Dear Ms. Palmer:
One of my most profound memories as a young child was the day I first flew on an airplane. I was traveling with my family to California, and I still remember the feeling of excitement as I held my mother's hand and climbed the stairs into the immense red, white, and blue plane. That was my first of many flights on Delta, and I have never forgotten it. I am interested in fostering that same excitement in others by working for Delta as a training instructor.

Dear Ms. Rickards:
My deep-rooted passion for travel abroad would enable me to serve your company well as an international consultant. I must confess that I have always had a passion for international travel and a curiosity for investigating other cultures. As a child, my grandparents filled my stamp collection with brightly colored stamps, souvenirs from their travels. I remember being so captivated by my treasure chest of stamps that I vowed to visit these places one day. I was nearly 13 during my first overseas adventure, and since then I have pursued several adventures abroad, including extended trips to Japan, the United Kingdom and Europe, and a three-month internship with a consulting company in Portugal.

Of course, you may be able to find other ways to open a window into your personality. You might draw on humor, parental influence on your career choice, or profound life experiences, as in this example:

Dear Mr. Clawson:
While working on a summer internship with the Red Cross in Rwanda, I was exposed to human suffering far worse than anything I ever could have imagined. It is out of the sensitivity I acquired toward the misery of oppressed people that I decided to dedicate my career toward trying to ease suffering. That is why I am writing to you about the social work position you currently have available.