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Cover Letter

The Purpose of Your Cover Letter

The cover letter is often the first contact with a prospective employer and serves as an introduction of yourself and your background experience. Many employers will not look at a resume that arrives without a cover letter. The cover letter is a marketing tool - it communicates to employers that you are interested in their position and their company, and that you have something valuable to contribute to the job and the organization. In certain situations, a well written cover letter can be a more effective job search tool than the resume itself.

Writing the Cover Letter

Your cover letter should be written in a business format and written from the perspective of the employer. Letters are always written specifically for each employer.

Step one: The Introduction
Indicate why you are contacting the employer, the position you are applying for, and how you became aware of this position. If you are responding to a classified ad, mention where you saw it. If you were referred by an individual, mention his or her name.

Step two: The Employer's Need, Your Experience
Highlight the best evidence of your qualifications for the position. Convince the reader that what you have is exactly what he or she wants. Be specific about your background and skills, but do not copy your resume.

Step three: Conclusion and Contact
Emphasize how the position and your qualifications are a direct match. State that you are interested in having an interview to further discuss your qualifications. Include where, when, and how you can be contacted. One technique is to be pro-active by telling the employer exactly when you will initiate your follow-up telephone call, and stick to this date.

Step four: Review and Finish
Polish and proofread your cover letter. Check for proper spelling, grammar and syntax. Get constructive feedback from such individuals as a former employer, internship supervisor, faculty member, or a staff member in the Career Development Center.

Business Format

A business format is the most recommended form for the cover letter. Hand-written notes are not appropriate.

Address your cover letter to the individual or business function most closely related to the position for which you are applying. Always try to get the name and job title of the hiring manager. Your letter and resume are most likely to be read if you are sending them to someone specific. Cover letters that are sent to HR Departments or employment representatives usually do not get read.

A business letter format is a block style format with all text beginning at the left margin. Paragraphs are not indented. Center your cover letter on the page. This sometimes requires that you adjust margins and spacing to balance the finished letter on the page.

Writing Style Guide

Keep your sentences ten or twenty words long. Shorten any sentence with more than twenty words, or break it into two.
Limit paragraph length to five to seven sentences.
Use powerful action phrases to describe your experiences and accomplishments in a clear, concise way.

Presentation

For letter production, use the following guidelines:

Use laser jet quality print, not dot matrix
Send a clean original signed with black ink
Use the same high quality bond , white of off-white, paper as you do for your resume
Stay away from bright colors. You may be asked to fax a cover letter and resume, with darker colored paper, the transmittal quality will be poor
Use a common font with a professional appearance.
Keep a copy of your letter on file for future reference