COVER LETTER WORKSHOP

Preliminary Research
Make sure you know:
General job information Desired qualifications and skills Key values and words

Research helps you tailor your cover letter

Look for mission statements, organization vision,

goals, etc.

STEP -I
WHAT JOBS YOU ARE CONSIDERING FOR?

OUTLINE
1)What jobs are you applying for and what skills, knowledge and tasks are required of them? 2) Components of cover letter 3) Language styles of cover letter as well as business letter in general.

Cover Letter: Components

Opening: 1. Your reason for writing; 2. Make a

point that you think will be interesting to the addressee; Highlights: Give examples of the qualifications which make you a good candidate. Closing: ask for an interview. Format: Use block format (all justified left) , single spaced, double-spaced between paragraphs.

Student Address
Stacy Lolkus 222 Harrison Dr Apartment 5 West Lafayette, IN 47906 765-450-7583 slo@purdue.edu October 16, 2006

Date

Salutation

Employer Address

Jenny Lock Uline HR Recruiting Center 2105 S. Lakeside Drive Waukegan, IL 60085 Dear Ms. Lockridge: After speaking with Emily Richards about her past summer in the internship program, I am very interested in your Human Resources Summer Internship position. I worked with employee benefits this past summer and became very interested in the human resources aspect. I have obtained many leadership opportunities while working as a Business Writing Consultant Assistant Coordinator at Purdues Writing Lab that would be valuable in a career at Uline. As Business Writing Consultant Assistant Coordinator at Purdues Writing Lab, my primary role is to help train new tutors for the Writing Lab. I work directly with the Business Writing Coordinator teaching classes and participating in mock tutorials to allow students to obtain hands-on experience tutoring business documents. I also organize educational workshops to refresh the skills of current Business Writing Consultants. My position as a Boiler Gold Rush Team Leader also challenged me to use my enthusiastic personality to motivate incoming freshmen to be involved in campus activities. As a Human Resources Intern at Uline, I could use all of these leadership skills while learning more about recruiting and hiring practices. Thank you for considering me for this position. I would love to discuss these and other qualifications with you. If you have any questions, please call me at 765-450-7583 or e-mail me at slo@purdue.edu. Sincerely

First Paragraph

Middle Paragraph

Conclusion

Stacy Lolkus
, Stacy Lolkus Enclosure: Rsum

Closing

Header
Your Name Your Street Address

Make sure you address

City, State, Zip Code

the letter to a specific person if possible (preferably the interviewer)

Date

Name of Contact Person Title Organization Street Address City, State, Zip Code

Dear Ms., Mr., Dr., (etc):

More Examples
Date
Name of Contact Person Title Organization Street Address City, State, Zip Code Dear Ms., Mr., Dr. (etc):

October 4, 2006 Stacy Lo CEO Lo Labs 300 State St. Chicago, IL, 60611

Dear Ms. Lo:

First Paragraph
Purpose: Get the readers attention Introduce yourself Explain purpose of letter Explain why interested in the position or the company
Culture? Approach?

Explain how you will help the organization

Preview the rest of the letter

After speaking with Emily Richards about her past summer in the internship program, I am interested in your Human Resources Summer Internship position. I worked with employee benefits this summer and became interested in the human resources aspect of the position. In addition to the leadership opportunities I obtained while working as a Business Writing Consultant Assistant Coordinator for Purdues Writing Lab, I have also developed my communication skills during my summer internship. I believe my skills will help your Human Resources department maintain its excellent track record.

Middle Paragraphs
Highlight skills and benefits to the company

Emphasize interest in the company

Provide concrete evidence
Show dont tell (use information from resume) Include specific, credible examples of qualifications for

the position
Begin paragraphs with topic sentences

As a banking representative at Chase, I provided quality customer service while promoting the sale of products to customers. I also handled close to $20,000 each day and was responsible for balancing the banks ATM machine. My experience with customer relations and money management can help your accounting firm expand its Middle East division located in Dubai.

Conclusion
Conclude with next step Provide contact information

I would like to discuss these and other qualifications with you to further explain how I can contribute to your Middle East operations. I look forward to meeting you soon. If you have any questions, please call me at 555-5555555 or e-mail me at abcd@purdue.edu.

Cover Letter: Closing

I look forward to meeting your need in any

possible interviews, and thank you for your consideration.

I look forward to discussing how my qualifications meet your needs in an interview, and thank you for your consideration.

Closing Formats
Sincerely,
Sincerely,

Simon Smith
Enclosure: Resume

Simon Smith 5886 Tunbridge Crossing Fort Wayne, IN 46815 ssmith@purdue.edu Enclosure: Resume

Look for:
Language:

Weak Language:
I worked as a ramp agent at Comair.

Strong Language:
As a ramp agent, I assisted in loading baggage, oversaw fueling the aircraft, and stocked commissary items on the aircraft.

Extra Tips
Unprofessional language

Length
Letter should only be one page

Strongest and most relevant qualifications should

be highlighted
Limit to a few qualifications

Easy to read
Begin with topic sentences

Cover Letter Structure

Dear Ms. Jones, (Try to learn the NAME of

the person you are applying to) First paragraph I am writing to apply for the position of . advertised in ......... on ........ (date). I am extremely interested in the work of .., particularly....... I feel I can bring.to..(why are you interested in the job and employer, a succinct demonstration of your knowledge of them, and why they should look at you)

Paragraph One SAMPLE

I am writing to apply for the Energy and Climate Change Internship currently posted on World Resources Institutes website. I have been actively following WRIs role in the negotiations leading up to COP-15 and am very interested in supporting this and other programs through this internship. I believe I would bring valuable skills, experience and knowledge to the support of publications, events and other priorities in the Climate, Energy and Transport division.

Second Paragraph
In broad terms and in one or two sentences,

list the top experience, knowledge, training, and skills that are relevant to the selection criteria and the job description. Select one or two relevant highlights to explain in more detail

Paragraph Two SAMPLE

At Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies I am a candidate for a Master of Environmental Management with a focus on Global Climate Change Science and Policy. I have two years of non-profit work experience; excellent interpersonal, communication, computer and internet research skills; and significant event coordination experience. At _____, I served as administrative support to the Director and excelled at organizing the weekly roundtable program, managing multiple deadlines for grants and publications, and keeping the website up-todate. As co-leader of ________, I initiated and have been responsible for organizing two semester-long lecture series focusing on climate change and energy policy.

Third Paragraph
CONNECT THE DOTS FOR THE EMPLOYER
Tell them why you are a great fit for the company

and how your skills will meet their needs.