Writing a Solicited Application Letter

A solicited application letter is an introduction to hiring managers in a job search. While the resume may impress with your credentials, this document will highlight your enthusiasm, personality, and ability to communicate. This will be especially important because, unlike the traditional application letter, a solicited document is one you were asked for. This means the hiring manager has already expressed an interest. Now you need to show them it’s deserved.

You might be asking yourself—what is solicited and unsolicited, and what do they mean? Here are the definitions. Solicited means to approach with a request or a plea. And unsolicited means the exact opposite—to not approach with a request or plea. It’s as simple as that.

So again, a solicited application letter is one that has been requested. Here’s an example of an unsolicited document in the world of job applications. An unsolicited CV, or curriculum vitae, would be a CV delivered to a company, recruiter, or hiring manager by a job seeker, without the company, recruiter, or hiring manager having requested the CV from the job seeker.

Protocol for the Solicited Application Letter

A request for a solicited application letter can come from many places. Company employees, hiring managers, and industry insiders are just a few that might ask you to contact them. As they are probably busy people who meet candidates like yourself all the time, there are two things that you must do. (i) Send out the solicited application letter as soon as possible and (ii) relate a memorable moment during the meeting that the requester will remember. Repeat an interesting question you asked and their response. Remind them of a moment that you discussed regarding the job fair or conference that you both attended.

Starting the Solicited Application Letter

Much like a cover letter, the purpose of a solicited application letter is to express interest in employment and get an interview. The crucial difference is an application letter is an invitation and needs to state that.

Example: My name is [NAME]. You may remember meeting me at the Job Expo on August 13th. It was after the panel on The Future of Marketing and Communications. We talked about where SMS would be ten years from now and the safety of bitcoins. This led to a conversation about an opening in IT with your company. You suggested at the time I forward my resume for your review.

If the requester is a third party, put that in the opening statement.

The Rest of the Letter

After the opening paragraph, adhere to the standards of business and cover letter writing. Highlight experiences in your profession and build up your skills, showing why you would be a valuable asset to their operations. Close out thanking them for their time and the opportunity, and request an interview.

Since you’re including a resume with that solicited application letter, make sure it’s as polished as it gets. That means using Resume Builder, LiveCareer’s top tool for creating quality resumes that gets interviews.