{"id":175,"date":"2015-07-21T21:57:27","date_gmt":"2015-07-21T21:57:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.candelalearning.com\/styleforstudents\/?post_type=chapter&#038;p=175"},"modified":"2015-07-21T21:57:27","modified_gmt":"2015-07-21T21:57:27","slug":"writing-cover-letters","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-hccc-styleforstudents-1\/chapter\/writing-cover-letters\/","title":{"raw":"Writing Cover Letters","rendered":"Writing Cover Letters"},"content":{"raw":"<div id=\"node-1963\" class=\"node\">\r\n<div class=\"content clear-block\">\r\n\r\nWhen reading cover letters, the key benchmark I use is simple: Do I get to know both the person and the professional? As we read a cover letter, we should have a sense that no other candidate could have written this particular document in this particular way. Hence, we respect and honor the individual.\r\n\r\nIn conversation, the term \u201ccover letter\u201d is used loosely to mean any professional letter that you write in an attempt to get a job, with the term \u201ccover\u201d denoting that the letter is usually a \u201ccover piece\u201d designed to introduce and accompany your resume. Thus, too many writers think of the cover letter as mere mechanical introductory fluff\u2014disposable goods\u2014when in fact it can be more important than your resume.\r\n\r\nThe best tip that I have heard on cover letter writing is that the letter is for the <em>audience<\/em>, not for you. Certainly you are selling yourself, but you do that best by molding your skills to what an employer needs and by knowing all that you can about your audience. This tells you that you should visit a company\u2019s website, read the company literature, and have a specific person\u2019s name and title to write to (you can always request this by phone or e-mail before you write). In sum, know what your audience is interested in and how you might fit into a company\u2019s plans, not the other way around. Unless an employer instructs you otherwise, always include a cover letter with your resume as you apply for a job.\r\n<h2>Tone: Making it Sound Good<\/h2>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>The proper tone for the cover letter is one of an informed, straightforward, courteous, relaxed, literate writer.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Use \u201cI\u201d comfortably as a sentence subject, but avoid being too informal\u2014overusing contractions or jargon could make you appear unprofessional.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Avoid being too cocky, aggressive, idealistic, or unrealistic; come off as mature, self-aware, and confident.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h2>Appearance and Mechanics: Making it Look Good<\/h2>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>Limit cover letters to one page, and type them using single-spaced or 1.5-spaced typing, with about one-inch margins or more on all sides of the page.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Skip lines between paragraphs.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Favor short paragraphs over long ones.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Use highly readable, tight, fonts, such as Helvetica or Times, and point sizes no larger than 12 and no smaller than 10.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Spell check, then proofread the hard copy carefully. Present the final version of the letter on durable white or off-white paper.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Mail your letter and resume flat in a large envelope rather than folded in a small one.\u00a0 That way they will be easier to read and Xerox.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h2>The Heading and Greeting: Following the Formats<\/h2>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>At the top right or left corner of the page, type your address, your phone number, your e-mail address, and the date. Below that, at the left margin, put the name, title, and address of the person receiving the letter.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Skip a line or two, then type \u201cDear,\u201d the person\u2019s title (Dr., Ms., Mr.), name, and a colon.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>If possible, find out the proper title, spelling, and gender of the receiver of the letter (all it usually takes is a phone call or a little web surfing). If you cannot be certain of the recipient\u2019s gender, it is acceptable to use both the first and last name (i.e., \u201cDear Jan Morris\u201d). If no name is available, use a logical title such as\u00a0\u201cDear Human Resources Representative.\u201d Greetings such as \u201cDear Sir or Madam\u201d and \u201cTo Whom it May Concern\u201d are old-fashioned\u2014some even find them offensive\u2014and should be avoided.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h2>The Opening Paragraph: Showcasing Your Homework<\/h2>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>Ideally, open with a reference to how you derived knowledge of the company or position.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>If possible, provide context by some artful name dropping (\u201cMs. Judith Sowers, a Quality Control Specialist in your Meredith plant, informs me that you are seeking . . .\u201d). Otherwise, simply be forthright about why you are writing the letter (\u201cI am writing to you because . . .\u201d).<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Include particulars about the company\u2019s activities and vision\u2014prove that you have done your homework and know something about the company\u2019s products and mission. Even quote a mission statement if you can.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Establish your own professional context by naming your major and school.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h2>The Body Paragraphs: Selling your Skills<\/h2>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>One paragraph may suffice here, but use more if necessary, especially if you have several different skills or experiences to sell. Stick to one topic per paragraph.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Through concrete examples, provide evidence of your work ethic and success\u2014cite courses, co-ops, papers, projects, theses, or internships you have completed. Make your examples both quantitative and qualitative. Some writers use a bulleted list to introduce narrative examples of their skills. Some even provide URLs for their home pages or other web pages they helped to create.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Introduce your resume (\u201cAs the enclosed resume shows . . .\u201d) and interpret it for your audience rather than simply repeat its details. Apply your education, work experience, and activities directly to the job, proving that you are a highly capable candidate.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h2>The Closing Paragraph and Signoff: Exiting Gracefully<\/h2>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>Keep your closing short and simple. Do not waste time. Be gracious and sincere, not falsely flattering nor pushy. Respectfully indicate your desire for further action, reminding the company of your availability.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Remembering that a company could try to call you over a break or during the summer, indicate relevant phone numbers right in the text. Provide your e-mail address as well.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Under the final paragraph, skip a line or two, then, directly under your heading address, type \u201cSincerely,\u201d then handwrite and type your name beneath.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Indicate that a resume is included along with the letter by typing the word \u201cEnclosure\u201d at the left margin near the bottom of the page.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<div style=\"margin: 20px; background: #a9bcf5 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; padding: 10px;\">\r\n<h3>Self-Study<\/h3>\r\nLoads of sample cover letters are available online.\u00a0 Here are\u00a0two URLs:\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.quintcareers.com\/cover_letter_samples.html\" target=\"_blank\">Sample cover letters from the website quintcareers.com<\/a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.cgu.edu\/pages\/923.asp\" target=\"_blank\">Sample academic cover letter by a graduate student from Claremont Graduate University<\/a>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"clear-block\"><\/div>\r\n<\/div>","rendered":"<div id=\"node-1963\" class=\"node\">\n<div class=\"content clear-block\">\n<p>When reading cover letters, the key benchmark I use is simple: Do I get to know both the person and the professional? As we read a cover letter, we should have a sense that no other candidate could have written this particular document in this particular way. Hence, we respect and honor the individual.<\/p>\n<p>In conversation, the term \u201ccover letter\u201d is used loosely to mean any professional letter that you write in an attempt to get a job, with the term \u201ccover\u201d denoting that the letter is usually a \u201ccover piece\u201d designed to introduce and accompany your resume. Thus, too many writers think of the cover letter as mere mechanical introductory fluff\u2014disposable goods\u2014when in fact it can be more important than your resume.<\/p>\n<p>The best tip that I have heard on cover letter writing is that the letter is for the <em>audience<\/em>, not for you. Certainly you are selling yourself, but you do that best by molding your skills to what an employer needs and by knowing all that you can about your audience. This tells you that you should visit a company\u2019s website, read the company literature, and have a specific person\u2019s name and title to write to (you can always request this by phone or e-mail before you write). In sum, know what your audience is interested in and how you might fit into a company\u2019s plans, not the other way around. Unless an employer instructs you otherwise, always include a cover letter with your resume as you apply for a job.<\/p>\n<h2>Tone: Making it Sound Good<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>The proper tone for the cover letter is one of an informed, straightforward, courteous, relaxed, literate writer.<\/li>\n<li>Use \u201cI\u201d comfortably as a sentence subject, but avoid being too informal\u2014overusing contractions or jargon could make you appear unprofessional.<\/li>\n<li>Avoid being too cocky, aggressive, idealistic, or unrealistic; come off as mature, self-aware, and confident.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Appearance and Mechanics: Making it Look Good<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Limit cover letters to one page, and type them using single-spaced or 1.5-spaced typing, with about one-inch margins or more on all sides of the page.<\/li>\n<li>Skip lines between paragraphs.<\/li>\n<li>Favor short paragraphs over long ones.<\/li>\n<li>Use highly readable, tight, fonts, such as Helvetica or Times, and point sizes no larger than 12 and no smaller than 10.<\/li>\n<li>Spell check, then proofread the hard copy carefully. Present the final version of the letter on durable white or off-white paper.<\/li>\n<li>Mail your letter and resume flat in a large envelope rather than folded in a small one.\u00a0 That way they will be easier to read and Xerox.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>The Heading and Greeting: Following the Formats<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>At the top right or left corner of the page, type your address, your phone number, your e-mail address, and the date. Below that, at the left margin, put the name, title, and address of the person receiving the letter.<\/li>\n<li>Skip a line or two, then type \u201cDear,\u201d the person\u2019s title (Dr., Ms., Mr.), name, and a colon.<\/li>\n<li>If possible, find out the proper title, spelling, and gender of the receiver of the letter (all it usually takes is a phone call or a little web surfing). If you cannot be certain of the recipient\u2019s gender, it is acceptable to use both the first and last name (i.e., \u201cDear Jan Morris\u201d). If no name is available, use a logical title such as\u00a0\u201cDear Human Resources Representative.\u201d Greetings such as \u201cDear Sir or Madam\u201d and \u201cTo Whom it May Concern\u201d are old-fashioned\u2014some even find them offensive\u2014and should be avoided.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>The Opening Paragraph: Showcasing Your Homework<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Ideally, open with a reference to how you derived knowledge of the company or position.<\/li>\n<li>If possible, provide context by some artful name dropping (\u201cMs. Judith Sowers, a Quality Control Specialist in your Meredith plant, informs me that you are seeking . . .\u201d). Otherwise, simply be forthright about why you are writing the letter (\u201cI am writing to you because . . .\u201d).<\/li>\n<li>Include particulars about the company\u2019s activities and vision\u2014prove that you have done your homework and know something about the company\u2019s products and mission. Even quote a mission statement if you can.<\/li>\n<li>Establish your own professional context by naming your major and school.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>The Body Paragraphs: Selling your Skills<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>One paragraph may suffice here, but use more if necessary, especially if you have several different skills or experiences to sell. Stick to one topic per paragraph.<\/li>\n<li>Through concrete examples, provide evidence of your work ethic and success\u2014cite courses, co-ops, papers, projects, theses, or internships you have completed. Make your examples both quantitative and qualitative. Some writers use a bulleted list to introduce narrative examples of their skills. Some even provide URLs for their home pages or other web pages they helped to create.<\/li>\n<li>Introduce your resume (\u201cAs the enclosed resume shows . . .\u201d) and interpret it for your audience rather than simply repeat its details. Apply your education, work experience, and activities directly to the job, proving that you are a highly capable candidate.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>The Closing Paragraph and Signoff: Exiting Gracefully<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Keep your closing short and simple. Do not waste time. Be gracious and sincere, not falsely flattering nor pushy. Respectfully indicate your desire for further action, reminding the company of your availability.<\/li>\n<li>Remembering that a company could try to call you over a break or during the summer, indicate relevant phone numbers right in the text. Provide your e-mail address as well.<\/li>\n<li>Under the final paragraph, skip a line or two, then, directly under your heading address, type \u201cSincerely,\u201d then handwrite and type your name beneath.<\/li>\n<li>Indicate that a resume is included along with the letter by typing the word \u201cEnclosure\u201d at the left margin near the bottom of the page.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div style=\"margin: 20px; background: #a9bcf5 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; padding: 10px;\">\n<h3>Self-Study<\/h3>\n<p>Loads of sample cover letters are available online.\u00a0 Here are\u00a0two URLs:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.quintcareers.com\/cover_letter_samples.html\" target=\"_blank\">Sample cover letters from the website quintcareers.com<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.cgu.edu\/pages\/923.asp\" target=\"_blank\">Sample academic cover letter by a graduate student from Claremont Graduate University<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"clear-block\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t <section class=\"citations-section\" role=\"contentinfo\">\n\t\t\t <h3>Candela Citations<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t <div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <div id=\"citation-list-175\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <div class=\"licensing\"><div class=\"license-attribution-dropdown-subheading\">CC licensed content, Shared previously<\/div><ul class=\"citation-list\"><li>Style For Students Online. <strong>Authored by<\/strong>: Joe Schall. <strong>Provided by<\/strong>: The Pennsylvania State University. <strong>Located at<\/strong>: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.e-education.psu.edu\/styleforstudents\/\">https:\/\/www.e-education.psu.edu\/styleforstudents\/<\/a>. <strong>Project<\/strong>: Penn State&#039;s College of Earth and Mineral Sciences&#039; OER Initiative. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/4.0\/\">CC BY-NC-SA: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike<\/a><\/em><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t <\/section>","protected":false},"author":9,"menu_order":2,"template":"","meta":{"_candela_citation":"[{\"type\":\"cc\",\"description\":\"Style For Students Online\",\"author\":\"Joe Schall\",\"organization\":\"The Pennsylvania State University\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.e-education.psu.edu\/styleforstudents\/\",\"project\":\"Penn State\\'s College of Earth and Mineral Sciences\\' OER Initiative\",\"license\":\"cc-by-nc-sa\",\"license_terms\":\"\"}]","CANDELA_OUTCOMES_GUID":"","pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[],"license":[],"class_list":["post-175","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry"],"part":173,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-hccc-styleforstudents-1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/175","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-hccc-styleforstudents-1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-hccc-styleforstudents-1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-hccc-styleforstudents-1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-hccc-styleforstudents-1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/175\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":407,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-hccc-styleforstudents-1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/175\/revisions\/407"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-hccc-styleforstudents-1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/173"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-hccc-styleforstudents-1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/175\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-hccc-styleforstudents-1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=175"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-hccc-styleforstudents-1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=175"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-hccc-styleforstudents-1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=175"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-hccc-styleforstudents-1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=175"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}