, and the secret of writing a good CL lies in using your qualifications and experience to show that you are the best person for the position. (This

means, of course, that you need to modify your CL for each position you are applying for. The same goes for your CV, of course.)

Beyond the particular skills required by each program, a CL should show you to be a clearheaded person, capable of thinking clearly, and a motivated, active learner. Write in a clear and logical manner: remember, the way you write and present yourself says a lot about you.

Before writing the first draft, take some time to think about yourself, your goals and your skills. Think about your background, what and where you have studied, and how all that makes you suitable for the program/position. Put this in to the first part of the CL.

Continue in the second section with your professional goals, explaining the connection between them and your studies. Present your long-term plans, and say how the program you are applying for will help you achieve those goals. Make clear why your background makes you suitable for the program, and how the program will help you achieve your longterm goals. In this section also explain why precisely that university etc. is your choice the courses, faculty, research interests are possible reasons. In conclusion, state how you can contribute to the program.

You need to take time. Expect to revise your letter up to 10 times (no exaggeration!) before you come up with a good CL. One strategy is, let it rest after you have written a new draft for a few days, and read it again, in order to get a more objective view. And have it checked by as many other people as possible! To do this, of course, means you must start the process early.

And don't just copy what you have said in the other documents that you submit, but try to add to them. Answer the essay/statement question, if you have one - it usually will be something like "Why are you the right person for this program?".

Instructions
1. o Gather your application documents and a list of the university's requirements for application letters. o

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Create a rough outline of your application letter by writing down the points you want to address and organizing them in a logical manner.
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Write your letter in the first person; application letters are personal statements, so it is acceptable to use the "I" pronoun.
o Include personal stories or anecdotes to make your application memorable. You may want to touch on the obstacles you have overcome to apply to college or a role model who has inspired you to pursue higher education.

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Refer to the application-letter prompt you were given by the university. Every paragraph you write should relate to the prompt.
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Keep your statement brief and within the word count established by the university.
o

Proofread your letter or have someone with proofreading skills do so. Make corrections as needed.

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Tips & Warnings

Avoid overuse of "I" in your application letter but include it sporadically to personalize the letter. Exceeding the word count can suggest that you cannot follow directions. Avoid rambling or including empty sentences.