Your Cover Letter
Write your cover letter
To some employers, the cover letter is a more important gauge of an applicant's qualifications than the résumé. Letters are scrutinized for grammar, communication skills, and relevance. Every résumé should be accompanied by a well-written cover letter, whether it was requested by the employer or not.
An effective cover letter will create enough interest on the part of the reader to warrant closer examination of the résumé. Make sure your cover letter includes good spelling and grammar.
Cover letters should include:
- Your Return Address (and email address, if sending electronically)
- Potential Employer's Address
- Date
- Salutation – specific to recipient, if known
- Introductory Paragraph – Include where you saw the ad and express your interest in the position
- Secondary Paragraph(s) – Provide a brief summary of your skills, accomplishments, experience, and education that are specifically applicable to the job for which you are applying.
- Request for Response
- Closing/Signature
If possible, mail/email cover letters to the attention of a specific individual within the company, rather than simply to Human Resources.
If applying to a job via email, include the cover letter in the body of the email or as an attachment and attach your résumé.
