GEM CVCover letter

Liliane Bois-Simon

Ecole nationale supérieure des mines de Saint-Etienne – ENSM-SE

• I know I know…

• You’re desperately lloking for an internship

• It should start in May and finish in August

Make your cover letter a win-win game

But remember

• Who reads the cover letter ?

• Put yourself in their shoes

LBS/DRI/09-03-2009

What are they looking for ?

• Someone who can do the job

• Someone who can contribute to their company

First, do your homework

• Read the offer carefully

• Underline the keywords

• Do some research on the company

Let’s take an example

Wind Turbines, ltd, the world’s largest technical and engineering consultant for renewable energy

Located in Denmark

Temporary student intern position

LBS/DRI/09-03-2009

• Responsabilities include• Providing support in

technical review of turbines

• Liaising with a wide range of clients

• Undertaking grid connection analysis

• The ideal candidate should have :

• An Appropriate degree in engineering

• A curiosity and willingness to learn

• Ability to produce clear written and oral presentations in English

• Good IT skills

• Capable of working independantly And as part of a team

• Good organization and time management skills

Have you done your homework ?Let’s start !

• Write your name and contact details in the left hand corner of the letter

• Put the offer’s reference number• In the right hand corner : write the name of the person

mentionned in the offer• Dear Sir or Madam• Dear Mr Henderson, Dear Ms McArthur,

First paragraph

•Remember : This letter is YOURS•We won’t give you any standard cover letter to copy and paste

•The first paragraph should show them that :•You have understood :

•What type of company they are•What they’re looking for

LBS/DRI/09-03-2009

Second paragraph

You are the right person for this job

Choose the key words in the offer and show them You have the backgroundIllustrate your CV in the cover letter by giving them practical examples of

•projects, case-studies, assignments, oral presentations, bibliography studies

Third paragraph

Your personality

Check the key-words in the offer.Team spirit, capacle to work independantly, organized, can work under pressure etc…

Give them practical examples of :Group work, hard intellectual work, resistance to stress, sports, competitions, associations, clubs, organization of events etc…

Finally

Conclude by an opening :

•You are available for an interview

•A face to face interview or a phone interview

•Show them you’re not afraid to speak on the phone

Last words

Thank you for your time and consideration.

I look forward to hearing from you

Best regards