STEPS FOR WRITING A COVER LETTER An employer may want a cover letter in the body of an email message, as an attachment or in the application system. Use the following steps below to develop a cover letter. GET IDEAS FOR YOUR COVER LETTER Draw on the same skills and accomplishments you identified in your resume. Use the research you did for the specific job posting. The bottom line is to know what you can offer to get the job done. Most cover letters involve three sections in the body of the letter: an explanation of why you’re writing, an elaboration on your qualifications and a closing statement with a suggested plan of action. PARAGRAPH ONE: EXPLAIN TO THE RECIPIENT WHY YOU ARE WRITING Are you replying in response to an ad? Were you referred by someone? Did you read news about the company that suggested there might be an open position? Be brief and engaging to increase the chances that your resume will be read. The first few opening sentences should attract the reader’s attention. PARAGRAPH TWO: DESCRIBE YOUR QUALIFICATIONS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY Given what you know about the employer’s needs, what can you offer? Make a reference to your resume, but don’t just repeat the content of it. Include specific information addressing the needs of the employer. Explain how you are skilled at what you do and how the employer will benefit by hiring you. Elaborate and expand as needed. This is your chance to include extra information that you were unable to fit into your resume. PARAGRAPH THREE: EXPLAIN HOW YOU INTEND TO FOLLOW UP It is your responsibility to follow up after sending your resume. In the last paragraph of the letter, say how and when you intend to do this. As a general rule, only one paragraph would be required for Steps 1 and 3, while Step 2 might involve two or more paragraphs. The letter itself should not exceed one page. However, since it’s likely to be read online, it’s important to be brief. An emailed cover letter must do the same job as a regular cover letter. Once you have included the above information in a brief and engaging way - stop! If you include too much information, the reader may decide that they do not have enough time to read it, which may leave your cover letter at the bottom of the pile or not read at all. Proofread, edit and get another person to review your writing. Having someone proofread will identify any errors you may have missed. Format your cover letter or cover email message. The content you develop above needs to be organized in a certain way. View the sample cover letters on the next few pages to help you format your cover letter. 35
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