FirstName LastName

87 Washington Street
Smithfield, CA 08055
555-555-5555 (h)
123-123-1234 (c)
email

Date

Mr. John Doe

Smithfield Elementary School
Main Street
Smithfield, CA 08055
Dear Mr. Doe,

I am interested in applying for a teaching position, on the elementary level, in

your school district. As a 200X graduate of XXX College, I have student teaching
experience on the third and sixth grade level, in both suburban and urban school
districts.

At the present time I am teaching “at risk” preschool children. This position
enables me to provide these students with a “head start” in mastering basic skills.
I am challenged to be creative, nurturing and most of all, patient.

In my junior year at XXX College, a passion for, and knowledge of horses

created an opportunity for me work for the Racing Museum.

This position allowed me to teach every fourth grade class in the local school
system. I coordinated field trips with classroom instruction.

It is my goal to combine my range of experience with my ability to be a

compassionate, enthusiastic, intelligent teacher who will make a positive
contribution to your school district. I would welcome an interview and hope to
hear from you at your earliest convenience.

Sincerely,

Signature

FirstName LastName

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 Cover Letter Format

Your Contact Information

Name
Address
City, State, Zip Code
Phone Number
Email Address

Date

Employer Contact Information (if you have it)

Name
Title
Company
Address
City, State, Zip Code

Salutation
Dear Mr./Ms. Last Name, (leave out if you don't have a contact)

Body of Cover Letter

The body of your cover letter lets the employer know what position you are
applying for, why the employer should select you for an interview, and how you
will follow-up.

First Paragraph
The first paragraph of your letter should include information on why you are
writing.

Mention the position you are applying for and where you found the job listing.
Include the name of a mutual contact, if you have one. request.

Middle Paragraph(s)
The next section of your cover letter should describe what you have to offer the
employer. Mention specifically how your qualifications match the job you are
applying for. Remember, you are interpreting your resume, not repeating it.

Final Paragraph
Conclude your cover letter by thanking the employer for considering you for the
position. Include information on how you will follow-up.

Complimentary Close

Respectfully yours,
 Signature

Handwritten Signature (for a mailed letter)

Typed Signature

=======

Sample Cover Letter - Career Change

Your Name
Your Address
Your City, State, Zip Code
Your Phone Number
Your Email

Company Name
Address
City, State, Zip Code

Dear Hiring Manager:

This letter is to express my interest in discussing the Senior Customer Service

Manager position posted on the XYZ Company web site. The opportunity
presented in this listing is very appealing, and I believe that my experience and
education will make me a competitive candidate for this position.

The key strengths that I possess for success in this position include, but are not
limited to, the following:

 Provide exceptional contributions to customer service for all customers.

 Strive for continued excellence.
 Strong communication skills.
 I am a self-starter.
 Eager to learn new things.

You will find me to be well-spoken, energetic, confident, and personable, the type
of person on whom your customers will rely. I also have a wide breadth of
experience of the type that gives you the versatility to place me in a number of
contexts with confidence that the level of excellence you expect will be met.
Please see my resume for additional information on my experience.
I hope that you'll find my experience and interests intriguing enough to warrant a
face-to-face meeting, as I am confident that I could provide value to you and your
customers as a member of your team.

I can be reached anytime via my cell phone, 555-555-5555. Thank you for your
time and consideration. I look forward to speaking with you about this
employment opportunity.

Sincerely,

FirstName LastName

=======

Email Message:
Dear Hiring Manager,

I read your job posting for the Store Manager position with interest. I can offer
XYZ Company:

- Over five years of retail management experience, including experience opening

a new store location

- Ability to effectively hire, train, and manage staff

- Payroll management, scheduling, reports, and inventory

- Extensive work with visual standards and merchandising high-ticket items

In addition to my extensive retail experience, I have excellent communication

skills. I always maintain a gracious and professional manner when
communicating with people, including customers and store staff. My broad
experience and range of skills make me a superior candidate for this position.

My resume, which is below, provides additional information on my background

and qualifications. I look forward to hearing from you as soon as possible to
arrange time for an interview.

Thank you for your consideration.

Paul Jones
Email Address
========

Paul Jones Resume

Paul Jones
6 Pine Street
Arlington, VA 12333
555.555.5555 (home)
566.486.2222 (cell)
phjones@vacapp.com

Experience

Assistant Manager
Montblanc
April 2000 – Present
- Opened new specialty boutique
- Placed orders to restock merchandise and handled receiving of products
- Managed payroll, scheduling, reports, email, inventory, and maintained clientele
book and records
- Integrated new register functions
- Extensive work with visual standards and merchandising high-ticket items

Sales Associate
Nordstrom, Collectors and Couture Departments
July 1998 – April 2000
- Merchandised designer women’s wear
- Set-up trunk shows and attended clinics for new incoming fashion lines
- Worked with tailors and seamstresses for fittings
- Scheduled private shopping appointments with high-end customers

Bartender
Jigg's Corner
February 1996 – July 1998
- Provide customer service in fast-paced bar atmosphere
- Maintain and restock inventory
- Administrative responsibilities include processing hour and tip information for
payroll and closing register

Education
- Ramapo College, Arlington, Virginia

Computer Skills
- Proficient with Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, QuickBooks, and Internet

========
College Graduate Sample Cover Letter
From Alison Doyle,
Your Guide to Job Searching.
FREE Newsletter. Sign Up Now!

Sample Entry Level Cover Letter

Sample Cover Letter:

Sample entry level cover letter for a recent college graduate.

More Sample Cover Letters

FirstName LastName
Name University
Street
City, State Zip
cell: 555-555-5555

Date

Name
Job Title
Company
Street
City, State Zip

Dear Mr. Name:

My proven track record of successfully performing complex analyses on various

corporations makes me an ideal candidate for the Analyst opportunity that you
listed through the Name University Career Services Office.

You specify that you are looking for someone with leadership, quantitative,
analytical and communication skills. Last summer, I was given the opportunity to
intern at First Real Estate Corporation.

I worked within the Real Estate Finance Group, and assisted staff with problems
arising from the misinterpretation of leases to miscalculation of rent schedules.
As a result, I played an active role within the group and helped them to solve
these issues. This process involved using the quantitative and analytical skills
that I acquired through actively participating in coursework for my Business-
Economics major.
My ability to work well as part of team also related to my success within this
group. These attributes, combined with my enthusiasm to learn, were essential to
my contributions and success during this internship.

I believe that I can apply the same skills within my internship last summer to a
position within your company. I look forward to discussing the position with you in
more detail. I will call next week to see if you agree that my qualifications seem to
be a match for the position. If so, I hope to schedule an interview at a mutually
convenient time. Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Signature

FirstName LastName

=======

Sample Cover Letter for General Use

From Alison Doyle,
Your Guide to Job Searching.
FREE Newsletter. Sign Up Now!

General / All-Purpose Cover Letter

Sample Cover Letter General

Your Name
Your Address
Your City, State, Zip Code
Your Phone Number
Your Email

Date

Name
Title
Organization
Address
City, State, Zip Code

Dear Mr./Ms. Last Name:

I am writing in reply to the classified ad seeking to fill the position of Graduate

Student Advisor for the Master of Arts in Liberal Studies degree program.
I have been awarded the degree of Master of Arts from XXXX so I understand
the need for academic advisement and program planning in a nontraditional
higher education environment. I have also experienced, first-hand, the comforting
effect of being able to contact an adviser who genuinely cares for the success of
students.

During my career as an electrician I was elected Chairman of the Executive

Board which sat as the union’s representatives to the apprenticeship advisory
board.

In this capacity I was able to be an effective advisor to apprentices who were

experiencing scholastic problems which threatened their future in the industry;
especially to older apprentices who were seeking a career change and had
problems adjusting to the obligations of work, school and family life.

I believe my educational background in nontraditional post-graduate education

and my work related duties of counseling and advising students enrolled in
learning programs qualifies me for consideration for the position of Graduate
Student Advisor. I look forward to discussing how my skills can be of value to
XXX as it prepares to move into the new millennium.

Sincerely,

Your Signature

Your Typed Name

=======

Job Application Letter

From Alison Doyle,
Your Guide to Job Searching.
FREE Newsletter. Sign Up Now!

Sample Letter to Send with Job Application

More Sample Letters

 Sample Job Application Letter

Mr. George Gilhooley

XYZ Company
87 Delaware Road
Hatfield, CA 08065
(909) 555-5555

Date

Dear Mr. Gilhooley,

I am writing to apply for the programmer position advertised in the Times Union.
As requested, I am enclosing a completed job application, my certification, my
resume and three references.

The opportunity presented in this listing is very interesting, and I believe that my
strong technical experience and education will make me a very competitive
candidate for this position. The key strengths that I possess for success in this
position include:

 I have successfully designed, developed, and supported live use

applications
 I strive for continued excellence
 I provide exceptional contributions to customer service for all customers

With a BS degree in Computer Programming, I have a full understanding of the

full life cycle of a software development project.

I also have experience in learning and excelling at new technologies as needed.

Please see my resume for additional information on my experience.

I can be reached anytime via my cell phone, 555-555-5555. Thank you for your
time and consideration. I look forward to speaking with you about this
employment opportunity.

Sincerely,

FirstName LastName

--------

Tough Interview Questions

 Questions About Co-Workers and Supervisors

 Tell me about a time when you had to deal with a co-worker who wasn't
doing his/her fair share of the work. What did you do and what was the outcome?
 Give me an example of a time when you took the time to share a co-
worker's or supervisor's achievements with others?
 Tell me about a time that you didn't work well with a supervisor.

What was the outcome and how would you have changed the outcome?

 Have you worked with someone you didn't like? If so, how did you handle
it?
 Tell me about a time that you helped someone.
 Tell me about a time that you misjudged a person.
 How do you get along with older (younger) co-workers?

Questions About Your Abilities

 Tell me about a time that you worked conveying technical information to a

nontechnical audience.
 Tell me about a time that you worked with data, interpreting data, and
presenting data.
 Why do you think you will be successful at this job?
 Tell me about a time that you participated in a team, what was your role?

Questions About Yourself

 What would you do differently if you could start your working life over?
 How do you balance life and work?
 What is your preferred way to communication - instant message, phone,
or email?
 Do you check voicemail and email when on vacation?
 What is your favorite book? How about your favorite movie?
 What historical figure do you admire and why?

Questions About Your Career Goals

 Start with your graduation from college and explanation the rationale
behind each of your career moves.
 Also explain the thinking process that went into making each if those
decisions.
 How many hours a day/week do you need to work to get the job done?
 If you stayed with your current company, what would be your next move?
 How do you measure success?
 Describe your dream job.
 General Questions

 It's your dime.