THE MAGICAL FOUR-PARAGRAPH COVER LETTER
WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS COVER LETTER?
JOE REDBERRY
123 Main Street Anywhere, ON V8S 5B1
(999) 999-9999
joe@mail.com
st
1 PARAGRAPH
ATTENTION GRABBING
Why are you writing?
 Identify the job you are
applying for
 How you learned about it
 Indicate that you have
attached enclosures with the
letter (e.g. resume and
portfolio)
2nd PARAGRAPH
SHOW INTEREST
Why should they hire you?
 State your qualifications for
the position that match the job
including required skills,
duties and responsibilities
 Focus on your relevant
qualifications and provide 1 or
2 examples
 Demonstrate how your
background and experience
match the job you are
applying for
3rd PARAGRAPH
EXPRESS DESIRE
Why do you want to work there?
 Refer to research you have
done about the company and
how it relates to your interests
and experiences
 Illustrate your knowledge
about the employer and why
you are interested in this
company
 Keep it short
4th PARAGRAPH
CLOSURE
 Close with a one or two
sentence paragraph thanking
your reader for his or her time
and consideration
November 11, 2010
Ms. Rushmore
Editor
The Fast River News
456 Any Avenue
Nowhere, ON V9Z 6T9
Always address your letter to someone, not
“To Whom It May Concern:” If you don’t
know the hiring contact, address the letter
to Human Resources or Hiring Manager
and/or reference the title of the position.
Re: Position of General Reporter
Dear Ms. Rushmore:
Please find enclosed a copy of my resume and journalism portfolio. I am forwarding
these to you in hopes that you will consider my application for the position of
General Reporter at The Fast River News.
As you will note in my resume, I was a news and sports reporter at The Martlet
where I wrote several assigned stories within a few hours. Having generated my
own story ideas and successfully pitched those stories to my editor, I demonstrated
strong organizational skills and thorough research abilities (see portfolio: “Vikes
Captain a Winner”). I am able to gather factual information in one interview and
have covered late-breaking elements in stories with follow-up telephone calls. I am
confident that after a few days I could produce five stories per day meeting the
productivity requirements of the paper. For instance, while at school I had three,
2000-word papers due within a week and managed to complete the assignments
without difficulty and scored an A- on each paper. As a result, working overtime
and weekends has become my lifestyle.
I understand that The Fast River News is one of the few dailies in northern Ontario.
Having read past student reports about the paper, I find myself excited by the
possibility of joining your team. I would be very interested in meeting with you to
talk about your newspaper and the skills I have to offer.
I look forward to discussing The Fast River News and how my skills can contribute
to your editorial goals. Thank you in advance for your consideration.
Yours truly,
Don’t forget to sign your letter.
Never give a photocopied signature on your
cover letter. If sending electronically, just
your typed name is fine.
Joe Redberry
Enclosure
Material adapted from article written by D.F. Bailey, originally published by the Canadian Association of Career Educators and
Employers (CACEE), in the 1999-2000 edition of Career Options magazine.