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COMM 202
T20, T21 & T27Week 3: The Cover Letter
Garret LaValley
No Laptops or Cellphones, NameCards
out please!
Agenda
1. Cover Letter
2. Activity!
3. Action Items
Why?
Why?Interest
Why?InterestCommunication Skills
Why?InterestCommunication Skills
Elaborate on Experiences
The Resume is about
The Cover Letter is aboutYOU
THEM
FORMATTING & INTEGRATION
BRANDING TO COMPANY
OPENING
5 Elements of a Cover Letter
SKILLS MATCH
CLOSING
Opening
Opening
Dear ___________,
My name is ________, and I’m applying to _________.
Opening
Dear ___________,
My name is ________, and I’m applying to _________.
Opening Takeaways Express a genuine interest or passion for the position
Clearly expresses the skills/experiences matching the job description
Utilizes unique primary and secondary research in the company (Make sure research shown is tied to your interest)
Name drop (where applicable)
Who knows what this is?
Who knows what this is?Growing up in Calgary, I remember seeing donkey pumps across the province’s gorgeous foothills and became immediately fascinated by Oil & Gas. As I’ve gotten older I’ve learned more about the industry through family members and personal research and felt a desire to be part of the exploration, development, and improvement of the Alberta oil sands. This desire ultimately attracted me to Suncor, which is dedicated to being a leader on climate change, and reducing its environmental impact. Speaking with Kyle Anderson about Suncor’s Co-op mentorship program has solidified my belief that Suncor is the greatest company to expand upon my knowledge of Alberta oil operations, as I believe mentorship is key to building a strong team culture. My experience as an insurance underwriter has made me most interested in the areas of performance analysis and credit risk.
How to make it better?
The most important lesson I’ve learned from years of marathon training is that results are directly linked to effort put in. This is an attitude that has led me to Boston-qualifying marathon times, achievement on the UBC rowing crew, winning finishes at triathlons, and placement on the Dean’s Honour Roll. Accounting works much the same; the only path to excellence is through hard work and persistence. This attitude of persistence and teamwork has carried me through my previous challenging work experiences and is one that I have found aligns with PwC’s core values of excellence, teamwork, and leadership. Some of my applicable skills gained from those previous positions include:
You need a HOOK!
Another Example:How fast can you change four tires? One hour? Ten minutes? A few years ago I witnessed a Formula One team do it in 2.7 seconds. They said a perfect run would be just one second. In everything that I do I strive to reach that one second – that perfect test score, that perfect presentation, that perfect career. After speaking with Jake Woodson, a recent hire, Dion Chen, and other industry professionals, I know that my personality and passion lies in sales and trading. Through my unique athletic background and passion, I will provide competitiveness and drive that will set a benchmark for future interns. I cannot wait to sit on a trading floor, execute trades, and engage in research while receiving mentorship from the most world-renowned investment bank. A career with Goldman Sachs is my one second and this is how I will help Goldman reach its own one second ideal:
Show me your HOOK!
Co-op Program
Skill-Matching
Skill Matching
Skills From Job Description, Job Research Assignment & Skills Matrix
Experience Your best relevant experiences
Eduaction How you will leverage your BCom
Matching Qualifications Any other qualifications
If it doesn’t belong, don’t include it
Skill Matching - Bullets
Skill Matching - Paragraphs
Skill Matching Takeaways
• Use STAR(L) to your advantage – Focus on Action and Link
• Each line proves you have the necessary skills & aptitudes to perform the job
• Always create a link to the job/experience if not obvious
• Use skills listed in the job posting or implicit to the responsibilities
• Use of at least one hard and one soft skill
Closing
Closing
“Thank you for looking at my application. I hope
that I have shown you that my interpersonal skills,
my leadership skills, and my ability to perform on
a team make me a perfect fit for ABC position.
Thank you very much and I hope to hear from you
soon.”
Closing
“Thank you for looking at my application. I hope
that I have shown you that my interpersonal skills,
my leadership skills, and my ability to perform on
a team make me a perfect fit for ABC position.
Thank you very much and I hope to hear from you
soon.”
Closing Takeaways• Make a good final impression
• Show your passion again
• Restate skills in a different way than originally worded
• Give genuine thanks
• Leave a call to action
• Tie to previous examples or stories throughout the letter
Closing• Address the Elephant in the room…
• Bad Grades
• Relocation
• Year of study
While I understand that my academic record may not be as competitive as other applicants, I firmly believe that the time I dedicated to varsity athletics developed my skills as a dynamic team player beyond that of my peers. As a firm that values inspiring and leading others as the defining characteristics of leadership in business, I sincerely hope that you will view my unique experience and skillset as a valuable asset to your firm. Thank you for your time and consideration of me as a prospective summer associate for PwC Calgary in 2014. I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Branding
Branding Takeaways
• Consistent throughout Cover Letter
• Fits with the company’s values and your own
• Makes a good impression
• Utilizes the Research Assignment – Industry Terms
What do you know about us?
Integration
Integration Takeaways
• CL & resume use same formatting
• Helps you to stand out!
• CL reflects & expands upon resume
• Be Mindful of spacing
Formatting
Formatting – Address Line
Date
Contact Name (if known)Their TitleCompany NameAddress 1Address 2 (if extra space needed)City, Province, Postal Code
Re: Position Title and Reference Number (if provided)
Dear Mr. or Ms. Or Mrs. (Last Name only) or Hiring Manager (choose one)
[Opening Paragraph]
These spaces
are mandatory!
Country is typically unnecessary unless applying outside of
Canada
AVOID: “To Whom it May Concern”
“Dear Sir or Madam”
These spaces
are mandatory!
Formatting – Signature Lines
[Closing Paragraph]
Sincerely Or Kind regards,
Full NameBCom Candidate, (year of completion)Sauder School of Business, UBC
Attached: Resume (in a real application may also include transcripts, etc.)
BCom BTM Co-op Candidate 2016
Cover Letters – Can. Want. Fit.
Do I want the job?Am I the right fit?
Can I do the job?
This Thursday @ 12:30 - HA 492
Come meet Dan Moore, President –
Southwestern Advantage
Speaking on:“Certainty in a Completely Uncertain
Future”
What can you do now to be ready for just about anything as our world
changes increasingly fast?
*202 bonus marks eligible
Action Items
Bring in two hard-copies of the Cover Letter to next Tutorial And a copy of your Job Posting
Sign up for Office Hours!
Job Posting Research (2 worksheets) due Sunday February 7th Submit to Turnitin
Skills Matrix due February 12th
Submit to Turnitin, use the template provided