Cover Letter Grading Criteria
Qualities of an A+ Cover Letter
Organization—The necessary parts of the letter are all included in the proper order. (Necessary parts are listed in the
structure and content section of the grading criteria.)
Layout—The layout is in an appropriate format for business letters.
Structure & Content
Heading and Return Address:
The heading is attractively arranged.
The contact information in the heading is complete.
Date:
The date is included and positioned appropriately.
Inside Address:
The letter is addressed to a specific individual by name and position title.
The inside address is complete, including the company name.
Salutation:
The salutation is courteous and addressed to a specific person by name.
Body:
The first paragraph clearly identifies the position sought.
The letter states where and how the applicant heard of the opening.
The letter highlights the applicant’s qualifications for that specific position.
The letter reveals that the applicant has accurate knowledge of the company.
The letter refers to the enclosed resume.
The applicant indicates a desire for an interview.
All included information is relevant to the position.
The letter is tailored to fit the specific position at the specific company.
All negative information is eliminated.
Closing:
The closing is sincere and courteous and positioned correctly.
The name of the applicant is typed below the closing, leaving adequate space for a signature between them.
The letter is signed in blue or black ink (this requirement is waived for online sections).
Tone—The letter sustains a positive, optimistic, serious and professional tone.
Style—The style (sentence structure and word choice) is formal.
Grammar:
The letter consistently uses the active voice rather than the passive voice.
The letter avoids all grammatical errors, including the following:
Major errors
Sentence fragment
Comma Splice
Fused sentence
Subject/verb agreement error
Garbled sentence
Minor errors
Spelling errors
Wrong form of word
Pronoun/antecedent agreement error
Pronoun reference error
Comma error
Apostrophe error
Parallelism error
Punctuation error