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I.
Factors to consider before contacting a prospective employer
II. Letter writing suggestions
III. Review Sample Letters
IV. Write the Actual Letter
V. Develop an Organizational System
VII. COVER LETTER OUTLINE
I.
Factors to consider before contacting a prospective employer
1. Do I have a definite interest in the organization - it's products,
services, and goals, etc.?
2. Is the work in line with my interests, education, and experience?
3. Is the place of employment within the boundaries of my geographical
preference?
4. Am I willing to invest the time necessary to do a successful and
thorough job search with this organization?
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II.
Letter writing suggestions
In writing a letter to a prospective employer you should keep the
following three objectives in mind:
- Present your reason for writing.
- Create a desire for your services.
- Ask for action, such as an interview.
Below are some suggested DO'S and DON'T'S:
DO
- Follow rules of layout and format of a standard business letter.
- Type on good quality paper. Always send an original letter, never a
copy.
- Address, whenever possible, to an individual along with his or her
correct title. Always address the letter to the person who will make the
employment decision (not necessarily the personnel manager). Avoid using
"Dear Sir or Madam" and "To whom it may concern" if at all possible. A
telephone call to the organization may help you obtain the correct
information.
- Spell, punctuate, and paragraph correctly. It should be perfect!
- Tailor your letters to the employer as much as possible in regards to
geographic location, your personal accomplishments, or friends you have
in common.
- Take advantage of any link to the employer that can put your foot in
the door or give you an edge over the competition (i.e. mention names).
- Slant letter toward what you can offer the employer, not what you
think he/she should be offering you.
- Be brief, concise, and to the point.
- Refer to your resume.
- Close with a direct request for some sort of action. Normally this
would be a request for an interview appointment.
- Follow-up the mailing of your cover letter with a phone call asking to
speak with someone regarding your letter of application.
DON'T
- Develop one letter to send to all employers. Do send an original
letter to each employer - each original should be tailored and neat.
- Use stiff language or phrasing -- avoid vagueness.
- Be gimmicky in an attempt to be original or clever.
- Overload with constant use of the word " I "
- Be excessively emphatic about your reliability, capacity for hard work
or intelligence. This kind of self-appraisal is usually best
understated. The appearance and tone of your letter and resume can say
more about you, than you can gracefully say about yourself.
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III. Review Sample Letters
The Career Library located in 109 Netzer Administration Building has
several books on this topic. You may also find similar resources in any
bookstore.
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IV.
Write the Actual Letter
You may have a typed draft of your cover letter critiqued by a staff
member in the Career Development Center. A written critique will be
ready for pickup within 48 hours.
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V.
Develop an Organizational System
Before you begin sending any letters, it is important that you devise
some way of keeping track of when and where you've mailed
correspondence. For instance, if you send a letter to Mr. X asking for
an interview and offer to call him during the week of June 6th, you need
to have that date on record so you can be sure to meet the commitment.
Also, if you are sending out 40 letters of application to various
employers it can be critical to know what you've said in particular
letters to be able to follow them up with accuracy. Always keep a copy
of each letter you send for your future referral.
REMEMBER . . .
Your paperwork is a reflection of you. Employers will not offer an
interview to an applicant who has submitted sloppy, misspelled
paperwork. You may want to have an English major or professor proofread
your letter for grammatical and punctuation errors.
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VII. COVER LETTER OUTLINE
Address
City, State Zip Code
Today’s Date
(four line spaces)
Name of Addressee
Title
Name of Organization
Street Address or Box Number
City, State, Zip Code
(two line spaces)
Dear (Mr., Mrs., Ms., Dr.) Addressee:
(one line space)
Your opening paragraph should state the reason for the letter, the
specific position or type of work for which you are applying and how you
learned of the job opportunity. You may want to state briefly why you
are interested in the position.
(one line space)
Your middle paragraph should sell your skills and explain how your
academic and/or experiential background qualifies you for the position.
Point out specific achievements or unique qualifications. Include any
special skills that may be useful in the position, i.e., abilities with
computers, administration. Don't just repeat information in your resume,
single out a few especially salient factors: expand on an item or two of
special relevance. Be concise and to the point.
(one line space)
In your closing paragraph, refer the reader to your enclosed resume and
focus on the action to follow. Indicate your desire for a personal
interview. You may want to indicate your flexibility or state a time or
times when you will be in the vicinity of his/her office. You may want
to say that you will call your addressee in a few days to see about
arranging a mutually convenient time when you could visit. State that
your references can be sent at their request. A specific and positive
statement about what you will do next or what you wish for them to do
next is more effective than a vague hope, but don't be pushy.
(two line spaces)
Sincerely,
(four line spaces)
Full Signature
Typed Full Name
(two line spaces)
Enclosure
Format -- Type your letter neatly on 8 1/2 x 11 inch bond paper. Keep it
clean and free from error corrections. Type all letters individually,
never mass-produce them. Always address your letter to a specific person
by name and title, rather than by title or department alone. Let the
letter reflect your individuality but do not appear familiar, cute,
under confident, or over confident. You are writing to a stranger about
a subject that is serious to you both.
Download the complete resume and cover letter guide
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