Welcome to
COMM 202!
Cover Letters!
Tutorial #4- Helena
COMM 202: Career Fundamentals | TA: Helena
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Plan for today
COMM 202: Career Fundamentals | TA: Helena
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1. E-module recap
2. Job posting research assignment
3. Cover letters!
4. To-do list
E-module recap
COMM 202: Career Fundamentals | TA: Helena
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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
COMM 202: Career Fundamentals | TA: Helena
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Cover Letters!
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What’s the point of a cover letter?
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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
COMM 202: Career Fundamentals | TA: Helena
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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?
COMM 202: Career Fundamentals | TA: Helena
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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
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• 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!
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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. […]
COMM 202: Career Fundamentals | TA: Helena
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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
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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
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“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.”
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“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
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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!
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