COVER LETTERS AND THANK-YOU LETTERS

COVER LETTERS

Types of cover letters

1.       The Uninvited or Cold Contact Letter

2.       The invited Cover Letter

3.       The Referral Letter

How to begin

Start your cover letter by simply collecting ideas. When you begin to write, don’t worry is your ideas don’t come out logically or in order. Write your ideas down as they appear and sort and organize them later. Start with a rough draft of a letter, and then reread it a few hours later to get a better perspective for editing. Have someone else proofread your letter for added measure. When writing your letter, keep in mind that it must be unique and specific – an employer can spot a “formula letter” a mile away.

• First Paragraph: Statement of Interest & Use of Company Information

• Second/Third paragraph: Value Selling

• Fourth paragraph: Action & statement of Appreciation

Cover Letter Do’s

• Address your letter to a named individual.

• Verify the name and spelling of the individual.

• Project confidence but not arrogance.

• Make the most of your opening paragraph.

• Speak to the requirements of the job when responding to an ad.

• Answer the questions that the employer is asking – “Why should I hire this person?”

• Tell the employer how you can meet his/her needs and contribute to his/her company.

• Provide examples when listing accomplishments or skills.

• Keep it brief – never more than one page.

• Your letter should be professional looking, neat and error free.

• Use the same paper as your résumé.

• Be honest – embellishing your cover letter can work against you.

• Provide a number where the caller can reach you or leave a message.

• Sign your cover letter in ink.

Cover Letter Don’ts

• Don’t send your résumé without a cover letter.

• Don’t use sexist salutations such as “Gentlemen” or “Sirs”.

• Don’t use a form letter – i.e. fill in the blanks

• Don’t write your letter by hand.

• Don’t tell the employer what he can do for you.

• Don’t rehash your résumé – you can use your letter to highlight the aspects of your résumé that are relevant to the position.

• Don’t include too much detail or be too general.

• Don’t use abbreviated words.

• Don’t make the employer dig through the letter to discover what kind of job you are seeking.

Sample Cover Letter

THANK-YOU LETTERS

Terrific. You were called for an interview, you went and now you can go home and wait for the employer to call you OR you can increase your chances by sitting down and writing a thank-you letter while the interview is fresh in your mind. If you know the employer is planning a quick decision, you may want to make special arrangements to have your thank-you letter delivered quickly, i.e.: priority post, faxing or hand delivering the letter. Thanking a prospective employer for his or her time is just common courtesy but a thank-you letter can do more:

• It is a good way to keep your name in front of the employer.

• It is a way to build on the strengths of the interview and emphasize the match between you and the job; especially now that you know more about the company.

• It is a way to bring up anything you though of after the interview that is pertinent to the employer’s concerns.

• If you are extremely careful, you may be able to address anything that went badly in the interview and try to correct it.

• It is a way to restate your understanding of the next step in the process. i.e.: “I look forward to meeting with your vice president, Mrs. Green next week.”

• It is an opportunity to restate your interest and enthusiasm for the job.

• It is another chance to show how well you express yourself.

The best thing about thank-you letters is that even though virtually every book on job hunting advises sending thank-you letters, very few job seekers actually do it. If you are one of the few that do it, you are bound to have an edge.

Sample Thank-you Letter