Cover Letters

What is a cover letter and why do you need one?

One of the most common, and glaring, mistakes recent grads make in writing cover letters is a fundamental misunderstanding in tone. A cover letter should not be a list of your graduate school achievements but rather an explanation of how those achievements can directly benefit the employer.

General Guidelines

  • Like the resume it accompanies, a cover letter is your chance to show the potential employer (in one page or less) that you “get” them—that you understand the position you are applying for and how your skills and qualities meet that need.

  • A cover letter is also a writing sample that gives you a chance to highlight your written communication skills, a quality that ranks anywhere from #1 to #3 on annual surveys of skills employer seek.

  • A cover letter should complement, not duplicate, your resume information, and should focus on pertinent areas of your experience—it should ALWAYS be tailored to a specific position/organization. There is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all cover letter.

Form of Address

If the name of the contact person is not given in the job listing (or if you are sending an unsolicited letter of inquiry), it’s the perfect time to employ your resourcefulness and research skills. Here are but a few strategies for finding a name of an appropriate individual:

  • Call the company directly and ask for a contact person
  • Check the company’s website for an organizational chart or employee directory. Look for the supervisor of the division under which the position falls
  • If you cannot find any name to whom to address the cover letter, use “Dear Hiring Manager”

Tips for Electronic Delivery

Unless otherwise instructed, send your resume and cover letter as PDF attachments to preserve formatting . If completing an online application that asks you to upload your resume, save the cover letter and resume as one document and upload them as one attachment. Name the file with your name (e.g. MollyMonterey.pdf) to avoid confusion on the employer’s part. Employers sometimes receive hundreds of applications for a single job posting, and keeping track of documents titled “resume and cover letter” can be difficult.

If sending an email, include the cover letter in the body of the email as well as an attachment, or consider sending a shorter, introductory email referring to the attached resume and cover letter.

Difficult Issues

Difficult issues can be anything from a lack of internship/volunteer experience to a low GPA to why an employer should take a chance on a candidate who wants to move from central California to New York City—anything that might make the employer exclude you from the candidate pool before you even get a chance to present yourself in person.

  • A career advisor can guide you in determining whether or not the issue you feel compelled to address in the cover letter truly needs to be addressed or not.
  • If you do address something, don’t spend more than 1-2 sentences on it—you are merely trying to be proactive, not tell your life story.
  • Difficult issues should only be brought up in the final paragraph of the cover letter.

The Salary Question

Applicants are sometimes asked to include salary requirements. The final paragraph of the cover letter is the place to do this. As a recent graduate, your salary history doesn’t necessarily reflect your abilities. Here are a few tips to keep in mind:

  • Never give a specific dollar amount, but instead list a range if possible
  • Let your prospective employer know that salary isn’t the only criteria by which you judge a job offer
  • Research salary information for comparable positions and companies/cities on www.salary.com or www.glassdoor.com

Applicant Follow-Up

If you have not heard from an employer after two to three weeks, you can follow-up by email or telephone with the original contact person. Keep it low key—include the date the original application materials were sent, ask if they were received, restate your interest in the specific position, and politely ask where they are in their selection process.

Cover Letter Formatting

Like a five-paragraph essay, a cover letter is centered on a central message or thesis, e.g. why you are the perfect candidate for the job. The first paragraph serves as an introduction to the thesis, the body paragraphs provide supporting evidence, and the last paragraph summarizes and concludes.

You should devise a solid thesis statement before you begin, and that statement should guide how you write both your cover letter and resume. To come up with that thesis statement, you should analyze the position announcement to identify the employer’s needs and the language they use.

Cover letter formatting example

Your street address (notice your name is not here)

Your City, State, and Zip Code (no phone number or email address)

Date

Contact’s name, Title (if known)

Organization Name

Street Address

City, State and Zip Code

SALUTATION: “Dear Mr. Smith:” or “Dear Ms. Jones:” (do NOT use “Mrs.” unless you know for sure), or simply “Dear Hiring Manager:”

INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH (Thesis Statement) Start with a “grabber” statement. This serves as your chance to tell the employer how you heard of the position and/or mention a personal connection you have with the organization. Then add your thesis which tells the reader what you are about to prove and in which order. It should be direct and confident without being arrogant or wishy-washy. You have the skills/abilities they need and you are going to prove that to them in this letter.

Example: “Brian Jenkins, director of the Environmental Policy office, recently told me about the Management Analyst position in the Human Resources Office. My research, analysis, and project management skills make me an excellent candidate for this position.”

BODY PARAGRAPHS (Proof Statements) These paragraphs should demonstrate two things: Why you are a good fit for the job, and why you want to work for this specific employer. Body paragraphs often are 3-6 sentences long. They can be longer or shorter depending on relevant content but they should never be just one sentence. The Body of the cover letter is the place where you support your Thesis Statement from the Intro Paragraph not by summarizing your resume, but by making connections for the employer between your skills and the needs of their business.

  • In the example above, research skills were listed first, so you would begin by discussing your research experience: (“Throughout my work and academic experiences, I developed strong research abilities.”)
  • Follow that statement with some examples which illustrate your research skills (work, volunteer opportunities, class projects, etc.)
  • Show how your experiences tie into the employer’s mission, and/or business model, and/or the specific job you’re applying for.
  • Move onto the next skill listed in your Thesis Statement (in this example “analysis”) and complete steps 1-3 for that skill and finally do the same thing with “project management.
  • Be sure to demonstrate what you know about the employer—their mission, business model, recent achievements, etc., and link that knowledge to your own skills and achievements relevant to doing the job.

CONCLUSION PARAGRAPH The first sentence of this paragraph is a restatement of your thesis: “Given the research, analysis, and project management skills I’ve just discussed, I believe I am an excellent candidate for the Management Analyst position.” This is also the place to mention any schedule-related information such as when you graduate or when you are available to begin the position. The final paragraph might also include transitional thoughts such as: “I look forward to learning more about this position with a personal interview.” You may also restate your contact information if desired. The paragraph should end with you thanking them for their time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Your Name