Cover Letter Tips

Dos

1. A well written cover letter is a must in order to stand out and get your resume noticed.

2. When applying to an organization, make sure your cover letter is specific to the organization and position.
· Relate your skills and experiences to the qualifications posted by the company.
· Explain the interests and reasons for applying.
· Detail how you found the position.
· The letter should be one page in length and centered perfectly on the page.

3. The cover letter is not a poster.
· Use black text; it is easy to reproduce.
· Use plain white paper or resume paper. Make sure it is the same paper as your resume.

4. Your resume and cover letter should look very similar with text and font.

5. Use the word “I” when explaining your experiences/qualifications.
Example: I increased sales revenue 40% by establishing strong relationships with my customers.
I was captain of the basketball team and Academic All-Conference.

6. Make sure you personalize your cover letter. Call the company’s main phone number and ask for the name and title of the person hiring for this position.

7. Have at least three people read your cover letter (examples: academic advisor, coach, professor, or the campus writing center).

DON’Ts

1. Do not copy and paste a cover letter. This will send the wrong impression to the employer about your work ethic.

2. No Mistakes. Mistakes will make a poor impression of you.
Examples of mistakes: poor printing, spelling errors, punctuation errors, or grammatical errors

3. Do not repeat your resume.
· Give additional information that may not be covered in your resume.
· Really focus on the key aspect of your background and why your experiences make you the best candidate for the position.

4. Avoid eccentric fonts
Examples of acceptable fonts: Times New Roman, Courier New, or Arial

5. Do not hand write your cover letter.

6. Do not try to humor the hiring manager – it seldom works.

7. Never fold your resume or cover letter when mailing.