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Cover Letters

Cover letters are the most common type of business correspondence written throughout a job search. A cover letter is sent with a copy of your resume to express interest in being interviewed for employment with a particular company. Never send your resume without a cover letter.

Cover letters should follow business letter format. All paragraphs should be left-justified, and text should be single-spaced with double-spacing between paragraphs. Always be sure to date and sign your cover letters. A cover letter is written for two main reasons. First, it can be sent in response to an advertisement for an available position advertised in the newspaper, unemployment office, PNC Career Services, magazine, or any other location listing available jobs.

Most often, you will be given the name and title of the person to whom you need to write, or at least given the name of the company to which you are writing. In these cases, you should always use the person’s name and title, or call the company to get the correct person’s name and title. Your letter will have much more of an impact if you take the time to address it to the correct person.

Sometimes, however, you cannot find out the name of the person you should write to, or even the company to which you are writing. For instance, an ad may instruct you to “Submit a resume to PO Box 3, Vidette- Messenger.” In cases like this, you can only include any information you are given, and may have to write a very generic “Dear Sir or Madam” letter. If this is the case, the company has constructed the advertisement in this way for a reason, and expects to receive generic letters as described above. Writing a generic letter in this case will not hurt your chances of getting an interview.

Second, a cover letter may be sent to a company which, to your knowledge, does not have any available positions in your field, but which you would like to work for. This type of cover letter is referred to as a prospecting or broadcasting letter. This type of cover letter will be discussed in detail in the Networking section of this booklet.

Whether writing in response to an advertisement, or writing to a company without an advertised position, the general rule of cover letters is: if at all possible, address your letters to specific people. Call directory information, do more research, call the company, or talk with people you know to find the information you need. Mass produced letters addressed to “Director of Personnel” will, in all likelihood, not be considered.

No matter how you find out a person’s name, always be sure to call the company to verify name spellings and titles of people that you write to. Even if you see a name in print in a magazine or other publication, it may be misspelled or list an incorrect title. In addition, the person listed may have been promoted or left the company since the material was printed. Also be sure to include your address on the cover letter. If it gets separated from your résumé, you want to make it as easy as possible for an employer to reach you.

Very effective way to format the middle paragraph(s) of your cover letter, if applicable, is to clearly show your qualifications for the position in question.

YOU NEED I HAVE

1.
2.
3.

Select the key requirements from the advertisement and state you possess these requirements. For instance, you might say, “YOU NEED...5 years of retail experience. I HAVE...7 years of sales experience with the country’s largest hardware retailer,” etc. The body of such a letter might look something like this:

Dear Ms. Strand:

I am responding to the advertisement for a Management Trainee which was advertised at the Purdue University North Central Career Services Office. Upon review of my qualifications, I am sure you will agree that I have the education and experience you are looking for.

YOU NEED...

A degree in Business, Marketing, or a related field

Proven leadership skills

Customer service experience

Someone who can successfully complete a 16 week training class

I HAVE...

An Associates degree in General Business from Purdue University North Central

One year of experience as the President of the Accounting Club

Two and a half years of experience in serving customers in a retail environment and one year in a restaurant environment

A proven ability to learn, with an overall GPA of 3.8/4.0

I am confident I can perform the job of Management Trainee effectively. I look forward to having the opportunity to discuss my qualifications with you in person. I can be reached at (219) 643-9999 to schedule a personal interview. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Finally, be sure to keep copies of all correspondence you send out. And most importantly, follow up on résumés and cover letters you mail. Simply sending your résumé is not enough. You will need to follow up with a phone call to the employer (when possible) within 5-7 working days of sending your information.

Cover Letter Responding to an Advertisement

1401 S US Hwy 421
Westville, IN 46391
January 28, 2005

Mr. Joe Sommers, Branch Manager
Hoosier Bank
47 West Michigan Street
Anywhere, Indiana 46210

Dear Mr. Sommers:

I am replying to your job posting posted with the PNC Career Services office dated March 28, 2001, offering a position as a Branch Manager Trainee. My educational background and part-time work experience in banking-related positions uniquely qualify me for your job opening. As you will note in my enclosed resume, I will graduate in May, 2001, from Purdue University North Central with a degree in Organizational Leadership and Supervision.

In my first three years at Purdue, I worked part-time as a teller at the University Credit Union. During summer vacations, I worked as a clerk/secretary, filling in on a temporary basis in several different department. In my senior year, I worked in the University Business Office working with cash balances, fee collections, auditing statements, and report writing. I have also taken courses in management and computer science, and two courses in accounting and finance.

I look forward to having the opportunity to discuss my qualifications with you in person, and can be reached by phone after 3:00 p.m. at (219) 462- 0000 or via e-mail at joestudent@internet·net. I appreciate your time and consideration and hope to hear from you soon.

Sincerely,

Joe Student
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