Cover Letters
Your Introduction to a Prospective
Employer
© 2008
Marrietta Reber
Katharina Nötzel
Cover Letters - Overview
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What a Cover Letter Is Not
What a Cover Letter Is
What an Effective Cover Letter Does
Cover Letter Design
Cover Letter Content
How to Address Difficult Issues
Cover Letter Do’s
Cover Letter Don’ts
Why Write a Cover Letter
Sending a Cover Letters
What a Cover Letter Is Not
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Merely a formality or an afterthought to
accompany your resume
A comprehensive rehash or a summary of your
resume
A catalogue of all your past jobs or duties
A chance to tell your life’s story
What a Cover Letter Is
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Your first contact with the company
A complement, not a duplicate of your resume
A tool to make you stand out from other
applicants
Proof that you understand the company’s needs
and requirements
Evidence that you are qualified, enthusiastic,
and talk the talk
A chance to briefly explain potential concerns
(e.g. work gaps)
What an Effective Cover Letter Does
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Offers you as the culmination of your relevant
work experience, skills, characteristics, and
strengths
Synthesizes your experience to show you to be
a sum greater than your parts
Markets you as your own unique brand
Shows you can communicate well and are self
confident and literate
Makes the reader want to talk to you
Gets you an interview
Cover Letter Design
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Design a personalized letterhead
Use 1 inch margins on all sides
Left justify (not full) all body text
Use single space throughout
Use one blank line between paragraphs with no
paragraph indentation (except where noted)
Ensure a 1 page maximum
Print on 24-32 lb. weight professional paper
Ensure correct watermark orientation
Use a high quality laser printer
Cover Letter Content
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Reference identification (RE: Job ID in source name)
and transmission note (Via Email to job@company.com)
are optional
Salutation
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Find out name of person responsible for hiring and address letter
to this specific person (check online or call company if needed)
If name is unavailable, use specific job title of the individual
If you can’t identify name or job title, use "Dear Hiring Manager”
Don’t use “To Whom It May Concern” or “Dear Sir or Madam”
Introductory paragraph
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States briefly the specific position and how you learned of it
Grabs the reader’s attention from the very first sentence, and
entices the reader to read on
Cover Letter Content (cont.)
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Body paragraphs:
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Write 1-3 concise body paragraphs, 2-5 sentences per
paragraph, each devoted to a distinct set of skills or experience
relevant to the job
Use an effective topic sentence for each paragraph
Use phrases and descriptions from the job announcement and/or
the company website to describe your skills and achievements
If necessary, explain circumstances that the resume can't
(employment gaps, etc.)
Closing paragraph:
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Thank the reader
State the next step: calling to arrange an interview at the
employer's convenience or wait for recipient of letter to call
Be sure to include your contact information
How to Address Difficult Issues
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Lack of experience or skills
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If you have nearly all required skills, don’t mention minor
deficiencies
If you are lacking only preferred skills, don’t address deficiencies
If you have only about 70% of the required skills, explain how
you can be successful with your skills even if you lack some key
requirements
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Don’t mention in the first body paragraph. Begin with examples of
what you can do and how you’d be an excellent fit.
Mention lacking skill towards end of the letter after the reader is
interested
Put admission at the beginning of a sentence and follow up with
why you believe you can do the job anyway. End the sentence on a
high note.
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Example: “While I may not yet be a certified paralegal, 5+ years
experience working directly with a Chief IP Counsel has allowed me to
develop the appropriate skills…”
How to Address Difficult Issues (cont.)
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Gap in work history
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If the gap was 6 months or less, don’t mention
If the gap was up to a year but you have had significant and
consistent work experience since, avoid mentioning it
If the gap was for a significant amount of time, but you have had
some limited work experience since then, you may need to
address it
If you are currently unemployed and have been for close to a
year or more, you must address it
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Mention shortly the cause of the gap
Describe the valuable skills/qualifications/volunteer work you
acquired while not working
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Example: “After raising a family for several years…” or “After earning a
degree in Technical Writing … ”
Education is the best way to cover a gap!!
How to Address Difficult Issues (cont.)
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Request for salary information
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Stating your salary may screen your application out because you
are outside a pre-established range
NOT providing required info may disqualify your application
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Avoid identifying a salary requirement as long as you can
If/when required, check salary ranges for desired job online
Do not mention your salary requirement until you have sold yourself
as well as possible (put at end of cover letter)
State a salary range, rather than an exact number
Focus on your desired salary range rather than your current salary
State your salary range with the caveat that the job challenge is the
priority and salary considerations are negotiable
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Example: “My desired salary range is $X-X, but my compensation requirements
are negotiable depending on the total package and the opportunity for growth.”
Cover Letter Do’s
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Send a targeted letter to each employer
Get their attention even from the first sentence
Use active, lively sentences that sell your unique abilities
Functional but dull example (from an on-line “resume resource”): “I am writing
to express my interest in the position as mentioned in the paper, and have
enclosed my resume for your consideration”
 More effective example: “Seven years of deep financial and accounting
experience at both public and private companies makes me an ideal fit for the
position of _________ as listed on __________.
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Lift words and phrases from the announcement and
integrate them naturally into your writing to show you
have what they’re looking for
Organize each paragraph according to a relevant
attribute, skill, or type of experience with a solid topic
sentence
Be businesslike, friendly and enthusiastic – make your
letter stand out
Cover Letter Do’s (cont.)
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Be sure to suggest a next step
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Spell-check and proof read carefully
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Good example: “I look forward to sharing my enthusiasm with
you in person. Please call me at 999-999-9999 to set up an
interview.“
Real-life example that wasn’t properly checked: “I am
seeking a new position as i have recently been laid.”
Always sign if you send a paper copy
Keep copies of everything you send
Follow up if you promise action (call, etc.)
Cover Letter Don’ts
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Don’t send out mass produced letter not written
with a specific company in mind
Don’t use clichés and phrases
Don’t misspell any name or use incorrect
address (when in doubt, use Ms.)
Don’t address to “Dear Sir”, “Dear Madam” or
“To whom it may concern”
Don’t write an unfocused, rambling cover letter
or just re-hash your resume
Don’t send out a letter containing any
grammatical or spelling mistakes
Cover Letter Don’ts (cont.)
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Don’t begin too many sentences with “I”
Don’t emphasize a weakness or a negative, but
instead focus on what you have to offer to the
company
Why Write a Cover Letter
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A job application is a career-marketing package
consisting of both cover letter and resume
Cover letters are expected by many hiring
managers
The letter is the first glimpse of your personality,
potential and value to the employer
Cover letters may eventually be read if the
employer is interested in you, so why waste an
opportunity to sell yourself?
Sending a Cover Letter
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Printed job application
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Consider sending a paper application to company you sent an
electronic application to unless specifically directed not to
Match look and style of cover letter and resume
Electronic job application
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Avoid sending complete cover letter in body of e-mail if possible
(hard to format) unless specifically required
Write short message in the e-mail and send two attachments
consisting of cover letter and resume (.pdf preferred, .doc okay)
Use polite, precise and professional language in the email even
if it is just a short message
List what position you are applying for and where you heard
about it in the body of the email message
Cover Letters – Online Resources
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http://www.quintcareers.com/cover_letter_checklist.html
http://www.killianadvertising.com/coverletters.html
http://www.mahalo.com/How_to_write_a_cover_letter
http://leo.stcloudstate.edu/resumes/coverlet/index.html