Cover Letters - In General

• Cover letters should be tailored to the individual organization/person to whom you are applying for a job.  The résumé can often stay the same; cover letters must be more specific, pointed and personal.
• Their life expectancy in a recruiter’s hands is about 8 seconds.
• Therefore, cover letters should be brief, to the point, and accurate.
• They should connect your qualifications to the needs of the job.

Tips for Success

• Always send a cover letter - even if one isn’t required.  It’s the professional thing to do.
• Use good quality business stationery that matches your résumé.
• Use a laser printer.
• Address the letter to a specific person whenever possible.
• If you have a copy of the job description/advertisement, refer to it and the duties/qualifications listed in your letter.
• Address your letter to the person who has the power to hire you.
• Be sure of the person’s proper title (i.e., Mr.. Ms., Dr., etc.)
• If you don’t know who to address the letter to - a simple phone call to the organization’s Personnel/Human Resource Department will help.
• Keep the letter short - 4 paragraphs at the most.
• Your letter should highlight your qualifications for the position but not repeat information contained in your résumé.
• Keep a copy of each letter you send.  They help when you write follow-up letters.
• As with your résumé - Proof! Proof! Proof!
• Employers will be using your cover letter to assess your communication and writing abilities.  Make sure there are no typos or grammatical errors.
• If you think your cover letter will be fed into a computerized scanning system, follow the guidelines for scannable résumés.