Wednesday, 8th March, 2006
How To Write an Effective Cover Letter
Return Address
Your return address should appear in the top right hand corner, without your
name. As a general rule, you should avoid abbreviations in the addresses of
your cover letters, although abbreviating the state is increasingly common in
all business correspondence.
The Date
The date should appear two lines beneath your return address on the right
hand side of the page. Write out the date; do not use the abbreviated format.
Example: May 12, 1995
The Addressee
Always try to find the name and proper title of the addressee before you
send out a cover letter. Two lines beneath the date, list the full name of the
addressee preceded by Mr. or Ms. (Do not use Miss or Mrs., even if you
happen to know the marital status of the addressee). On the next line, list the
individual's formal title; on the subsequent line, list the name of the company.
This is followed by the company's address, which generally takes two lines.
Occasionally, the individual's full title or the company name and address will
be very long, and can appear awkward on the usual number of lines
allocated. In this case, you may prefer using an extra line.
The Salutation
The salutation should be typed two lines beneath the company's address. It
should begin with "Dear Mr." or "Dear Ms.," followed by the individual's last
name and a colon. A colon appears more businesslike than a comma. Even
if you have previously spoken with an addressee who has asked to be called
by first name, you should never use a first name in the salutation.
First Paragraph
State immediately and concisely which position you wish to be considered
for and what makes you the best candidate for that position. If you are
responding to a classified ad, be sure to reference the name of the
publication and the date the ad appeared. Keep the first paragraph short and
hard-hitting. Example: Having majored in Mathematics at Boston University,
where I also worked as a research assistant, I am confident that I would
make a very successful research trainee in your Economics Research
Department.
Second Paragraph
Detail what you could contribute to this company, and show how your
qualifications will benefit this firm. If you're responding to a classified ad,
specifically discuss how your skills relate to the job's requirements.
Remember, be brief! Few recruiters will read a cover letter longer than half a
page. Example: In addition to my strong background in mathematics, I also
offer significant business experience, having worked in a data processing
firm, a bookstore, and a restaurant. I am sure that my courses in statistics
and computer programming would prove particularly useful in the position of
research trainee.
Third Paragraph
Describe your interest in the corporation. Subtly emphasize your knowledge
about this firm (the result of your research effort) and your familiarity with the
industry. It is common courtesy to act extremely eager to work for any
company where you apply for a position.
Example: I am attracted to City Bank by your recent rapid growth and the
superior reputation of your Economic Research Department. After studying
different commercial banks, I have concluded that City Bank will be in a
strong competitive position to benefit from upcoming changes in the industry,
such as the phasing out of Regulation Q.
Final Paragraph
In the closing paragraph, specifically request an interview. Include your
phone number and the hours when you can be reached or mention that you
will follow up with a phone call within the next several days to arrange an
interview at a mutually convenient time.
If you are responding to a newspaper ad that asks for your salary
requirements, you may decide that you would rather discuss such matters at
the job offer stage. However, not stating your salary requirements when
asked to do so may jeopardize your chances of even getting to an interview.
(This is particularly true of entry-level positions). If you decide to state your
salary requirements, do so in a range. For example, your cover letter may
read, "I seek a starting salary between $18,000 and $22,000."
Example: I would like to interview with you at your earliest convenience. I
am best reached between 3:00 and 5:00 P.M. at (617) 555-1483.
The Closing
The closing should begin two lines beneath the body of the letter and should
be aligned with your return address and the date (toward the right of the
page). Keep the closing simple--"Sincerely" suffices. Four lines underneath
this, and aligned with the word Sincerely, type in your full name, preferably
with a middle name or middle initial. Sign above your typed name in black
ink. Don't forget to sign the letter! As silly as it sounds, people often forget
to sign their cover letters. This creates the impression that you don't take
care with your work.
The Enclosure Line
You will help the employer to see you as a meticulous, detail-oriented
professional if you include an enclosure line at the bottom of the letter.
This information came from Every Woman's Essential Job Hunting
and Resume BookBy Laura Morin, Published by Adams Media
Corporation
Wednesday, 29th March, 2006
Cover letter - prospective employers introductions
Cover letter samples for job seekers
Cover letters are the individual persons forst chance to express their intelligence, education and communication skills with a prospective. A cover letter should never be a formatted boiler plate affair like a resume. The cover letter should be always a customized document, bowing and bending to the winds of the prospective employers status. Expressions advanacing the candidates knowledge of the propsectives industry or business environment is always a good inclusion in any cover letter. Protocals of business should be learened and adhered to also in the formed words and sentences. Your cover letter ios your glance accross the room at an desireous human. Your footing should be sure, poliet, somewhat assertive but with humility and eligance.
more on this plosyposhy wioth examples later. Here is some more advice on the subject.
Cover Letter's
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A cover letter or covering letter is a letter of introduction attached to, or accompanying another document such as a resume or curriculum vitae. A successful cover letter results in the resume being scanned and moved to the "contact this applicant" pile rather than the "thanks but no thanks" pile. It also sometimes accomponies a scientific article.
PURPOSE:
Think of the cover letter as the job seeker's introduction to the employer/recruiter. It is also a marketing device.
The cover letter should highlight a few (no more than 5) specific points in the job seeker's experience and skills that match, or exceed, the requirements of the job. And, it should be written to address the employer/recruiter concerns. No: "Your job interests me." Yes: "My experience in (whatever is needed) can help you with (whatever is needed)."
CLOSING:
A good closing is critical.
Although some authors recommend ending a cover letter with a statement such as, "I will call your office in the next week to schedule an appointment," others find this pushy and prefer a more deferential approach, such as "I think we could both benefit from meeting to talk about this opportunity in more detail. I would like to follow up within the next week to discuss your thoughts. In the meantime, please do not hesitate to call me at XXXX if you have any questions. Thank you for your time and consideration." Many believe that the latter approach expresses interest but avoids telling the employer what the process should be.
This article is from
Wikipedia. All text is available under the terms of the
GNU Free Documentation License
