| Cover letters: types and samples |
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The guidelines here apply
to both hard copy correspondence and e-mail. (To decide which to use,
see e-mail in your
job search.) The main difference between e-mail and hard copy
correspondence is format: your signature block (address, etc.) goes
below your name in e-mail, while it goes at the top of the page on
hard copy. Of course you won't have a handwritten signature on e-mail,
but don't forget this on hard copy. |
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| All cover letters
should: |
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Explain why you
are sending a resume.
Don't send a resume without a cover letter.
Don't make the reader guess what you are asking for; be specific:
Do you want a summer internship opportunity, or a permanent position
at graduation; are you inquiring about future employment possibilities?
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Tell specifically
how you learned about the position or the organization —
a flyer posted in your department, a web site, a family friend who
works at the organization. It is appropriate to mention the name of
someone who suggested that you write. |
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Convince the reader
to look at your resume.
The cover letter will be seen first.
Therefore, it must be very well written and targeted to that employer. |
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Call attention to
elements of your background — education, leadership,
experience — that are relevant to a position you are seeking.
Be as specific as possible, using examples. |
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Reflect your attitude,
personality, motivation, enthusiasm, and communication skills. |
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Provide or refer
to any information specifically requested in a job advertisement
that might not be covered in your resume, such as availability date,
or reference to an attached writing sample. |
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Indicate what you
will do to follow-up. |
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In a letter of application
— applying for an advertised opening — applicants often
say something like "I look forward to hearing from you."
However, if you have further contact info (e.g. phone number) and
if the employer hasn't said "no phone calls," it's better
to take the initiative to follow-up, saying something like, "I
will contact you in the next two weeks to see if you require any additional
information regarding my qualifications." |
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In a letter of inquiry
— asking about the possibility of an opening — don't assume
the employer will contact you. You should say something like, "I
will contact you in two weeks to learn more about upcoming employment
opportunities with (name of organization)." Then mark your
calendar to make the call. |
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Sample Cover
Letter Format Guidelines (below). |
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| Cover letters generally
fall into one of two categories: |
| 1. |
Letter of application:
applying for a specific, advertised opening. See: |
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Sample 3.1: letter
of application following personal meeting, hard copy version |
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Sample 3.2: letter of application
for advertised position, e-mail version |
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Sample 3.3: letter of application
for advertised position, e-mail version |
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Sample 3.4: letter of application
for advertised position, hard copy version |
| 2. |
Letter of inquiry:
expressing interest in an organization, but you are not certain if
there are current openings. See: |
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Sample 3.5: letter
of inquiry about employment possibilities, e-mail version |
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Sample 3.6: letter
of inquiry about internship opportunities, hard copy version |
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| Information-seeking
letters and follow-up |
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To draft an effective cover
letter, you need to indicate that you know something about the employing
organization. Sometimes, even with research efforts, you don’t
have enough information to do this. In such a case it is appropriate
to write requesting information. |
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See Sample 4.1: Information
seeking letter, hard copy version. |
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After you receive
the desired information you can then draft a follow-up letter
that: |
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- Thanks the sender for the information;
- Markets why you would be a good job candidate
for that organization based on the information; and
- Explains why you are sending your resume.
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See Sample 5.2: Follow
up letter to information seeking meeting. |
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| Also see: |
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Guidelines for using e-mail
in your job search |
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Guidelines for correspondence
in your job search |
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Researching employers
— why and how |
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Thank you / follow up
letters |
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| Samples |
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| Cover Letter Format
Guidelines: |
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Your Street Address
City, State Zip Code
Telephone Number
Email Address
Month, Day, Year
Mr./Ms./Dr. FirstName LastName
Title
Name of Organization
Street or P. O. Box Address
City, State Zip Code
Dear Mr./Ms./Dr. LastName:
Opening paragraph: State why you are writing; how you learned
of the organization or position, and basic information about
yourself.
2nd paragraph: Tell why you are interested in the employer
or type of work the employer does (Simply stating that you
are interested does not tell why, and can sound like a form
letter). Demonstrate that you know enough about the employer
or position to relate your background to the employer or position.
Mention specific qualifications which make you a good fit
for the employer’s needs. This is an opportunity to explain
in more detail relevant items in your resume. Refer to the
fact that your resume is enclosed. Mention other enclosures
if such are required to apply for a position.
3rd paragraph: Indicate that you would like the opportunity
to interview for a position or to talk with the employer to
learn more about their opportunities or hiring plans. State
what you will do to follow up, such as telephone the employer
within two weeks. If you will be in the employer’s location
and could offer to schedule a visit, indicate when. State
that you would be glad to provide the employer with any additional
information needed. Thank the employer for her/his consideration.
Sincerely,
(Your handwritten signature)
Your name typed
Enclosure(s) (refers to resume, etc.)
(Note: the contents of your letter might best be arranged
into four paragraphs. Consider what you need to say and use
good writing style. See the following examples for variations
in organization and layout.) |
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| Sample 3.1
— Letter of application, hard copy version |
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E-2 Apartment Heights Dr.
Blacksburg, VA 24060
(540) 555-0101
abcd@vt.edu
February 22, 2007
Dr. Michael Jr. Rhodes
Principal, Wolftrap Elementary School
1205 Beulah Road
Vienna, VA 22182
Dear Dr. Rhodes:
I enjoyed our conversation on February 18th at the Family
and Child Development seminar on teaching young children and
appreciated your personal input about helping children attend
school for the first time. This letter is to follow-up
about the Fourth Grade Teacher position as discussed at the
seminar. I will be completing my Bachelor of Science
Degree in Family and Child Development with a concentration
in Early Childhood Education at Virginia Tech in May of 2007,
and will be available for employment at that time.
The teacher preparation program at Virginia Tech includes
a full academic year of student teaching. Last semester I
taught second grade and this semester, fourth grade. These
valuable experiences have afforded me the opportunity to:
- develop lesson plans on a wide range of topics and varying
levels of academic ability,
- work with emotionally and physically challenged students
in a total inclusion program,
- observe and participate in effective classroom management
approaches,
- assist with parent-teacher conferences, and
- complete In-Service sessions on diversity, math and reading
skills, and community relations.
Through my early childhood education courses I have had the
opportunity to work in a private day care facility, Rainbow
Riders Childcare Center, and in Virginia Tech’s Child
Development Laboratory. Both these facilities are NAEYC
accredited and adhere to the highest standards. At both
locations, my responsibilities included leading small and
large group activities, helping with lunches and snacks, and
implementing appropriate activities. Both experiences
also provided me with extensive exposure to the implementation
of developmentally appropriate activities and materials.
I look forward to putting my knowledge and experience into
practice in the public school system. Next week I will be
in Vienna, and I plan to call you then to answer any questions
that you may have. I can be reached before then at (540)
555-7670. Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
(handwritten signature)
Donna Harrington
Enclosure |
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| Sample 3.2 —
Letter of application, e-mail version |
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| April 14, 2006 Mr. William
Jackson
Employment Manager
Acme Pharmaceutical Corporation
13764 Jefferson Parkway
Roanoke, VA 24019
jackson@acmepharmaceutical.com
Dear Mr. Jackson:
From your company's web site I learned about your need for
a sales representative for the Virginia, Maryland, and North
Carolina areas. I am very interested in this position with
Acme Pharmaceuticals, and believe that my education and employment
background are appropriate for the position.
While working toward my master’s degree, I was employed
as a sales representative with a small dairy foods firm.
I increased my sales volume and profit margin appreciably
while at Farmer’s Foods, and I would like to repeat that
success in the pharmaceutical industry. I have a strong
academic background in biology and marketing, and think that
I could apply my combination of knowledge and experience to
the health industry. I will complete my master's degree in
marketing in mid-May and will be available to begin employment
in early June.
Enclosed is a copy of my resume, which more fully details
my qualifications for the position.
I look forward to talking with you regarding sales opportunities
with Acme Pharmaceuticals. Within the next week I will contact
you to confirm that you received my email and resume and to
answer any questions you may have.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Lynn A. Johnson
5542 Hunt Club Lane, #1
Blacksburg, VA 24060
(540) 555-8082
lajohnson@vt.edu
Resume attached as MS Word document (assuming company web
site instructed applicants to do this) |
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| Sample 3.3 —
Letter of application, e-mail version |
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| March 14, 2008 Ms. Charlene Prince
Director of Personnel
Large National Bank Corporation
Roanoke, VA 24040
cprince@largebank.com
Dear Ms. Prince:
As I indicated in our telephone conversation yesterday, I
would like to apply for the marketing research position you
advertised in the March 12th edition of the Roanoke Times
and World News. With my undergraduate research background,
my training in psychology and sociology, and my work experience,
I believe I could make a valuable contribution to Large National
Bank Corporation in this position.
In May I will complete my Bachelor of Science in Psychology
with a minor in Sociology from Virginia Polytechnic Institute
and State University. As part of the requirements for this
degree, I am involved in a senior marketing research project
that has given me experience interviewing and surveying research
subjects and assisting with the analysis of the data collected.
I also have completed a course in statistics and research
methods.
In addition to academic work, my experience also includes
working part-time as a bookkeeper in a small independent bookstore
with an annual budget of approximately $150,000. Because
of the small size of this business, I have been exposed to
and participated in most aspects of managing a business, including
advertising and marketing. As the bookkeeper, I produced
monthly sales reports that allow the owner/buyer to project
seasonal inventory needs. I also assisted with the development
of ideas for special promotional events and calculated book
sales proceeds after each event in order to evaluate its success.
I believe that the combination of my business experience
and social science research training is well-suited to the
marketing research position you described. I have enclosed
a copy of my resume with additional information about my qualifications.
Thank you for your consideration. I look forward to
receiving your reply.
Sincerely,
Jessica Lawrence
250 Prices Fork Road
Blacksburg, VA 24060
(540) 555-1234
jessica.lawrence@vt.edu
Resume text included in email below and attached as MS Word
document |
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| Sample 3.4 — Letter
of application, hard copy version |
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| 1000 Terrace View Apts.
Blacksburg, VA 24060
(540) 555-4523
stevemason@vt.edu
March 25, 2005
Mr. John Wilson
Personnel Director
Anderson Construction Company
3507 Rockville Pike
Rockville, MD 20895
Dear Mr. Wilson:
I read in the March 24th Washington Post classified
section of your need for a Civil Engineer or Building Construction
graduate for one of your Washington, DC, area sites. I will
be returning to the Washington area after graduation in May
and believe that I have the necessary credentials for the
project.
I have worked at various levels in the construction industry
every summer since the 8th grade. As you can see from my resume,
I worked several summers as a general laborer, gradually moved
up to a carpenter, and last summer I worked as assistant construction
manager on a 100 million dollar job.
In addition to this practical experience, I will complete
requirements for my Building Construction degree in May.
As you may know, Virginia Tech in one of the few universities
in the country that offers such a specialized degree for the
construction industry. I am confident that my Building Construction
degree, along with my years of construction industry experience,
make me an excellent candidate for your job.
The Anderson Construction Company projects are familiar to
me, and my aspiration is to work for a company that has your
excellent reputation. I would welcome the opportunity
to interview with you. I will be in the Washington area during
the week of April 12th and would be available to speak with
you at that time. In the next week to ten days I will contact
you to answer any questions you may have.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
(handwritten signature)
Steve Mason
Enclosure |
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| Sample 3.5 —
Letter of inquiry about employment possibilities, e-mail version |
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| December 12, 2007 Mr. Robert Burns
President, Template Division
MEGATEK Corporation
9845 Technical Way
Arlington, VA 22207
burns@megatek.com
Dear Mr. Burns:
I learned of MEGATEK through online research using the CareerSearch
database through Career Services at Virginia Tech where I
am completing my Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering.
From my research on your web site, I believe there would be
a good fit between my skills and interests and your needs.
I am interested in a software engineering position upon completion
of my degree in May 2008.
As a graduate student, I am one of six members on a software
development team where we are writing a computer aided aircraft
design program for NASA. My responsibilities include designing,
coding, and testing of a graphical portion of the program
which requires the use of GIARO for graphics input and output.
I have a strong background in computer aided design, software
development, and engineering, and believe that these skills
would benefit the designing and manufacturing aspects of Template
software. Enclosed is my resume which further outlines
my qualifications.
My qualifications make me well suited to the projects areas
in which your division of MEGATEK is expanding efforts.
I would appreciate the opportunity to discuss a position with
you, and will contact you in a week or ten days to answer
any questions you may have and to see if you need any other
information from me such as a company application form or
transcripts. Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
William Stevens
123 Ascot Lane
Blacksburg, VA 24060
(540) 555-2556
WStevens@vt.edu
Resume attached as MS Word document |
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| Sample 3.6 —
Letter of inquiry about internship opportunities, hard copy version |
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| 2343 Blankinship Road
Blacksburg, VA 24060
(540) 555-2233
StacyLeeGimble@vt.edu
January 12, 2006
Ms. Sylvia Range
Special Programs Assistant
Marion County Family Court Wilderness Challenge
303 Center Street
Marion, VA 24560
Dear Ms. Range:
I am a junior at Virginia Tech, working toward my bachelor's
degree in family and child development. I am seeking an internship
for this summer 2006, and while researching opportunities
in the field of criminal justice and law, I found that your
program works with juvenile delinquents. I am writing to inquire
about possible internship opportunities with the Marion County
Family Court Wilderness Challenge.
My work background and coursework have supplied me with many
skills and an understanding of dealing with the adolescent
community; for example:
- I worked as a hotline assistant for a local intervention
center. I counseled teenagers about personal concerns and
referred them, when necessary, to appropriate professional
services for additional help.
- I have been active at my university as a resident hall
assistant, which requires me to establish rapport with fifty
residents and advise them on personal matters, as well as
university policies. In addition, I develop social and educational
programs and activities each semester for up to 200 participants.
My enclosed resume provides additional details about my background.
I will be in the Marion area during my Spring break, March
6 - March 10. I will call you next week to see if it
would be possible to meet with you in early March to discuss
your program.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
(handwritten signature)
Stacy Lee Gimble
Encl. |
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| Sample 4.1 —
Information seeking letter, hard copy version |
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| 23 Roanoke Street
Blacksburg, VA 24060
(540) 555-1123
email: K.Walker@vt.edu
October 23, 2006
Mr. James G. Webb
Delon Hampton & Associates
800 K Street, N.W., Suite 720
Washington, DC 20001-8000
Dear Mr. Webb:
I will be graduating from Virginia Tech with a Bachelor’s
degree in Architecture in May 2007, and am researching employment
opportunities in the Washington area. I obtained your name
from VT CareerLink, Career Services' Alumni database. I very
much appreciate your volunteering to help students with job
search information, and I hope that your schedule will permit
you to provide me with some advice. I am particularly interested
in historic preservation and understand that your firm does
work in this area. I am also interested in learning how the
architects in your firm began their careers. My resume is
enclosed simply to give you some information about my background
and project work.
I will call you in two weeks to arrange a time to speak to
you by telephone or perhaps visit your office if that would
be convenient. I will be in the Washington area during the
week of November 21. I very much appreciate your time and
consideration of my request, and I look forward to talking
with you.
Sincerely,
(handwritten signature)
Kristen Walker
Encl. |
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| Sample 5.2 —
Follow-up letter to information seeking meeting, email version |
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| November 30, 2006 Mr. James G. Webb
Delon Hampton & Associates
800 K Street, N.W., Suite 720
Washington, DC 20001-8000
webb@delon.com
Dear Mr. Webb:
Thank you so much for taking time from your busy schedule
to meet with me last Tuesday. It was very helpful to me to
learn so much about the current projects of Delon Hampton
& Associates and the career paths of several of your staff.
I appreciate your reviewing my portfolio and encouraging my
career plans. I also enjoyed meeting Beth Ormond, and am glad
to have her suggestions on how I can make the most productive
use of my last semester in college.
Based on what I learned from my visit to your firm and other
research I have done, I am very interested in being considered
for employment with your firm in the future. I will be available
to begin work after I graduate in May 2003. As you saw from
my portfolio, I have developed strong skills in the area of
historical documentation and this is a good match for the
types of projects in which your firm specializes. I have enclosed
a copy of my resume to serve as a reminder of my background,
some of which I discussed with you when we met.
During the next few months I will stay in contact with you
in hopes that there may be an opportunity to join your firm.
Thank you again for your generous help.
Sincerely,
Kristin Walker
23 Roanoke Street
Blacksburg, VA 24060
(540) 555-1123
KWalker@vt.edu |
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