Drafting a Cover Letter

Your name

Your address

Your phone number

Today's date

Contact's name

Contact's title

Company name

Company address

Dear --:

Paragraph one is for you to introduce yourself and to say why you are writing. Name the specific job you are interested in. Tell how you learned about this opening. If someone referred you to it, mention him or her by name. Exhibit some knowledge of the business.

Paragraphs two and three are for you to "sell" yourself. Be brief. Be positive, but be honest also.  Discuss your education and experience as they apply to the job. Briefly discuss your strengths and how you meet the job's requirements. Your resume can provide further details.

Paragraph four is where you wrap it all up. State that you will be calling in one or two weeks to check on the status of your application. This is stronger than saying you will wait to hear from them, but not as overbearing as saying you expect to have an answer within the week. Be sure to thank the person for his or her time and consideration, and end with the fact that you will be looking forward to a response.

Sincerely,

Your signature

Your name

Enc: This is for any enclosures you send along with your letter, such as your résumé, writing samples,

letters of recommendation, and so forth.

You now have a great understanding of what it takes to write a cover letter.  It’s time to apply your knowledge.  Write a one-page cover letter to accompany the resume you just created.  It can be focused on any career field you would like.  Just remember that the main task is to prove to me that you’re a person I’d like to know more about! 

Your cover letter should be in business letter format.  Follow this link for instruction: The Best Way to Write a Business Letter

On the left is a cover letter formula to follow.  Please apply it in your letter.

Save your letter in a word processing document or a Google document.