Cover Letters

Entrepreneurship

Mr. Rodrigues

Two Components of the Employment Process

Resumes and Cover LettersResumes and Cover Letters

Think of them as…Think of them as…

Salt and Pepper

Peanut Butter and Jelly

Al Michaels and John Madden

Starsky and Hutch

Hall and Oats

What Is a Cover Letter?

• A cover letter expresses your A cover letter expresses your interest in and qualifications interest in and qualifications for a position to a prospective for a position to a prospective employer.employer.

• Really, a letter of IntentReally, a letter of Intent• It may also be used as a letter It may also be used as a letter

of interest and qualifications to of interest and qualifications to a college or universitya college or university

Why do we need a cover letter?

Your cover letter should Your cover letter should introduce the main points introduce the main points of your resume. of your resume.

It should also help you to It should also help you to “sell” your qualifications “sell” your qualifications to the prospective to the prospective employer. employer.

You are required to have You are required to have oneone

Preliminary Research

Find outFind out

* * General job General job

informationinformation

* Desired * Desired qualifications qualifications

and skillsand skills

* Key values and * Key values and wordswords

Check withCheck with

* Placement office * Placement office filesfiles

* WWW* WWW

* Directories* Directories

* Professors* Professors

* Company literature* Company literature

Header

Emma MarkleyEmma Markley

Human Resources DirectorHuman Resources Director

St. Luke's Medical CenterSt. Luke's Medical Center

729 S. Paulina729 S. Paulina

Chicago, IL 60612Chicago, IL 60612

Dear Ms. Markley:Dear Ms. Markley:

Address your letter to a specific Address your letter to a specific person, ideally to the person who person, ideally to the person who will interview you.will interview you.

If you are submitting to a If you are submitting to a college, address the letter to the college, address the letter to the Admissions DirectorAdmissions Director

Look for the person’s name in Look for the person’s name in company/school publications, or company/school publications, or phone the organization and ask phone the organization and ask for the person’s name or for the for the person’s name or for the personnel manager.personnel manager.

Web-sites are a great place to Web-sites are a great place to looklook

Introductory Paragraph

Your first paragraph should:Your first paragraph should: Get the reader’s attention, stimulate interest, Get the reader’s attention, stimulate interest,

and be appropriate for the job you are and be appropriate for the job you are seeking. seeking.

Make your goal clear to readers.Make your goal clear to readers. Preview the rest of your letter. Highlight Preview the rest of your letter. Highlight

the qualifications you will discuss the qualifications you will discuss throughout the letter.throughout the letter.

Solicited Application Letters

Solicited application Solicited application letters are letters letters are letters written in response to written in response to an advertised job an advertised job opening. opening.

It is appropriate to It is appropriate to mention where you mention where you learned of the opening learned of the opening in the first paragraph.in the first paragraph.

I believe that my knowledge I believe that my knowledge of public relations and my of public relations and my proven communication and proven communication and leadership skills make me a leadership skills make me a strong candidate for thestrong candidate for theposition of Media Relations position of Media Relations Coordinator that was posted Coordinator that was posted by the Delta Airlines Job by the Delta Airlines Job Opportunities Program.Opportunities Program.

Unsolicited Application Letters

Unsolicited Unsolicited application letters are application letters are written to companies written to companies that have not posted a that have not posted a job opening.job opening.

It is important to gain It is important to gain the reader’s attention the reader’s attention and persuade them that and persuade them that you can contribute to you can contribute to the company’s goals.the company’s goals.

As a member of one of the As a member of one of the

fastest growing publishing fastest growing publishing

houses in the world, do you houses in the world, do you

have an opening in your have an opening in your

acquisitions department for acquisitions department for

a recent college graduate a recent college graduate

with a major in English and with a major in English and

publishing and editing publishing and editing

experience?experience?

Goals of the Body Paragraphs

Highlight your strongest Highlight your strongest qualifications for the qualifications for the position for which you are position for which you are applying.applying.

Demonstrate how these Demonstrate how these qualifications will benefit qualifications will benefit the employer.the employer.

Refer employers to your Refer employers to your enclosed resume.enclosed resume.

Detailing Your Experience

Show (don’t tell) Show (don’t tell) employers your employers your qualificationsqualifications

Include specific, credible Include specific, credible examples of your examples of your qualifications for the qualifications for the position. position.

Use numbers, names of Use numbers, names of equipment you've used, or equipment you've used, or features of a project that features of a project that may apply to the job you may apply to the job you want.want.

As a banking As a banking representative at Bank representative at Bank One, I provided quality One, I provided quality customer service while customer service while promoting the sale of promoting the sale of products to customers. I products to customers. I also handled upwards of also handled upwards of $20,000 a day and was $20,000 a day and was responsible for balancing responsible for balancing the bank’s ATM the bank’s ATM machine.machine.

Using Active Language—Don’ts

Don’t be vague in your Don’t be vague in your descriptions.descriptions.

Don’t use weak verbs Don’t use weak verbs such as endeavored, tried, such as endeavored, tried, hoped, and attempted.hoped, and attempted.

Don’t use sexist language Don’t use sexist language such as chairman and such as chairman and manpower.manpower.

Vague: Vague: I worked as a I worked as a ramp agent at Comair.ramp agent at Comair.

Weak: Weak: I attempted to I attempted to attract customers.attract customers.

Using Active Language—Do’s

Use concrete words to Use concrete words to describe your experience.describe your experience.

Use present tense to discuss Use present tense to discuss current activities and past current activities and past tense for previous job duties tense for previous job duties or accomplishments.or accomplishments.

Be as specific as possible in Be as specific as possible in descriptions; list dollar descriptions; list dollar amounts and figures when amounts and figures when you can.you can.

Vague:Vague: I worked as a ramp agent for I worked as a ramp agent for COMAIR.COMAIR.

  SpecificSpecific: As a ramp agent, I assisted : As a ramp agent, I assisted in loading baggage, oversaw in loading baggage, oversaw fueling the aircraft, and stocked fueling the aircraft, and stocked commissary items on the aircraft.commissary items on the aircraft.

Weak: I attempted to attract Weak: I attempted to attract customers.customers.

Strong: I initiated a program to Strong: I initiated a program to attract customers to Pizza Hut, attract customers to Pizza Hut, which resulted in a 5% increase in which resulted in a 5% increase in sales for the month of June.sales for the month of June.

Organizing Your Letter

In general, cover letters should be no longer In general, cover letters should be no longer than one typed page.than one typed page.

Organize your body paragraphs to emphasize Organize your body paragraphs to emphasize your strongest and most relevant qualifications. your strongest and most relevant qualifications. Only include the two or three strongest Only include the two or three strongest qualifications from your resume.qualifications from your resume.

Make it easy for readers to scan your letter by Make it easy for readers to scan your letter by beginning each paragraph with a topic beginning each paragraph with a topic sentence.sentence.

Concluding Your Letter

I would welcome theI would welcome the

opportunity to discuss opportunity to discuss

these and other these and other

qualifications with you. If qualifications with you. If

you are interested, please you are interested, please

contact me at (317) 555-contact me at (317) 555-

0118 any morning before 0118 any morning before

11:00 a.m., or feel free to 11:00 a.m., or feel free to

leave a message.leave a message.

Conclude by asking for a Conclude by asking for a personal interview.personal interview.

Be flexible regarding a Be flexible regarding a date and time for the date and time for the interview.interview.

Be specific about how the Be specific about how the interviewer should contact interviewer should contact you.you.

Include a thank you.Include a thank you.

Mailing Your Letter With Your Resume

Coordinate the design of your letter Coordinate the design of your letter with the design of your resume.with the design of your resume.

Be sure to send both to prospective Be sure to send both to prospective employers; they both reveal different employers; they both reveal different kinds of information about you. kinds of information about you.

Key Points to Remember

Appeal to company values, Appeal to company values, attitudes, goals, projects, etc.attitudes, goals, projects, etc.

Elaborate on the information Elaborate on the information in your resume.in your resume.

Provide evidence of your Provide evidence of your qualifications.qualifications.

Proofread carefully for Proofread carefully for grammatical and grammatical and typographical errors. The typographical errors. The letter should be error-free.letter should be error-free.