Great Cover Letter

A great cover letter demonstrates your ability to summarize your skills and experience and map them directly to the job for which you’re applying. Stick to the following guidelines when writing a cover letter for your resume…

Do:

• Type on good quality paper. Your paper should match your resume.
• Include the person’s full name, title, company name, and company address.
• Use a formal greeting (Mr., Ms., Dr.).
• Include your full name, address, and contact information.
• Use simple language and uncomplicated sentence structure. Ruthlessly eliminate all unnecessary words. Follow the journalist’s credo: Write tight!
• Speak to the requirements of the job, especially when responding to an ad.
• Keep your letter brief. Never, Never more than one page, and it’s best to keep it well under a full page. Each paragraph should have no more than one to three sentences.
• Distinguish your cover letter from those of other job-seekers by quantifying and giving examples that amplify and prove the claims you make in your letter.
• Keep a copy of each cover letter for your records.

Don’t

• Develop one letter to send to all employers. Each letter should be individualized to the organization and position.
• Begin your letter with “My name is…”
• Use exclamation points in your letter.
• Exaggerate your qualifications or be dishonest
• Do not send a letter without performing a manual proofread! Read your cover letter thoroughly and don’t rely solely on spellchecker.
• Rehash your resume. You can use your cover letter to highlight the aspects of your resume that are relevant to the position, but you’re wasting precious space — and the potential employer’s time — if you simply repeat your resume.
• Forget to personally sign the letter, preferably in blue ink.
• Make your letter more than one page

Above all else, recruiters say, be sure your cover letter and resume represent the work of a careful communicator. To that end, it should be concise, clear, focused, and free of typographical errors. Good luck!