How to Write a Letter Looking for Work
Writing a cover letter to accompany your resume gives you an opportunity to stand out among a crowd of similar applicants. The cover letter should give some context to the achievements, experience and education listed on your resume as well as call the prospective employer to action. Sending a resume alone can spark curiosity but may find the inside of a file to be considered later. An effective cover letter introduces yourself and asks the employer to reply. The goal of both the resume and the cover letter is to secure an interview.
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Instructions
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Research the company you are targeting to find the name of the hiring officer or manager. Learn details about the company and its history to use in the letter when applicable to the position you are seeking.
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Construct the letter in business form. Type the name of the hiring manager and all of her or his contact information at the top left portion of the page. Leave a line space between the recipient's information and the salutation. Use "Dear" along with the gender specific title or professional title followed by the manager's last name. For Example; "Dear Mrs. Cosgrove," or "Dear Dr. Ginty." Put a colon or a comma after the name.
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Write an introduction in the first paragraph of the cover letter. Tell the hiring manager who you are and why you are writing. An introduction should be as specific as possible. You want to express interest in a specific position, not "any" position. Narrow the scope of your inquiry down to a department if there is no specific job opening listed or published.
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Use the second paragraph to link your skills and experience to the skills necessary to fulfill the position you are seeking. Your research should have given you a sense of the tasks involved with the position you are seeking as well as how the position fits within the company's operation in relation to adjacent positions. Use general descriptions of your experience, as your resume will provide more detail.
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Ask the employer for a meeting in the third paragraph. The goal of a resume and cover letter is to get you to the position where you will have the greatest influence; the interview. The final paragraph of the cover letter should seek to begin the interviewing process. You may include the times of day you will be available to field correspondence and the method of contact you prefer. Assume you have made a favorable impression in your closing remarks.
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List on the bottom of the cover letter that you have attached or enclosed your resume even if you have alluded to its inclusion in the body of the letter.
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