Job Discussion Forums

eflnoil · Joined: 08 Nov 2008 Posts: 23 Location: AKTAU

Good day to you all

We are working towards eventual recruitment here and would prefer applicants submit a Statement of Motivation along with CV etc for a training position.

I was thinking of looking for 3 paragraphs and between 200 to 250 words total.

Would you say that's a bit long ?

Would be grateful for any views.

ENO

naturegirl321 · Joined: 04 May 2003 Posts: 9041 Location: home sweet home

Seems ok, it's similar to a teaching philosophy, right? Which is often a page or two.

nomad soul · Joined: 31 Jan 2010 Posts: 11454 Location: The real world

A statement of motivation seems more relevant for someone applying to graduate school or for a military commission rather than to an employment situation as a trainer. Therefore, I'm wondering if you mean a letter of interest. If not, what is it you're looking for in terms of it being a recruitment tool? That is, what advantage does a statement of motivation have over a letter of interest, and what key elements do you hope to assess in a job applicant's motivation statement?

Teacher in Rome · Joined: 09 Jul 2003 Posts: 1286

I agree with the other comments so far. How would a statement of motivation, letter of motivation etc be any different from a cover letter? (As that's generally the place where candidates would draw out their interest in working for you, their key qualities, etc.)

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

What exactly are you looking for in a statement of motivation? What kind of job is it? I would think that with such wording, you would scare away more applicants than attract.

AGoodStory · Joined: 26 Feb 2010 Posts: 738

nomad soul · Joined: 31 Jan 2010 Posts: 11454 Location: The real world

For clarification, a typical letter of interest is usually sent to am employer as a job prospecting tool; it may or may not be sent with a resume/CV. However, when I respond to an ad that specifically requests a letter of interest and resume/CV, I submit a letter that�s similar to a cover letter but is "meatier� � a combination of a cover letter and my objective/statement of purpose. (Other posters may interpret this differently.) Also, cover letters are meant to be quickly scanned by the reader, but a letter of interest, when accompanied by a resume/CV, invites close scrutiny.

Elfnoil, whatever you want to call it � a statement of purpose, personal statement, statement of motivation, teaching philosophy, etc. � you need to make it clear to applicants what criteria and components they�re expected to address along with guidelines for length and format style. Otherwise, you�ll either receive a mish-mash of responses or none at all, as others have pointed out.