How to Draft a Cover Letter for an Employment Application
The cover letter is your first shot at marketing yourself to an organization. The cover letter is a way to formally introduce yourself to prospective employers and highlight your skills in more detail than you can in the resume. Be sure to spend time perfecting your cover letter, since its purpose is to entice prospective employers to read your resume. It is proper business etiquette to include a cover letter with each resume submitted during your job hunt.
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Instructions
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Explain yourself. Tell the organization why you are submitting a resume and why they should read it. Be sure to specify whether you are looking for an internship, part-time or full-time employment, and in what area.
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Research the organization and position. Take the time to find out who the letter should be addressed to and keep your writing professional and concise. Include the specific job title and skills or experiences that you are looking to gain. Also, let the organization know how you found out about the opportunity.
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Market yourself. Show the organization through your writing how you can help them meet their specific goals. Highlight what you can do for the employer, not what you would gain by getting the job. Mention any specific education, training or experience that has equipped you to meet the needs of the organization.
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Stand out. According to Monster.com, creativity will help your cover letter stand out from the rest. You can achieve this by summarizing a challenging project or incorporating quotes from your latest performance review to demonstrate your past success.
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Proofread. Prevent embarrassment and possible rejection by triple-checking the contact person and organization you are addressing the letter to. Also, check for spelling and grammatical errors; there is no excuse for common errors that can be caught by a word processor. Take the time to check!
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Indicate follow-up. Let the employer know that you will be following up within a few weeks to check on your application status. Of course, you'll want to provide your contact information so that you can be reached in the meantime. Always be sure to thank the reader for taking the time to review your qualifications.
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Tips & Warnings
Keep the cover letter to one page or less.
Make sure all required information for the position is included in your letter.
Make sure your tone is professional, yet friendly.
References
Resources
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