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Guide to Cover Letters and Other Business Correspondence
SECTION 1 - Introduction
SECTION 2 - Writing Effective Cover Letters
SECTION 3 - Components of Cover Letters
SECTION 4 - Sample Cover Letters
SECTION 5 - Follow-Up and Thank-You Letters
SECTION 6 - Sample Thank-You Letter
SECTION I - INTRODUCTION
A cover letter is a business letter that should accompany each resume you send to a prospective employer. The cover letter serves as an introduction; it tells an employer who you are and why you are sending him/her a resume. The cover letter is also referred to as a letter of inquiry or letter of application. If written well, the cover letter enhances your resume because it allows you to provide a more detailed account of particular skills/experience in your background that relate directly to the organization or position for which you are applying. It also serves to demonstrate to the prospective employer that you know something about the organization and are genuinely interested in working there. This guide will help you write more effective cover letters and other business correspondence, like thank you notes. There are several formats for cover letters with slight differences. All are good ways to write a cover letter, but whichever format you choose, the cover letter should not exceed one page in length.
SECTION II - WRITING EFFECTIVE COVER LETTERS
A cover letter will have more impact if it is individually written in response to the particular needs and/or values of the organization to whom you are applying. Most employers do not look favorably upon mass-produced cover letters, and applicants who use this method usually do not achieve positive results. Use your cover letter to tailor your resume to individual jobs and organizations. When possible, address your letter to a specific individual within an organization who has the responsibility for the hiring decision rather than "To Whom it May Concern" or "Dear Sir or Madam." The organization's web site is an excellent place to begin your search for an appropriate person to contact. Resources for finding names of specific individuals within organizations, contact lists, recruiting literature, etc., are also available in the Career Library and in the Reference Section of the Lippincott Library. You can also call organizations directly and ask a receptionist for the name of the appropriate contact.
In your cover letter, be direct about your interest in the organization and what you can offer. Say it clearly and concisely. The tone of the letter should emphasize ways in which you can fulfill their needs. Pay particular attention to grammar, typing and spelling; avoid trite language and the temptation to turn your cover letter into an extensive autobiography. While you want to be upbeat and positive, avoid exaggerated statements such as "I've always wanted to work for your firm" or "I've wanted to be an investment banker since grade school" since they will likely not ring true to the reader. As in a resume, be prepared to back up any information you include in the letter. If you make claims, support them with evidence. Attempt to individualize each letter. In many cases this can be accomplished by doing some research on the organization before you write your cover letter. Review a copy of the company's annual report and other information on their web site, use a Dun and Bradstreet Report for historical information, research recent financial activities or recent articles in Fortune, The Wall Street Journal or Business Week to learn about current trends and changes. Use the resources in the Career Services Career Library and in the Lippincott Library.
When requesting an interview, take the initiative to schedule a meeting. Indicate when you will be in the area (over spring break, etc.). Offer to follow up your letter with a telephone call to request a date at a mutually convenient time.
It is recommended that all cover letters be typed and follow a traditional business letter format. Use a good quality paper stock (ideally the same type of paper on which your resume is printed). Remember, you want your cover letter to arouse the reader's interest so that he/she moves on to your resume with more conviction. In today's world, many resumes and cover letters are emailed to prospective employers. If sending your materials electronically, you may attach the cover letter with your resume, and type a brief explanation in the body of the email. For example:
Dear Mr. King:
As a senior studying actuarial science in the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, I am very interested in exploring career opportunities with Smith Insurance upon my graduation in May. I have attached a resume and cover letter further discussing my interest and outlining my qualifications. Please feel free to contact me if you have any difficulty in opening the attachments.
Alternatively, you can simply attach the resume and use the body of the email as your cover letter. If using this format, you should make sure that the cover letter is not too long, as the reader may choose not to scroll through pages of text. In addition, make sure to use as formal a tone as you would in a paper cover letter. Even though e-mail tends to be a more informal method of communication, it is a mistake to be overly informal in the job search and may be viewed as unprofessional.
Finally, keep a record of your cover letters, and make notes outlining further correspondence between you and the employer. It can be confusing and embarrassing to receive a reply from a company (particularly a request for an interview) and not be able to remember when or if you sent them a cover letter and resume.
SECTION III - COMPONENTS OF A COVER LETTER
Your Street Address
City, State, Zip
Today's Date
Ms. Ann James
Vice President of Marketing Research
International Widgett Corporation
College Relations Bldg. 202-2
Cherry Hill, NJ 08358
Dear Ms. James:
The opening paragraph should arouse the interest of the employer. State why you are writing and provide information to show your interest in this specific organization. If it is a letter of application, mention the position for which your are applying and how you heard of it. Also mention a specific referral (if you have one), such as a personal contact within the organization, a mutual associate or acquaintance of the employer, or an article in a specific periodical.
The middle paragraphs (usually 2 or 3) should create a desire on the part of the employer to know more about you. Explain why you are interested in working for this employer--keeping in mind the employer's perspective --and focus on the qualities that make you a strong candidate. Mention your achievements or qualifications in this field, especially those that meet the job description or requirements. Highlight important points from your resume and specific skills such as language abilities, communication skills, computer knowledge, programming languages, or research experience. There is no need to reiterate everything on your resume. Focus on those things most relevant for the position.
The closing paragraph should pave the way for the interview by asking for an appointment, or by offering to call the employer in the near future, or by some similar suggestion to facilitate an immediate and favorable reply. A specific request is harder to ignore than a vague hope. Express appreciation for being considered.
Sincerely,
Karen Jones
Karen E. Jones
SECTION IV - SAMPLE COVER LETTERS
Please note: The information here is fictitious and designed to demonstrate the style of a cover letter. Please DO NOT COPY THIS LETTER. If an employer receives 20 identical cover letters he or she will not take you seriously.
Sample Cover Letter 1
11 Spring Blvd.
Apartment 3
Philadelphia, PA 19104
September 20, 2008
Mr. Jack Bland
Supervisor, Recruitment Operations
Superior Oil Company
1422 Morrison Building
Cleveland, OH 44115
Dear Mr. Bland:
I appreciated the opportunity to learn more about Superior Oil Company's career opportunities at your information session at the University of Pennsylvania on September 15th. I was very impressed by Superior's focus on using the newest technology to both explore and drill for oil, as well as the firm's focus on sustainable development. I also enjoyed the opportunity to speak with several alumni working at Superior, most notably Janet Smith, who seems thrilled with the variety of assignments she has been involved with since joining the organization two years ago.
I am particularly interested in securing a Marketing Associate position at Superior. I am currently engaged in a marketing consulting project through my internship with the Philadelphia Stock Exchange. The project involves conducting research on foreign currency options and formulating a marketing strategy and target market position for the Stock Exchange's Foreign Currency Options service. I have also completed many marketing projects through my course work at Wharton. One of the more significant projects was an in-depth consumer behavior study on day-care centers. The research results were based on questionnaire responses and computer-assisted statistical analysis. The project culminated in a class presentation which was extremely well received by both the professor and my classmates.
Outside of my class and work experiences, my extracurricular activities have helped me to develop a variety of skills which would be useful to Superior. I currently serve as an Account Executive for the international organization AIESEC. AIESEC's central program is the Traineeship Exchange in which companies employ foreign business students to participate in the regular operations of the firm. As an Account Executive, I meet individually with top executives from the Greater Philadelphia business community and market the benefits of the AIESEC Traineeship Exchange program. I am also fluent in Spanish and Portuguese and hope to incorporate these language skills in my future employment.
I am aware that you will be interviewing at the University of Pennsylvania on November 3, 2008 and hope to have the opportunity to meet with you then to further discuss both my my interest and qualifications. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions before then.
Thank you very much for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Larry White
Larry White
Sample Cover Letter B
45 Walnut Street
Apt. 15B
Philadelphia, PA 19105
September 30, 2008
Ms. Carol Connors
Vice President
DEF Company
55 Water Street
New York, NY 10041
Dear Ms. Connors:
It was a pleasure to meet you at John Smith's graduation and I appreciate your offer to forward my resume to the Corporate Finance Division of DEF. As a recent graduate from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, concentrating in Finance, I am actively seeking a position in financial analysis. Since speaking with you, I have had the opportunity to learn more about the DEF Company and was intrigued to read about the recent deals in which DEF has been involved. I found the firm's work on the McIdget IPO as well as the acquisition of Pell Corporation by YZ Partners to be particularly impressive, and would be extremely interested in working on similar activities in the future.
My coursework at Wharton has prepared me well for a position as a financial analyst. As an undergraduate, a substantial portion of my curriculum emphasized case analysis in terms of company financing and expansion. For example, when investigating a case for the American Drug Company, which was considering investment in Colombia, I analyzed the factors associated with financing operations in dollars versus currency of the host country. My analysis included currency risk and credit risk, as well as liquidity risk.
I have also had the opportunity to put my finance knowledge to work through practical experiences with several organizations. In my role as the Director of Investments with the Student Federal Credit Union at Penn, I was instrumental in helping to manage $1.6 million in CDs, Agencies, and CMOs and leading the committee in both the purchase and tracking of these securities. The position not only helped me to better understand the financial markets but also strengthened my leadership and teamwork skills. In my role as a summer analyst in the Financial Accounting division with Johnson & Johnson, I performed monthly closing activities for the Corporate Advertising and Science & Technology organizations and reviewed quarterly results with department heads. I also updated the 2008 Business Plan and helped create the 2008 Business Plan for the Corporate Advertising area. My work at J&J helped me to learn about the financial operations of a large and complex organization such as Johnson and Johnson.
I look forward to having an opportunity to discuss my qualifications and your professional needs concerning a position with your firm. I will contact you during the week of October 10th to determine if there is a time which is convenient for a visit to your office, as I plan on being in New York during the last week of October.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Richard Jones
Richard Jones
SECTION V - FOLLOW-UP LETTERS AND THANK YOU LETTERS
If you do not receive a response to your cover letter/resume within a reasonable time (two weeks to one month, depending upon the position), you may follow up by letter or telephone. A follow-up letter (also written in business letter format) should:
- Inquire about the status of your application;
- Offer to provide additional information that may aid in the evaluation of your qualifications;
- Reaffirm your interest in the position and the organization.
Thank You Letters
After every interview (whether for an actual position or for information only), it is appropriate to send a thank-you letter. Even if the interview (or the interviewer) wasn't your favorite or you are no longer interested in the position, it is important to say thank you for the time he or she spent with you. (You never know if, five years from now, that person will be in a position to hire you.) It is not necessary for the letter to be long and elaborate.
Content:
- Address the letter to the person who initially invited you for the interview. If you saw more than one person, you can write to each of them, or refer to them in your letter to the primary interviewer.
- Mention the title of the position for which you interviewed.
- If you are interested in the position, express your enthusiasm and reiterate your desire for the job and your qualifications for it.
- If you are not interested, you can still express appreciation for the consideration extended to you during the interview, as well as tactfully indicate that at this point you are no longer interested in being considered for the position.
- To close, if you are interested in the job, express your appreciation for the interview and the date (specifically or generally) that you expect to hear from the interviewer.
- Your thank-you letter should ideally be sent within 24 hours of your interview either via email or US mail.
SECTION VI - SAMPLE THANK YOU LETTER
If you remain interested in the position::
West 99th Street
Dallas, TX 99999
September 9 , 2008 Ms. Jane Doe
Director of Human Resources
ABC Hospital
Dallas, TX 99999
Dear Ms. Doe:
I sincerely enjoyed meeting with you yesterday and learning more about possible accounting positions at ABC Hospital. Our conversation confirmed my interest in becoming part of ABC's staff. I was particularly excited by the possibility of working as part of a strategic planning team in your internal accounting department and feel confident that my past experience both in auditing and accounting in hospital settings would enable me to fill your needs effectively.
Please contact me if I can provide you with any further information. As we discussed, I look forward to hearing from you by the end of September. Thank you again for the courtesy that you extended to me.
Sincerely,
Susan Gallagher
Susan Gallagher
If you are no longer interested in the position:
14 Elm Street
Chicago, IL 99999
November 17, 2008
Mr. Stephen Briar
Director of Sales
Yardell Corporation
Chicago, IL 99999
Dear Mr. Briar:
Thank you for taking the time to arrange my visit to Yardell Corporation. I appreciated the opportunity to learn more about the sales position with the firm and enjoyed meeting Tom Fries, Jordan Smith, and Sally Hemingway. All three were extremely generous with their time and helped me to become more familiar with the responsibilities of an account executive.
Although I enjoyed my visit, at this point I have decided to focus my job search on positions that are less commission-based and require less travel. However, I did want to express my appreciation for the time and consideration that you showed me. I wish you the best of luck with the search.
Sincerely,
Susan Gallagher
Susan Gallagher
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