Cover Letters - ecc.ku.eduecc.ku.edu/.../CoverLetter_portion_Final_2013_.pdf · ting every sentence...
4
• Starting every sentence with “I” or “my”. • Extraneous words and wordy phrases, such as “in order to” and “for the purpose of”. • Confusing and complex language and sentence structure (HINT: Read your letter aloud to identify awkwardness, then correct it). • Long sentences and paragraphs. • Weak or overused words. • Font sizes smaller than 10 point and larger than 12 point. • Nondescript phrases such as “I was a computer lab assistant.” Instead, say: “I provided technical assistance”. “I conducted research activities using observation and data analysis skills while…” instead of “I worked as a research assistant”. THINGS TO AVOID IN COVER LETTERS When to use a cover letter Many employers will require a cover letter as part of your application. There may be other times when a cover letter is also appropriate. Include a cover letter with your resume when you cannot present it in person, for example if sent through U.S. Postal Service or email. Remember, whatever you write in your email IS your cover letter. A cover letter is not necessary when you deliver your resume to a potential employer at a career fair. The purpose of cover letters The purpose of the cover letter and resume package is to motivate the employer to take action and invite you for an interview. When delivered together, the two documents should be complementary and work together to accomplish your purpose. The appearance of your resume/cover letter package will be enhanced if both documents are printed on the same high-quality bond paper. Employers report that an impressive cover letter is often more important than the resume when making a decision whether to interview a candidate, so it can be a mistake to focus too much attention on the resume and ignore the potential value of a well-written letter. Like the resume, the cover letter is not intended to get you the job—it is intended to get you an interview (when you can convince the employer face-to-face that you are the right one for the job). The most important aspect of a cover letter is employer focus. Present the employer with indications of your personality and style along with your skills and abilities. Highlight your qualifications for the specific position you seek, clearly stating your interests and qualifications relative to the employer’s needs. Always customize your cover letter! Sending out a general cover letter and resume to hundreds of employers is rarely successful. It can create a perception on the employer’s part that you are not a serious and thoughtful person, that you are desperate for a job, or that you don’t really care enough about their organization to learn about them. Your letter should be just a few paragraphs and only one page in length. While there is no “perfect formula” regarding length and what to include, keep it relevant and relatively brief. A cover letter should work like advertising copy. It should: • catch the reader’s attention (opening paragraph) • communicate skills and experience (middle paragraph) • support your statements with specifics (middle paragraph) • compel the reader to act (final paragraph) Cover Letters 15
Transcript of Cover Letters - ecc.ku.eduecc.ku.edu/.../CoverLetter_portion_Final_2013_.pdf · ting every sentence...
• Starting every sentence with “I” or “my”.
• Extraneous words and wordy phrases, such as “in orderto” and “for the purpose of”.
• Confusing and complex language and sentence structure(HINT: Read your letter aloud to identify awkwardness, then correct it).
• Long sentences and paragraphs.
• Weak or overused words.
• Font sizes smaller than 10 point and larger than 12 point.
• Nondescript phrases such as “I was a computer labassistant.” Instead, say: “I provided technical assistance”.“I conducted research activities using observation and dataanalysis skills while…” instead of “I worked as a researchassistant”.
THINGS TO AVOID IN COVER LETTERS
When to use a cover letterMany employers will require a cover letter as part of your application. There may be other times when a cover letter is also appropriate. Include a cover letter with your resume when you cannot present it in person, for example if sent through U.S. Postal Service or email. Remember, whatever you write in your email IS your cover letter. A cover letter is not necessary when you deliver your resume to a potential employer at a career fair.
The purpose of cover letters The purpose of the cover letter and resume package is to motivate the employer to take action and invite you for an interview. When delivered together, the two documents should be complementary and work together to accomplish your purpose. The appearance of your resume/cover letter package will be enhanced if both documents are printed on the same high-quality bond paper.
Employers report that an impressive cover letter is often more important than the resume when making a decision whether to interview a candidate, so it can be a mistake to focus too much attention on the resume and ignore the potential value of a well-written letter. Like the resume, the cover letter is not intended to get you the job—it is intended to get you an interview (when you can convince the employer face-to-face that you are the right one for the job).
The most important aspect of a cover letter is employer focus. Present the employer with indications of your personality and style along with your skills and abilities.
Highlight your qualifications for the specific position you seek, clearly stating your interests and qualifications relative to the employer’s needs.
Always customize your cover letter! Sending out a general cover letter and resume to hundreds of employers is rarely successful. It can create a perception on the employer’s part that you are not a serious and thoughtful person, that you are desperate for a job, or that you don’t really care enough about their organization to learn about them.
Your letter should be just a few paragraphs and only one page in length. While there is no “perfect formula” regarding length and what to include, keep it relevant and relatively brief.
A cover letter should work like advertising copy. It should:
• catch the reader’s attention(opening paragraph)
• communicate skills and experience(middle paragraph)
• support your statements with specifics(middle paragraph)
• compel the reader to act(final paragraph)
Cover Letters
15
1234
Mai
n Av
enue
La
wre
nce,
KS
6604
6 Se
ptem
ber 2
0, 2
013
Ms.
Bett
y Sm
ith
Hum
an R
esou
rces
Dir
ecto
r Bi
g Ti
me
Softw
are
678
Mad
ison
Ave
nue
Over
land
Par
k, K
S 66
212
Dea
r Ms.
Smith
:
It is
with
gre
at in
tere
st th
at I
appl
y fo
r the
pos
ition
of s
ales
repr
esen
tativ
e fo
r the
M
idw
est t
erri
tory
. At t
he re
cent
Uni
vers
ity o
f Kan
sas
care
er fa
ir, I
met
Joe
Job,
Chi
cago
sa
les r
epre
sent
ativ
e fo
r Big
Tim
e So
ftwar
e, w
ho to
ld m
e ab
out t
he p
ositi
on. M
y ex
tens
ive
sale
s and
lead
ersh
ip e
xper
ienc
e as
wel
l as s
tren
gths
that
incl
ude
a co
mm
itted
wor
k et
hic,
stro
ng m
otiv
atio
n to
suc
ceed
and
a d
emon
stra
ted
reco
rd o
f exc
eedi
ng g
oals
wou
ld m
ake
me
an e
xcel
lent
fit f
or y
our c
ompa
ny.
Afte
r spe
akin
g w
ith M
r. Jo
b an
d re
sear
chin
g Bi
g Ti
me
Softw
are,
I am
impr
esse
d w
ith th
e in
nova
tive
softw
are
your
com
pany
is d
evel
opin
g fo
r the
hea
lth c
are
indu
stry
. You
r rec
ent
rele
ase
of S
uper
Spe
cial
Sof
twar
e ve
rsio
n 5.
0 re
pres
ents
a s
igni
fican
t adv
ance
in
tech
nolo
gy a
nd sh
ould
be
wel
l rec
eive
d in
the
hom
e he
alth
fiel
d. T
his r
apid
ly g
row
ing
segm
ent o
f the
indu
stry
is cr
eatin
g un
ique
opp
ortu
nitie
s to
acq
uire
new
clie
nts.
I ha
ve a
co
nsis
tent
reco
rd o
f ach
ieve
men
t in
build
ing
cust
omer
rela
tions
hips
that
gen
erat
e sa
les
whi
le w
orki
ng o
n a
team
and
mee
ting
dead
lines
. Dur
ing
my
sum
mer
inte
rnsh
ip a
t Uni
on
Sale
s, I e
xcee
ded
the
mon
thly
sale
s quo
ta b
y 30
per
cent
– th
e m
ajor
ity o
f tho
se s
ales
wer
e to
new
clie
nts.
At T
he U
nive
rsity
Dai
ly K
ansa
n, I
cons
iste
ntly
sur
pass
ed th
e sa
les g
oal o
f $5
00 in
adv
ertis
ing
per w
eek.
As c
hief
mem
bers
hip
offic
er o
f Pi A
lpha
Pi,
an a
cade
mic
hon
ors
orga
niza
tion,
I pi
onee
red
a re
crui
tmen
t pro
gram
that
bro
ught
in o
ver 2
0 ne
w m
embe
rs, i
ncre
asin
g ou
r m
embe
rshi
p ba
se b
y 52
per
cent
. At
the
Chic
ago
Grill
Res
taur
ant,
I was
sele
cted
to tr
ain
all n
ew h
ires
on
prop
er se
rvin
g te
chni
ques
and
was
ent
rust
ed w
ith c
losi
ng th
e re
stau
rant
af
ter o
nly
thre
e m
onth
s of e
mpl
oym
ent.
The
se e
xper
ienc
es d
emon
stra
te th
at I
am a
hi
ghly
mot
ivat
ed a
nd g
oal-‐d
rive
n le
ader
who
str
ives
for e
xcel
lenc
e in
eve
ryth
ing
I do.
I loo
k fo
rwar
d to
the
oppo
rtun
ity to
inte
rvie
w w
ith y
ou a
nd h
ave
atta
ched
my
resu
me
as
requ
este
d. I
will
con
tact
you
nex
t wee
k to
sche
dule
a ti
me
whe
n w
e ca
n fu
rthe
r dis
cuss
m
y qu
alifi
catio
ns. I
f you
hav
e an
y qu
estio
ns, I
can
be re
ache
d at
(785
) 555
-‐123
4 or
by
emai
l at j
ayhk
@ku
.edu
. Tha
nk y
ou fo
r you
r tim
e an
d co
nsid
erat
ion.
Sinc
erel
y,
Jay
Haw
k
Your
Add
ress
Dat
e Fi
rst a
nd L
ast N
ame
of c
onta
ct p
erso
n or
“Hum
an R
esou
rces
Man
ager
” if
nam
e is
unk
now
n Ti
tle o
f Con
tact
Per
son
Empl
oyer
Con
tact
Info
rmat
ion
If em
ploy
er n
ame
is n
ot a
vaila
ble,
use
Hum
an R
esou
rces
Man
ager
, D
irec
tor o
r Hir
ing
Man
ager
Firs
t Par
agra
ph:
•W
hy y
ou a
re w
ritin
g •
Wha
t pos
ition
you
are
app
lyin
g fo
r •
How
you
lear
ned
abou
t the
pos
ition
•
Who
refe
rred
you
(if a
pplic
able
)
Body
: •
Why
you
are
inte
rest
ed in
the
posi
tion
•W
hat y
ou c
an c
ontr
ibut
e •
How
you
r qua
lific
atio
ns w
ould
ben
efit
the
orga
niza
tion
•H
ow y
our s
kills
and
exp
erie
nce
mat
ch th
eir n
eeds
Last
Par
agra
ph:
•Re
fer t
o do
cum
ents
enc
lose
d or
ava
ilabl
e su
ch a
s lis
t of r
efer
ence
s •
Give
the
phon
e nu
mbe
r and
tim
e th
at y
ou c
an b
e re
ache
dor
whe
n yo
u w
ill c
onta
ct th
em•
Than
k th
em fo
r the
ir ti
me
and
cons
ider
atio
n of
you
r app
licat
ion
Or, “
Resp
ectfu
lly”
Type
you
r fir
st a
nd la
st n
ame
Leav
e fo
ur sp
aces
so y
ou c
an s
ign
your
nam
e in
ink
afte
r it i
s pri
nted
Le
ave
only
one
bla
nk li
ne a
nd ty
pe y
our n
ame
for e
mai
led
lett
ers
16
Sample Cover Letter
Professional CommunicationWhether you are submitting an application for a position or developing a networking contact online, all of your communication needs to be done with professionalism. Employers are evaluating your communication skills with every piece of correspondence, so be sure they will get a good impression.
Many of your connections with professionals will be done through electronic media. In online correspondence it is important to follow the same basic guidelines as you would in any other formal style of communication. Below are some examples.
Networking Through Email
Subject: Request to Connect from a KU Student
Dear Mr. Budig:
IamcurrentlyajuniorfinancestudentattheUniversity of Kansas and am interested in learningmoreaboutcareersinthefinanceindustry.Aftera class discussion and personal research, oneparticular career that has sparked my interest isfinancialadvising.
Would you be willing to take 20 to 30 minutes out ofyour day to provide me with advice and expertisebasedonyourexperiencesinthisfield?Iamavailable on Monday and Friday afternoons throughthe next four weeks. If this is a possibility, pleaseemail me back or contact me at 555-555-5555. Thankyou for your time!
Sincerely,
Subject: Informational Interview Request from Jay Hawk
17
Dear Ms. Ellsworth:
Dr. Studia, professor of sociology at the Universityof Kansas, suggested that I contact you. As a fellowJayhawk, she felt you might be willing to visit withme about my career path.
I am a junior at KU, majoring in sociology, and amcurrently exploring career options. Your background in human rights work and your leadership in non-profitorganizationsarebothveryinterestingtome.I would like to learn more about what it’s like to workforanonprofit,andwashopingyoumightbewilling to give me advice on how to prepare myself for this career path.
Wouldyoubewillingtovisitwithmebrieflyaboutyour experiences? I’m available between December5 and January 10 and would be happy to connectthrough email, on the phone, or in person.
Sincerely,
Informational Interview Request Through Email
DO
• Spell check ALL written communication.
• Proofread electronic messages just as thoroughly as youwould printed documents.
• Use a subject line in ALL emails such as “Applicationfor Marketing Internship”.
• Be respectful of the person you are contacting; don’t askfor something they can’t provide .
• Use formal greetings and closings when possible.
• Create an email “signature” that includes all of yourcontact information.
• Use a formal greeting such as Mr./Ms. unless they havegiven you permission to call them by their first name oryou know them well.
DON’T
• Use informal text shortcuts such as “ur” for “you are”.
• Use emoticons in any of your communication.
• Use an informal tone in your writing.
• Attach a resume in a request to connect, or in a requestfor an informational interview.
TIPS FOR ONLINE PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION
Dear Mr. Haworth:
After reading a description of your company on LinkedIn, I would like to know about possible job opportunities in your software development department. I am a senior in Computer Science, and will earn my bachelor’s degree in May.
Last summer, I had the opportunity to do an internship for the XYZ Solutions Firm where I workedclosely with a team to develop business technology programs. My training also included testing existing systems.Thisexperienceconfirmedmyinterestinacareer in software development, and I believe your company would be an excellent match for my skills.
Myresumeisattachedforyourconsideration.Irealizethat you have many demands on your time, but I would appreciate an opportunity to discuss employment possibilities with your company. Would youbeavailabletheweekofJanuary10tomeetbriefly?If you would prefer to contact me by phone, my number is 555-555-5555.
Thank you very much for considering my request. Ilook forward to hearing from you.
Respectfully,
Subject: Positions in Software Development
18
Job Prospecting Through Email
LinkedIn Invitation to Connect(Someone already known to you)
Dear Ms. Higuchi:
I enjoyed the time I spent working for you at ABC Company.Thehelpyouofferedmeduringmyinternship was invaluable. I hope you will connect with me on LinkedIn so we can stay in touch in the future! Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Dear Ms. Fraser:
I am currently a psychology major at the University ofKansas exploring career options. While researching people who work in higher education and live in Chicago,Ifoundyourprofile.IwillbeinChicagoduring the week of March 18-22. Would you be willing to take 20-30 minutes of your time to talk to me about yourexperiencesinthisfield?Ifyouwouldratherconnect by email, I can be reached at [email protected]. Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
LinkedIn Invitation to Connect Message (Someone you’ve never met)
Dear Mr. Sabatini:
I am a photo media major at the University of Kansas exploring career options. I joined the PhotoMarketing group, and enjoy reading the discussionsthere. Would you be willing to connect with me so that Ican learn more about your work?
Sincerely,
Networking Introduction Through Social Media Messaging
