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 ParamountBusiness College with a 3.75 grade pointaverage and received my Associate Degreein Secretarial Science and Office Management.

OR

Enclosed is my resume for your advertisedposition 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 StreetSomewhere, Texas 55555April 21, 20xx

Mr. Bubba Bates, District ManagerPossum on the Half Shell, Inc. P.O. Box 1112Trouble, 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.