COVER LETTERS

COVER LETTERS
A cover letter is your introduction when you cannot personally present
your resume.
Attach your resume to your cover letter.
You will need a cover letter for the following situations:
* Applying for a job out of town
* Answering a newspaper ad
* A letter is requested by an employer
Advantages of a good cover letter:
1. You can focus it directly towards a specific job without redoing or
customizing the entire resume.
2. You can highlight one or two things from the resume.
3. You can include things important to a specific job, but which are
included in the resume.
4. Cover letters are often read more carefully than resumes.
5. You can use elegant stationery for cover letters.
6. Cover letters take less time to compose than resumes.
How Do I Write a Cover Letter?
1.
Cover letters should be typed and printed on a laser printer.
2.
Do not send generic letters. Such phrases as “To Whom it May
Concern”, “ Good Morning”, or “ Dear Sir or Madam” may be treated
as mass produced junk mail and thrown away.
3.
Use the name of the person who will receive the letter and make
sure you spell it correctly.
4.
In your opening paragraph, name the person who referred you to the
person you are now writing. For example: “ Sam Smith, your former
executive vice-president, suggested I write to you.”
5.
If you do not have a referral name, open with a strong positive
statement. For example:
I recently graduated from Paramount
Business College with a 3.75 grade point
average and received my Associate Degree
in Secretarial Science and Office Management.
OR
Enclosed is my resume for your advertised
position of Assistant Cook.
6.
Keep your cover letter to one page – the body of the letter should
cover no more than 50% of the page.
7.
When signing your name, type your real name then sign with the
name that you are called. Example:
Suzi Smith
Sara Sue Sally Smith
The outline of your cover letter should follow this standard outline:
1. The first paragraph states your strongest point(s) and the job for
which you want to be considered.
2. The second paragraph states why you want to work for this
organization. ( Hint: talk about them, not about yourself)
3. The third paragraph highlights skills and qualifications from
your resume that are relevant to that particular organization.
4. The fourth paragraph requests an interview and suggests how
you will follow up.
4550 Here Street
Somewhere, Texas 55555
April 21, 20xx
Mr. Bubba Bates, District Manager
Possum on the Half Shell, Inc.
P.O. Box 1112
Trouble, Texas 12321
Dear Mr. Bates,
My four years as a successful restaurant manager and top performer with a nationwide fast-food chain are
outlined in the enclosed resume. In 1989 I graduated from Bolivar University with a degree in restaurant
management and a 3.75 GPA.
Your local manager in Trouble, Harley Leroy, suggested that I forward my resume to you. Possum on the Half
Shell’s rapid growth and exceptional product quality are well known. It is the kind of organization I would like
to grow with. Harley speaks highly of the company’s management style.
I will call your office in a few days to schedule a convenient time to meet and discuss some areas of mutual
interest.
Thank you very much for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Suzi Smith
Sara Sue Sally Smith
ASSIGNMENT
1.
Make up a fictitious job that you would some day like to have (
or if you are currently looking for a job, use an actual job).
2.
Write a cover letter using the standard outline.
3.
You may find other examples on the Internet.
4. Turn the letter in for your teacher to proof.
5.
After your teacher has seen your cover letter, put the cover letter
and the standard outline in your portfolio.