How to Write a Motivation

Tips for writing a motivation letter
Following these tips can help make your motivation letters stand out and convince decision-makers to consider your application further.

Follow any guidelines. Follow any formatting, length and content guidelines provided by your prospective school or nonprofit. If the organization does not provide any details, write approximately 1/2 to one page of text with a basic 12-point font, such as Times New Roman or Arial.
Write with personality. Write in a natural voice that reflects how you would speak to your recipient if they were in a room with you. Include interesting details that help your motivation letter stand out from others. Humor can be misinterpreted, so opt for a more serious tone.
Use accessible language. Identify any unnecessarily complex terms or jargon when you are proofreading and replace them with simpler words. Write short, active sentences that cannot be misinterpreted.
Focus on your strengths. Write about your personal strengths, rather than your challenges or limitations. Writing about your strengths helps the recipients of your motivation letters understand your value to their organization and keeps your letter's tone positive.

Conclude your motivation letter
Write a conclusion to your motivation letter that summarizes your goal and leaves a positive final impression. You should also thank your recipient for considering your application and encourage them to contact you if they have any questions.

1. Write an outline
Write a point-form outline noting the content of your motivation letter and its order. Write points covering the following topics:

Why you want to study the course or volunteer with the program
Your skills or qualities that will benefit the school or nonprofit
Why you are interested in the school or nonprofit organization
Think critically about whether you are including all relevant details. A motivation letter for a Ph.D. program will need more details about your experiences and specific future plans than a motivation letter for a bachelor's program, for example. Cross-reference your outline with information from the school or nonprofit organization to show you have the qualities and qualifications they are looking for. Assess your format and structure and determine whether moving points around would create a more logical flow.

Revise your outline until you are satisfied with it. You can reference your completed outline when writing your polished motivation letter to stay on track.