Write Effective Cover Letters

Your cover letter is an essential piece of a job application. Your résumé is still important, of course, but it is a specialized document that primarily conveys short facts. A cover letter adds personalization and gives you the chance to showcase so much more:

• Highlight the most relevant pieces of your résumé.
• Display your writing/communication skills.
• Prove that you’ve read the job ad carefully and are responding to what they asked for.
• Show that you have a clue about what the company does.
• Stand out by focusing on what you can do for this company (not what they can do for you!)

Whether you’re applying via email, an online job application system, or print, include a cover letter if at all possible. If an online system does not have a separate place to add a cover letter, and it does not specifically say that you should NOT include a cover letter, look for a way to include the text – paste the letter into a text box above your résumé, or save your résumé attachment with the cover letter as its first page.

Tips for Cover Letters

• Personalize your letter with the name of a decision-maker and the name of the organization in the body of the letter. Use pronouns such as I, my, we. This makes your letter more personable.
• Make the letter appear to be written individually for a specific recipient.
• Highlight the benefits you will bring to the organization. How can you assist the person/company?
• Mention relevant industry experience early in the letter, or relevant functional interest or experience.
• Clarify why you are writing and how you expect the reader to respond.
• Sign the letter personally with your full name and the name you prefer to use in future correspondence.
• Edit carefully to eliminate extra information.
• Read your letter aloud. If you stumble or change words as you read, make changes. If you lose your breath, sentences are too long.
• Proofread everything, even e-mails. Check for misspelled words and words used in the wrong context.
• Commit to a follow-up call when you have a special interest in a company.

Things to Avoid in Cover Letters

1. Do not explain why you are seeking a new position or why you left a prior job.
2. Do not mention expected income. If a job ad insists that you include salary requirements, state that you would accept “a range” of possibilities. If you must give numbers, state something like “based on my understanding of the average salary for this type of position, I would expect the salary to be between $42,000 to $48,000. I am open to exploring a range of possible salary and benefit options.”
3. Beware of accomplishments or statements that may appear too bold or use overly exaggerated language.
4. Unless you are well-acquainted with the recipient and on a first-name basis with them, do not use nicknames.