TEXAS-ONLY COMPETITIONS TEXAS ONLY 5. Letter requesting a letter of Recommendation (max of three:) These are formal letters. It is recommended that these letters contain an address line, (contact information of the respondent), date, greeting, and opening with a reason for the letter, body (name job seeker who is the subject of the recommendation letter), closing, salutation and signature. It is recommended that the letter of recommendation address the employer specifically. For letters of recommendation to be effective, they should address the employer by name and title instead of “To whom it may concern”. The body of the letter should state the relationship of the respondent to the job seeker. Letters will be judged on neatness, readability, content, and consistency in complying with specifics asked for in “Request Letters of Recommendation” above. Letters of recommendation must come from individuals who actually know the job applicant. Judges want letters from those who were requested to write a letter or where given as a reference on the applicant’s resume and supports continuity with the other syllabus documents. Letters of recommendation should speak to the job seeker’s skills, accomplishments, and responsibilities and be consistent with the job seeker’s resume. The letter of recommendation should add value to the job seeker’s portfolio, not detract from it. Letters of acceptance from a college are commendable, may be included, but cannot be considered as one of the three required letters. Why...because a college/university does not know the job seeker personally and cannot make recommendation in employment situations. Use of college acceptance letter for the required letter of recommendation is cause for point deduction. Care should be taken when deciding which letter of recommendation, a student uses in their portfolio. Although the student does not produce the letter, it is advisable to use only those letters which exemplifies professionalism and leadership. No matter how readable, neat and well formatted a letter may be a poorly written letter should never be used in the portfolio for competition or in the real world. The objective of this contest is to prepare job seeker/students for the expectations of hiring decision makers in this new millennium. We recognize that the student cannot control what is written by someone else. However, the bottom line is if a recommendation letter is not carefully written, it can cause the job seeker/student un-recoverable harm in their job seeking process and should not be used. Total points may not be received for poorly written letters that are used in the portfolio. 6. High School Transcript: An “official high school transcript” is required. It contains specifics as to honor and general courses taken by the job seeker, final grades and test scores achieved, the embossed high school seal, recommend or distinguished diploma track, and TAKS achievement ratings, SAT or ACT scores are also indicated. Other pertinent information is usually included on the back of transcripts. Example – student’s health or shot record. 8. Leadership Essay: The job seeker speaks to the elements of leadership and its impact on themselves and others. The essay is a composition devised by the student and is relevant to the job seeker/student as they prepare for the writing requirements of the job and writing portions of college entrance exams such as THEA, SAT, ACT or Accuplacer. Careful attention to content is expected. Student must give source credit for any reference material or quotes used. If a student uses a source in their essay and does not give credit, score of “0” will be given. 9. Job Description: This is a description of the job that the applicant seeks. It can be the ad from the newspaper or Internet, retyped of course for presentation in the portfolio. This should not be the description of the job the job seeker currently holds. The student should provide their current job information in their resume. The job description is the document used by judges to determine if the job seeker’s resume and other support materials/documents included in the portfolio qualifies, meets the requirements and expectations of the interviewer/employer. Consistency and continuity with other documents in the job seeker’s portfolio is expected. 10.Letter of Application: This is commonly referred to as a “cover letter” for the job seeker’s resume. This is a formal document in the job seeker’s arsenal to explain their reason for contacting the company or individual, expresses interest, and maintains consistency with the job seeker’s resume. The letter refers to the ad and the position sought or the insider source providing the information about the job opening. The cover letter may highlight an important aspect of the applicant’s background, include information that does not necessarily appear in the resume, ask specifically for the opportunity to interview, and ask for a timely response. The letter should be typed and use the same stationary as the resume. It should contain an address line, date, subject line, greeting, and opening, with a reason for the letter, body, closing, salutation, and signature. Careful attention to detail and content is expected. 11. Thank You Letter (follow-up letter): This is a formal letter and expresses the job seeker’s appreciation and interest in the position and addresses the interviewer/employer by name. It contains an address line, date, subject line, greeting, and opening, a reason for the letter, body, closing, salutation, and signature. It must contain the interviewer’s/employer’s name and applicant’s signature. The job seeker has a small amount of space to get the interviewer’s attention. This is where the job seeker uses what was learned in the interview and makes use of it to write, “sales copy” highlighting qualifications, assets, accomplishments, and or convincingly describes how they can benefit the employer. All those words said during the interview are dwindling down to one or two remarks; the job seeker’s image is fading fast and is competing with others for the position. Content should be created carefully. This is the one letter in the portfolio that can be submitted in the contestant’s own handwriting. This is because in the real world, the handwritten thank you letter with envelop stands out above the pile of mail or e-mail that decision makers receive daily. SkillsUSA Texas TEXAS-ONLY COMPETITIONS SKILLSUSA TEXAS | 2026-2027 26