A Genre Analysis of Strategies adopted by Pakistani Graduates in Job Application Letters

Abstract

The genre of job application letters is currently gaining attention in the field, with limited research in the context of Pakistan. The primary objective of this study was to examine the tactics utilized by graduates from Pakistan in their letters of employment application. The study employed a mixed methods technique to examine the frequency of moves as identified in Bhatia's (1993) model. A sample of ten job application letters was obtained from recent graduates of Government College University Faisalabad using the technique of convenient sampling. The findings of the analysis indicate that a significant proportion of the participants employed a majority of the strategies outlined in Bhatia's model. These strategies encompassed Establishing Credentials, Introducing the Candidature, Enclosing Documents, Soliciting Responses, and Ending Politely. Nevertheless, several observations were made. The majority of participants utilized incentives. This study emphasizes the need to comprehend fundamental communicative strategies to compose job application letters that are impactful.