What Is a Motivation Letter?
First, let's review what a letter of motivation is. This letter serves to explain your background and why you are the best fit for a job. On just one page, you'll need to highlight your achievements and express your interest in the role, attaching it to your resume when applying for a job. Moreover, a motivation letter can be utilized for various occasions such as applying to a university, an educational program, a volunteer role in an NGO, or an internship. Up to this point, you may be wondering what the actual difference is between a motivation letter and a cover letter.
Since these two letters are similar, each being one page and accompanying your application, both serve the common goal of helping understand your background and character to determine if you are the best fit for the position. However, there will be a slight 🔗difference between them. We will provide a brief explanation of these two documents.
| Cover Letter | Motivation letter |
|---|---|
| Many companies or scholarships request this cover letter to provide additional information about your experience, character, qualifications, and why you're interested in working for them. Yes, they ask specifically about your job experience. | Meanwhile, a motivation letter is used to apply for an academic course, a scholarship, or a volunteer job. This letter is enclosed with your application and accompanying documents, such as a transcript of your grades or a resume. Mainly, if you don't have much experience related to the role or you are still a student who is looking for an intern, this letter is an excellent choice for you. |
Now, we guess you already have the answer to whether this letter is for you or not, right? Let's dive deeper when you will need this motivation letter.
When to use a motivation letter?
In your student's life, you may need this letter on several occasions, and here we will list the most common situations in this motivation letter that can be your game-changer. They may request or not request this letter from you, but it still can help you stand out among candidates if you send it anyway. Now you know the secret!
Motivation Letter For University Admission
When it's time to apply for your dream college or university, this document gives you the opportunity to express your academic and professional goals, research interests, and why you would like to become one of their students.
Motivation letter for scholarship
If you aim for a scholarship, you must highlight yourself to be noticeable among candidates. Furthermore, this letter helps the selection committee understand your background, achievements, and aspirations, demonstrating why you deserve the scholarship.
Motivation letter for Job
This letter works out for your very first entry-level or voluntary job. Since you are a fresh graduate with minimal experience, you can still write down in this letter about your school projects and your participation in academic events.
In general, a letter of motivation serves as a tool for you to communicate your motivation, qualifications, and suitability for a particular opportunity that you aim for. So, remember to create an inspired letter that can help you achieve any goals. But how to start, right? Don't worry; you can choose where to write from scratch with our guide or use one of our designed motivation letter samples for your kickstart.
Editable Motivation Letter Templates
Our document generation platform allows you to customize your letter within minutes based on our motivation letter templates. It is very simple and only takes three steps to complete as follows:
- Select a suitable motivation letter example for your case.
- Fill in your information by answering our quick questions and hit the button.
- Your draft letter will generated in a second for your review and download.
Note
Once your draft is generated, your answer text will be highlighted in green for quick review. We highly recommend that you edit the text in the template to make it more adaptable to your information.
Simple Motivation Letter Template
Motivation Letter For University Admission
Tips
A strong recommendation letter accompanying this motivation letter can also enhance your chances of being accepted. Explore our 🔗free templates to request a recommendation letter from your professors.
Motivation letter for scholarship
Fresh Graduate Motivation Letter For Job
How to write a motivation letter?
Another way to craft a unique letter is by using one of our motivation letter examples to build a layout with your own words. Writing a motivation letter from scratch is not easy, but it's possible as long as you are familiar with the standard structure to create an effective letter. Here's a general guide to help you craft a compelling letter:
First Paragraph
Your Contact Information: Include your full name, address, email, and phone number at the top.
Salutation: Use a formal salutation If you don't know the specific person's name, use a general greeting. For instance, Dear [Hiring Manager's Name] or [Company Name] Hiring Team.
Introduction: Begin by clearly stating the position you are applying for and where you found the job posting to express your intentions. Remember that hiring employers are usually inundated with many applications. They will likely skip reading your motivation letter if they cannot see your intention. Then, you must start with an engaging sentence that immediately capturing the reader's attention. For example, if you send a motivation letter for university, you can tell a personal story or relevant quote. On the other hand, if you are a fresh graduate looking for a job, then you can start with your admiration for the company or a brief statement about your passion for the industry.
Body Paragraph
Here, we will show you the structure of the body letter, the most important part and your chance to highlight your skills and experience.
Paragraph 1 - Why This Company?
Explain why you are interested in the company. Mention specific values, initiatives, or projects that resonate with you.
Paragraph 2 - Why You?
Discuss your relevant educational background, including your degree and university. Highlight any exceptional academic achievements.
Paragraph 3 - Relevant Experiences
Detail any internships, projects, or extracurricular activities that showcase your skills and suitability for the position.
Paragraph 4 - Skills and Qualities
Enumerate the key skills and qualities you possess that make you an ideal candidate. Relate them back to the job requirements.
Paragraph 5 - Company Contribution
Discuss how your skills and experiences align with the company's needs. Express your eagerness to contribute to the company's success.
Closing Your Letter
Finally, you can write a short paragraph to close your letter of motivation following the below instructions:
Closing Statement: Summarize your enthusiasm for the position and the company. Reiterate your interest in contributing to the team's success.
Thank You: Express gratitude for considering your application.
Formal Closing: Use a formal closing such as "Sincerely," followed by your full name.
Tips To Takeaways
- Be Concise: No one wants to read a long letter so keep your letter concise, focused, and aim for one page if possible.
- Tailor to the Job: To increase your chance of getting hired, do not use a generic letter. Instead, you should customize the letter for each application. Highlight specific skills and experiences relevant to the job description. For that reason,
- Show, Don't Just Tell: Use concrete examples to demonstrate your achievements and capabilities.
- Edit and Proofread: Last but not least, review your letter for clarity, grammar, and spelling errors. It sounds odd but it happens so often.
Note
We designed our motivation letter templates to assist you in creating a customized letter for each application. With our templates, you can not only tailor your information for each role but also modify our text to suit your letter.
Conclusion
Writing a letter of motivation is hard work, but it will be worth it if you have one. So, feel free to use our examples and invest your time in creating a well-crafted letter to make a positive impression on the receivers, especially if you are a fresh graduate. Remember, your motivation letter is an opportunity to showcase your personality and passion, so make it uniquely yours and nail it.
