Cover Letter

What is a cover Letter

A cover letter expresses your interest in and qualifications for a position to a prospective employer A cover letter should introduce the main points of your resume It should help you to market your qualifications to the prospective employer

Cover Letter Basics

Heading Inside Address Salutation Paragraph #1 Paragraph #2 Paragraph #3 Closing Signature

Heading, Address & Salutation Examples of

Heading: Address City, State, Zip Date Inside Address: Name of Individual Company Address City, State, Zip

Salutation: Dear Mr. Dear Mrs. Dear Ms.

Main Body of Cover Letter Keep it brief!

Paragraph 1
Reference the position and note how you found out about the job Why are you interested in the position and what are your qualifications Support your qualifications with examples of experience (optional) Restate your interest in the position and request an interview

Paragraph 2 Paragraph 3

Paragraph 4

Cover Letter Opening

Some ways:
On the suggestion of Mr.. Please consider my application for. I have carefully read your ad Because of my experience and training.., I believe I have the qualification. Will you please review my qualification Fifteen years of experience n the field as Assistant Manager. Has given me enough experience to qualify.. Your advertisement for. interests me because I

Some very eye catching ones..

Some ways:
Will a honors graduate, with MBA qualification and experience in Financial planning interest you? When was the last time you interviewed an enthusiastic and ambitious college graduate who yearned to sell?

I have no political backing, or Godfather, but I am worth hiring

Cover Letter Closing

Closing:
Use sincerely to close letter Leave 4 lines between sincerely & your signature

Signature:
Type your name & write your signature directly above

Enclosures:
List Enclosures Resume, References

Closing
I hope you will give me a chance to.. I am eager to meet you personally.. I look forward to.. I shall appreciate an opportunity I will be happy to Although I am happy in my current job, I I wish to be associated to your progressive company and am May I have a May I have the privilege of discussing

Cover Letter Tips

Address letter to an individual not a company
Keep letter to one page

Customize the letter for each application

Do not repeat the resume, highlight it! Stress the positive . Use an adequate font size no smaller than font size 10. Include pertinent personal data: name, address, email and phone number. Proofread for spelling or grammatical errors.

Key Points to Remember

Tell them why you are writing
Be specific about the job you are applying for

Tell them how you fit

Connect your background, skills & experiences to the position you are applying for

Give examples of fit

Cite specific work experiences that illustrate your fit for the position

Use their words

Use the job description to help make the connection between your experiences and their employee wish-list

Key points (contd..)

Answer obvious questions
Answer any questions that your application raises, such as, why is a person with a Masters degree applying for this position?

Appeal to company values, attitudes & goals

Show off your writing skills
The cover letter should be an example of your finest written work.

Sample of Cover Letter