How Should I Write a Letter of Intent for a Promotion to Purchasing Officer?

I am Jenny, 25 years old, working as a Documentation Assistant in Hacorphil Corporation - Food & Transportation Services in the Equipment Department. My responsibilities include creating job orders for vehicle parts in case of breakdowns and endorsing these orders for purchase.

Potential Promotion to Purchasing Officer

The HR department has approached me about a potential promotion to Purchasing Officer, considering my familiarity with the vehicle parts that need to be procured. They have requested that I write a letter of intent stating my qualifications for the position, which will be attached to my resume.

I am in need of a sample for this purpose and would greatly appreciate your assistance. Thank you very much. Kindly send the sample to my email address as soon as possible. [Email Removed For Privacy Reasons]

Thank you.

Competency-Based Application for Purchase Officer

Essentially, what you've been asked to prepare is commonly referred to as a Competency-Based Application.

Usually, such applications consist of 6 to 8 competencies, with 5 to 6 competencies related to behavioral traits and personal attributes required for that position. The remaining 1 to 2 competencies will relate to specific and key technical competencies required for that position.

My suggestion is that before you set about writing the letter of intent, you should research whether your organization has a job description (JD) or position description (PD) for the Purchase Officer's position. If they do, then take a copy and note the key attributes and skills mentioned therein. These competencies are what you need to address in your letter of intent. Remember to address each competency individually with clear headings for each. As far as possible, use between 5 - 7 bulleted lists for each competency, and try to restrict each competency to no more than half an A4 page in size 11 font.

Using the SOAR Principle

Ideally, each competency is addressed using the SOAR principle. This is as follows:

- **S - Situation:** Refer to a situation in your work experience where that particular competency was called to action.
- **O - Objective:** What was the objective that was intended to be achieved in that situation?
- **A - Action:** What were the various actions you took to achieve the objective? (Note - this is where your bulleted list will be very handy.)
- **R - Result:** Did your actions culminate in the stated objective being achieved? If yes, then show how. If not, then why not, and what was the learning for future similar situations?

In case your company doesn't have a formal Purchase Officer JD or PD, my suggestion is to speak with the Purchase Manager. Ask them about their key assessment criteria while selecting a Purchase Officer. While you are in that meeting, prepare a list of between 4 to 6 competencies. Make sure you get the manager's agreement that you're on the right track. Once you've got that list, then go about addressing those points with the SOAR principle I've outlined above.

I hope this helps you.

Good Luck & All the Very Best!