The Art of the Cover Letter

by Katy Claucherty

In my last blog, “Breaking Down the Resume,” I talked about how to tailor your resume to a specific job description and how to make your resume stand out with personal branding. We also looked at how to include a link to your digital portfolio so the recruiter or interviewer can see more of your skills. So you have a perfectly edited and tailored resume – now comes the dreaded cover letter. Do you know what’s really supposed to go into a cover letter? Believe it or not, a bad cover letter can make or break your application.

Here’s my most recent cover letter as an example:

Your Contact Info

This is a great place to continue your personal brand! I included both my color scheme and Jenna Sue font (downloaded off of www.dafont.com), as well as my contact information displayed across the top.  By keeping the same heading as my resume, it creates continuity across documents, as well as showing the recruiter/interviewer what my personal brand is.

Their Contact Info

The next step is including the recruiter/HR manager’s information. If you don’t have a direct link to the company from a career fair or networking event, research online or even call the company’s office. Explain that you are applying for the (insert job title) position, and you were wondering who to address the cover letter to. Make sure you include their name, position, company, and address.

Dear…

Always start your cover letter by saying “Dear Mr. Wilson,” or “Dear Ms. Wilson,” – never assume a lady is married (“Dear Mrs. Wilson,”). If you don’t know, always use “Ms.” – not “Miss”.

Paragraph #1

The first paragraph should include 2 main points. #1. Tell them why you are writing the letter. “I am writing this letter to inform you of my interest in the (insert job title) position at (insert company name).” This tells the recipient that you know what job you’re applying for. #2 Tell them why you want to work for their company, and if you have any networking connections within the company. In-house references are the best because companies value the employees that they’ve already hired.

Paragraph #2

In the second paragraph, demonstrate why you are qualified for the position. Pick out one experience that relates to this job and pull specific examples to talk about. In this cover letter, I talked about how my two current social media internships have been teaching me a lot about PR and SEO strategies, client interaction, brand voice, and creating social media strategies – because that’s what the job description I was applying for wanted. I always end my second paragraph stating “I have no doubt I can benefit the (insert company name) team while thriving in a (insert work culture) environment and continuing to learn more about (insert job skills).”

Paragraph #3

End your cover letter by placing yourself in the position. For example, I say “I look forward to joining the (insert company name) family!” Don’t forget to include your contact information in this paragraph. I even include the website address to my professional portfolio so that they have access to it on both my resume and cover letter. Last but certainly not least, thank them for their time and for the opportunity to work with their company.

Sincerely…

Conclude your cover letter by including a kind closing word, such as “Sincerely”. Don’t forget to include your name at the bottom of your letter.

General Rules

·         Use specific keywords found in the job description in both your resume and cover letter.

·         Use block formatting.

·         Double space your paragraphs.

·         Align everything to the left.

·         Don’t rely on spell check – double check everything on your own and ask a buddy to review your resume and cover letter as well.

·         Don’t say “my resume is attached.”

·         Don’t summarize your entire resume into the body of your letter.

·         Save your resume and cover letter as a PDF so your formatting will not be lost.

·         After sending in your resume and cover letter, wait 7-10 days before following up with an email.

As always, if you need help with your cover letter, reach out to one of the LACD interns, Peer Partners, or Lisa Snodgrass! We’re more than happy to critique your resume and cover letter for you.