Many job-seekers dread the daunting task of writing that despised cover letter to accompany their resume. What should the cover letter say? How long should it be? What is the proper format? Etc., Etc. These questions are frustrating and can often result in differing opinions from different individuals. I am going to give you a general idea of what your cover letter should consist of and a good way for format that material.

First of all, cover letters are not meant for you to repeat every qualification that you listed on your resume. It is a general introduction about you and maybe a stand-out qualification or experience. According to Joann Lublin of The Wall Street Journal, “an estimated 85% of cover letters are so flawed that senders never land an interview.” It is important that you put just as much attention into perfecting your cover letter as you would your resume. Often in a frenzy to apply for that perfect job one comes across, job candidates will throw together a cover letter to accompany that perfect resume. Unfortunately, the recruiter’s view of you is automatically tainted by the scantily-written cover letter inundated with grammatical errors and poorly worded sentences. This letter is the first impression they will have of you. Is your cover letter well- thought-out and professional, or is it thrown together in desperate need of a proofreader?

Here are some helpful guidelines in writing your cover letter:

• The first paragraph should tell who you are, what position you are applying for and how you heard about the position.
• The second paragraph should give a brief summary of your qualification for the position.(Keep in mind that sometime the recruiter will just glance at your cover letter at best and then go straight to the resume. ALL qualifications need to be listed on the resume. Do not assume that because you listed something in the cover letter that you do not need to cover it again in the resume.)
• The third paragraph should indicate what you want (an interview) and how they can get in touch with you. Make it easy for the recruiter or hiring manager to get in touch with you. Contact information should be on your cover letter and resume.
• Margins should be standard 1 inch.
• Everything should be left justified
• Do not take your cover letter over 1 page…the recruiter probably will not read it. (The shorter, yet still informative… the better)
• PROOFREAD, PROOFREAD, PROOFREAD! Check for grammatical errors as well as sentence structure and wording. Make it sound professional! They are judging your written communication skills and professionalism. If you aren’t willing to take the time to make your cover letter perfect for a job you are seeking, how much less are you going to stress professionalism in writing once you have already gotten the job?

*It is probably a good idea to keep your own “cover letter template.” Write and perfect your cover letter and then save it. Format that cover letter to each individual job that you are applying for. You do not want to send the exact same cover letter to every employer, but keeping your own template will prevent you from having to write a new letter from scratch each time you apply for a job and, therefore, reduces errors. If using this technique, YOU MUST REMEMBER TO CHANGE THE INFORMATION TO TAILOR TO THE SPECIFIC JOB FOR WHICH YOU ARE APPLYING AND ENSURE THAT NO INFORMATION IS LEFT FROM THE PREVIOUS JOB IN WHICH YOU USED IT TO APPLY FOR!

View a sample cover letter I’ve put together for you here.

If you have ANY questions regarding cover letter writing, feel free to ask!

Citations:

Lublin, Joann S. “Cover Letters Get You In The Door, So Be Sure Not to Dash Them

Off” The Wall Street Journal. 6 April 2004.

Virginia Tech Career Services Website

http://www.career.vt.edu/JOBSEARC/coversamples.htm#Cover%20Letter%20Format%20Guidelines:>

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