Cover Letters-Helena

Welcome to

COMM 202!

Cover Letters!

Tutorial #4- Helena

COMM 202: Career Fundamentals | TA: Helena

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Plan for today


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1. E-module recap

2. Job posting research assignment

3. Cover letters!

4. To-do list

E-module recap


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What did you

learn?

Job posting research assignment


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How could you use your research in your cover

letter?

Job posting research assignment


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How could you use your research in your cover

letter?

• Culture and values

• Name dropping

• Facts about the industry/ organization

• Recent events

• How your story is relevant

• Transferrable skills


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Cover Letters!

COMM 202: Career Fundamentals | TA: Helena 7

What’s the point of a cover letter?


Tell your unique story

Demonstrate research and interest

Highlight relevant skills

3 important words


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CAN

WANT

FIT

You do the job?

Do you the job?

Are you the right

?

CAN I do

the job?

Do I

WANT the

job?

Am I a

good FIT?

Cover letters versus resumes


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The cover letter is about

THEM.

The resume is about

YOU.

Anatomy of a cover letter


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Opening

Skills match

Closing

Address Line

Header

Signature


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Opening

Opening


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To whom it may concern,

My name is Sam Student and I am a second year

BCom student. I am applying to the internship position

at XYZ Company posted on COOL.

Opening


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To whom it may concern,

My name is Sam Student and I am a second year

Bcom student. I am applying to the internship position

at XYZ Company posted on COOL.

What you need is a hook


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• Ask a rhetorical question

• Align your values to theirs

• Appeal to emotions

• Name Dropping (if applicable)

• Relevant facts about business dealings

• Be unique

• Be employer centric

• Prove genuine interest

• Leave the reader curious

• Tell them something they don’t know

• Show relevant research

The how

The why

Show relevant research


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Orbis, in Latin, means circle or sphere, and Orbis

Investments truly does encircle the world with its global

presence and over 350 people. Investing is similarly

global, as the emerging markets, North American and

European markets become increasingly

interconnected. As such, I am very excited to have the

opportunity to join a company that is well positioned to take

advantage of this shift in the capital markets.

Name dropping


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Over the past summer, I had the valuable opportunity to meet with Safina Hussein and Courtney Kolla to learn about PwC’s culture and specifically the focus on “effective teamwork” resulting from strong relationships and respect. Safina provided me with great information on the work-life balance at PwC and the opportunities she has had to work abroad and grow as a business professional. These aspects are highly important to me in a future employer, as I am passionate about travelling and place high value on family. When I spoke with Courtney I immediately found a great connection in our common involvement with UBC Thunderbirds. We were able to share in the parallels between PwC’s team atmosphere and that which we have experienced in athletics.

Align your values to theirs


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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.

So you think you can hook?


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Co-op Accounting

Sales/ Marketing Logistics

Finance


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Skills match

What matching?


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Skills

Experience

Education

Qualifications

Requested in the job posting,

relevant skills from skills matrix

Provide 2-3 examples

How you’ll leverage your BCom

Any other relevant qualifications

Skills matching formula


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Hint: it’s your skills matrix

C

Context

A

Action

R

Result

L

Link

Situation & Task

Each line proves that you have the necessary

skills to be successful on the job

***Don’t forget to always link back to the job

posting, position, company, or industry!***

To bullet or not to bullet?


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• Quick and to the point

• Grabs readers attention

• Highlights a few

transferable skills

Using bullet points makes

it hard to write a cover

letter with flow. Bullets

tend to force you into a

set structure. This makes

your document more

“cookie cutter” and does

not help you stand out.

Pros Cons


• Workload Management Agility. Balancing 35 hours of football per week with

my full-time course load of university studies has taught me to efficiently manage

my time. Over the course of the 2012 season, I became 1 of 40 starters on the

UBC Football Team. This required dedication and consistent effort to reach my

highest athletic potential, while also completing my academic commitments to

the best of my capabilities. This experience taught me to be efficient when

handling the time available to me, a skill that would prove highly valuable

in the fast paced and dynamic environment at PwC.

• Foster Customer Relationships. Working at Hyperactive Watersports in

Calgary developed my ability to interact with business partners and customers

both on a personal and professional basis. I learnt the power of fostering

meaningful relationships and the results it has for a business in terms of

enhanced earnings and reputation. If any problems were to occur with customer

orders I would immediately rectify the problem by clearly communicating the

issue and remedy to my manager and the customer. I was often faced with the

issue of replacing broken boating items and thus took it upon myself to develop

strong relationships with the supplier representatives in Vancouver though

regular and polite communication. As a result of this effective communication I

guaranteed quick and efficient transfer of products to the Calgary store. These

customer relationship skills would be highly applicable to the frequent

client interactions faced while working for PwC.

Guess the skill!


Test if your skills matching has done its job by asking

someone to read it without knowing the skill you are writing

about. If they can tell you in a couple seconds what it is,

then you’ve succeeded.

Can you guess

these skills?


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I have developed my ability to lead and work cohesively on

diverse teams through my involvement in the UBC and

Vancouver community. […] In my role as the Volunteer

Coordinator, I led a team of 20 volunteers to execute the

events over the month of July. Communication was crucial,

and by creating a shared volunteer folder and openly

discussing any concerns that arose, I was able to organize

the volunteers to seamlessly fulfill the responsibilities of the

events. As a result, our team exceeded the $120,000

fundraising goal for Cystic Fibrosis Canada. […]


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I have developed my ability to lead and work cohesively

on diverse teams through my involvement in the UBC and

Vancouver community. […] In my role as the Volunteer

Coordinator, I led a team of 20 volunteers to execute the

events over the month of July. Communication was crucial,

and by creating a shared volunteer folder and openly

discussing any concerns that arose, I was able to organize

the volunteers to seamlessly fulfill the responsibilities of the

events. As a result, our team exceeded the $120,000

fundraising goal for Cystic Fibrosis Canada. […]

LEADERSHIP & COMMUNICATION

Skills matching: key takeaways


Use STARL to your advantage

Each line proves you have the necessary skills &

aptitudes to perform on the job (the CAN)

Always link to the company/position

Use skills listed in the job description


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Closing

How NOT to do it


“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.”


“Tie it back and put a bow on it”

The basics of closing


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• Restate skills a different way

• Leave call to action

• Tie back to previous examples/stories

• Relate back to opening hook

• Give genuine thanks

• Address the “elephant in the room”

• Make a good final impression

• Show your passion

• Paints a coherent, more memorable picture

of you

• Explains bad grades, relocation, gaps in

schooling etc.

The why

The how

Relate back to opening hook


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I feel my experience in varying fields and

responsibilities would make me a great fit in the PwC

environment, as well as give me invaluable insight and

knowledge in the area that I’ve chosen to dedicate my

studies. I am eager for a chance to work with the

outgoing personalities that I’ve found when

meeting PwC staff at social events, and with

coworkers who I believe share my drive for

excellence through persistence. I would greatly

appreciate the opportunity for an interview and am

hopeful to hear from you soon.

Restate skills in a different way


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“I am excited to bring my passion for sustainability

and my skills in project management, analysis,

and leadership to a role in brand management with

your company, and I look forward to the opportunity to

discuss my qualifications for this position. Thank you

very much for your time and consideration.”

Tie back to previous stories


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“My diverse experiences at my accounting

internship combined with my ability to lead and

work in a team setting have advanced my ability to

thrive in high-pressure and results-driven

environments. These skills and many others will be

advantageous to the KPMG team and in developing

my personal goals. This opportunity at KPMG will

further shape these skills and allow me to develop my

future career plans in the accounting industry. I am

pleased to further discuss my qualifications and

attributes with you in detail at your convenience.

Thank you for your time and consideration.”

Address the “elephant in the room”


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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.

Genuine thanks


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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.

Direct language

Call to action

Appreciates

employer’s time

Language choices:

• Avoid overly emotional words (deeply honoured, it would

be a blessing

• You want to show that you are on an equal playing

field and qualified for the role. BE CONFIDENT!!!

Branding


Do:

Refer to company mission, core values

Use industry and company-specific jargon

Refer to people you know in the company

Discuss recent news on the company

Align your skills to the job posting

Branding shows your FIT with the company.

What are the main products or services the company offers? Why is this

interesting to you? In what locations do they operate/how many

employees/annual revenues?

How would you describe the organizational culture? What do you think

the working environment will be like?

What are the values and/or mission statement? How do these align with

your values system?

What are the names of the top local executives/recruiters? Who will you

address your cover letter to? Do you know anyone within the organization?

What is the nature of that relationship?

Who are the primary competitors? What do they do better and where can

they improve? (A brief SWOT analysis of the industry)

What is the topic of a recent media article about this company? Please

summarize the main points.

Does the company have a Twitter/Facebook/LinkedIn/Glassdoor

presence?

Have you connected with them via social media? What did you learn?

What are your most marketable skills for this position?

What are your strongest most relevant stories from your Skills Matrix

assignment

Use research

assignment as a

resource!

Integration


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Do:

Use the same header, font, margins for your cover letter

and resume

Brand your documents to the company (colours, font,

etc.)

Tell stories related to experiences on your resume

Integration is how your resume and cover letter fit together

and if they “feel” like professional documents.

How does it look?


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Formatting Basics


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Date

Contact Name (if known)

Their Title

Company Name

Address 1

Address 2 (if extra space needed)

City, Province, Postal Code

Re: Position Title and Reference Number (if applicable)

Dear Mr. or Mrs. or Ms. or Hiring Manager or Hiring Committee (choose one),

[Opening Paragraph]

Formatting cont.


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Sincerely,

Sam Student

BCom 2017, Sauder School of Business

Attached: Resume, Transcript

Use “attached” for

electronic, “enclosed”

for paper

• At least 1.5cm margins all around

• Same header for resume and cover letter

• Consistent headings (start-end date, location, bolding)

• Same font and size within one point

The Specifics

Recap


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Opening

Skills Match

Closing

Branding

Integration

Demonstrates

CAN-WANT-FIT

FIT

Ties it all together

To-do list


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Watch the resume e-module before next class

Complete the resume quiz before next class

Sign up for office hours

Start draft of cover letter!

Feedback


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Please answer as completely and honestly as you

can!

http://bit.ly/t3436feedback


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Tutorial again next week, have a good weekend!

Cover Letters-Helena

Business

Transcript of Cover Letters-Helena