How to Write a Cover Letter to a Prospective Employer

While a resume is an overall description of your skills and experience, a cover letter gives you a chance to present yourself in a more personal manner and directly apply your qualifications to an open position. A cover letter introduces your resume and allows the employer to visualize your enthusiasm or interest in a specific job opening. It speaks for you in your absence. When writing a cover letter to a prospective employer, it is important to keep in mind that you have only 60 seconds or less to grab their attention and advocate for your qualifications.

Things You'll Need

• Resume
• Employer address and contact information
• Computer with word processor and Internet access

Instructions

Writing a Cover Letter

1. Address the letter to a specific person by name and title. Place his or her address in the upper left corner, followed by the date and your address. Use the standard format for any formal letter. If you are responding to an ad, call the company and ask the name of the person hiring. As a last resort, address it to the Human Resources Department. Never use the greetings "Dear Sir, Dear Madam or To Whom It May Concern" as you don't know who will be reading your letter.

2. Tell the reader why you are writing, and arouse his interest in the first sentence. Identify the job title or your area of interest, and mention how you heard about the opening. Writing this information in the beginning of your letter will save the reader a lot of time.

3. Describe your professional or academic qualifications. Relate these qualifications to the job requirements. If you are responding to an ad or job posting, focus on the qualifications the employer has included in the job posting. Consider using a bullet-point format to relate your experience to what the company requires. Expand on your resume; don't restate it.

4. Request action. Ask for an interview and/or suggest a time that the employer can call you and state when you will follow up with her. Close your letter with a strong action sentence. Don't write, "I hope to hear from you soon." Instead use, "I will call your office on X date to discuss my qualifications further and see when we can arrange an interview."

5. Thank the employer for his or her time. Close with a professional salutation such as, "Sincerely," "Regards," or "Cordially" and your full name.

Tips & Warnings

• Choose a letterhead format for all correspondence. Every item you send should be uniform (paper, font type and color). Always type the letter and, if possible, the envelope you will send it in.

• Avoid starting each sentence with the word "I."

• Don't use business jargon, and don't be afraid to express emotion and humanity in your cover letter. The better your letter flows, the greater the chance it will be read.

• To gain the employer's attention and make your qualifications stand out, try highlight, underline, bold type, indents or bullet-points.

• Search the Internet for cover letter examples.

References

• Quintessential Careers
• iSeek Jobs
• University of Wisconsin - Madison

Resources

• My Future Career Toolbox
• iSeek Jobs