COVER LETTERS
INTRODUCTION
The cover, or motivation, letter is the document that accompanies
your résumé or curriculum vitae when you are
applying for a job. It serves as the first sample of your writing
ability and attention to detail. For academic purposes, the
document used is typically called the statement of purpose, and
is laid out after somewhat different rules. The goal of the cover
letter is to introduce your résumé or CV, to bring
to attention aspects of your activity that can help your
application and are not listed or not presented in the proper
light in your résumé or CV. Your cover letter
should emphasize why you want to work for that particular
organization and why you would be a good fit. An effective cover
letter engages the reader and encourages him or her to invite you
for an interview. In short, its goal is to answer the recruiter's
question: "Why should I hire this person?".
ESSENTIALS
Cover letters are generally one page at most in length (200-250
words), with ample margins (minimum 2.5 cm). Choose a "warm"
typeface that is clear and easy to read, such as Times New Roman,
Arial, Courier, or Book Antiqua. When choosing a font, always
consider your audience. If you are writing to a conservative
company, you may want to use Times New Roman. However, if you are
writing to a more liberal company, you have a little more freedom
when choosing fonts. You must use an adequate font size - no
smaller than font size 10. You may indent your paragraphs or not
- but not indenting gives a little bit more room.
Write individual letters. Personalized communications are always
the way to go, so take the time to tailor each letter to the
organization and person to whom you're writing. "Stock" or
"generic" letters are offensive to recruiters these days.
Use simple, clear sentences. Choose every word carefully.
Constantly ask yourself, "Is there any way I can say this more
clearly?" And, "Is this giving the reader the exact idea I mean
to communicate?"
Write in the active tense. Active verbs are the key when writing
cover letters and resumes. Instead of saying, "...my best
attributes include team play and motivating people," say "I'm a
dedicated team player who can motivate people..." The latter
promises a go-getter of an employee - someone who can take action
instead of waiting to be led by the hand.
Proofread your letter for spelling or grammatical errors before
printing it out. ONE mistake indicates carelessness to the
employer and may disqualify you before you've even had a chance.
If you do not feel confident about your English skills, ask
someone, e.g., your TOEFL instructor, to proofread your cover
letter.
FORMAT
Cover letters have a quite rigid structure and a standard
business letter layout. Cover letters are usually divided into a
header, introduction, body, conclusion, and a footer.
HEADER
The layout of the header is that of a formal business letter:
your address and contact details come under your name, in the
upper right corner of the page. Underneath, aligned left, write
the name, function, organization and address of the person you
are writing to. It is a lot better to know the name of the person
who is going to read your letter. You should address the letter
directly to him or her. In case you do not know the name (if it
is not mentioned in the official announcement), a little digging
on the Internet or a phone call should help you get that name.
Under the receiver's address, aligned right, write the date of
the day when you are writing the letter. You should spell the
name of the month and use four digits for the year. You can put
in front of the date the location, e.g., Tighina, April 2,
2008.
Following that is an optional reference section (e.g. "RE:
Internship Opportunity at Global Corporation") and an optional
transmission note (e.g. "Via Email to jobs@example.net").
The final part of the header is the salutation. If you do know
the name of the addressee (preferred), start with Dear Mr.
(Mister), Ms. (to address a woman whose marital status you don't
know; also used to address an unmarried woman), Mrs. (to address
a married woman), Dr. (Doctor) and the last name of the
addressee. The abbreviations are usually written without periods
(Mr) in British English and with periods (Mr.) in American
English. The salutation is followed by a colon (e.g., Dear Dr.
Smith:) in American English and by a comma (e.g., Dear Dr.
Smith,) in British English. If you do not know the name, start
with "To whom it may concern:" (American style) or "Dear Sir or
Madam," (British style). Do not use the salutation "Dear Sir".
Many cover letter readers are women.
INTRODUCTION
Introduce yourself by stating your degree program and the year in
which you will graduate. Specify whether you are seeking a
permanent or summer position. Tell why you are writing, and name
the position, field, or general vocational area in which you are
interested. Tell how you heard of the opening or organization
(e.g. an ad on the Internet or in the newspaper, etc.). If
someone referred you, include that information.
The introductory paragraph of your cover letter should catch the
reader's attention straight away. If this paragraph is not well
written, the rest of the letter will probably not be read. Avoid
phrases like "I am writing to apply for positions x". The
employer has probably read at least 10 letters and starting like
that in the last 30 minutes. The more different your opening
sentence, the higher the chances of the employer reading your
whole letter.
BODY
In short, the body, consisting of one or two paragraphs, should
show why you are good for the job. Tell why you are particularly
interested in the company, type of work, or location. Mention
your skills and qualifications that you think would be of
greatest interest to the employer and that make you the right
person for the position you are applying for. Read carefully the
announcement, identify the requirements and see how your skills
match those required. Do not simply state you have them, prove
it. If you have related experience or specialized training, you
may point it out. Ideally, you should start from your experience
and show how you have developed those qualifications by doing
what you have been doing/learning. Same as in the case of your
résumé or CV, the result should portrait you as an
independent, creative person that can take initiative and deal
with responsibilities, apart from the specific skills needed for
the job. Refer the reader to the enclosed résumé,
which will give additional information concerning your background
and interests.
You may also want to point out why you want the job. Outline your
interest for the skills you are going to learn if you get the
job. The impression left should be that you can make a genuine
contribution to the company's operations, while simultaneously
deriving satisfaction from your work.
CONCLUSION
Conclude by stating your desire for an interview. You may state
that you will phone or e-mail in a week or so. If you say that,
make sure that you follow through. You may want to include your
contact information (phone and e-mail) so the reader knows how
you can be reached.
FOOTER
The conclusion is followed by the footer. It begins with the
valediction "Sincerely yours" or "Yours truly" (American style)
or "Yours sincerely" if you have addressed the person by name or
"Yours faithfully" if you have begun the letter with "Dear Sirs",
etc. (British style). The valediction is followed by the
signature line. Do not forget to leave a blank space between the
valediction and your name and to sign the letter in that
space.
Optionally, the word "ENCLOSURE(S)" or the abbreviation "Encl."
may be used to indicate that there are enclosures. It is
customary for formal letters to mention whether you have enclosed
any documents accompanying the letter.
FOLLOW-UP
Print your cover letter on A4 white paper, same as that on which
your résumé or CV was printed, and put both
documents in an A4 white envelope. Sometimes a cover letter in a
different color might catch the employer's attention, but this
could backfire. If you are e-mailing your cover letter, request a
notification that your documents have been received. Wait at
least two weeks since the day you sent your application or after
the deadline before writing again in case you did not get any
answer.
USEFUL INTERNET RESOURCES
PROFESSIONAL, TECHNICAL, AND JOB SEARCH WRITING by the
Online Writing Lab (OWL) at Purdue University, IN, USA
COVER LETTERS: TYPES AND SAMPLES by the Career
Services and the Division of Student Affairs at Virginia Tech,
VA, USA
COVER LETTERS by the Global Education &
Career Development Center at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of
Technology), MA, USA
COVER LETTERS & OTHER CORRESPONDENCE in the Riley
Guide (a directory of employment and career information sources
and services on the Internet) by Margaret F. Dikel
(margaret@rileyguide.com)
COVER
LETTERS by Bill Frank (wsfrank@careerlab.com), President/CEO of
CareerLab, CO, USA
HOW TO
WRITE A COVER LETTER by Career services at Capital
University, OH, USA
COVER LETTER HELP by coverletterhelp.org (Free
Resume, Cover Letter & Curriculum Vitae Resources)