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w
riting
a
C
over
l
etter
A cover letter is your introduction to an employer. You should briefly highlight your interests, qualifications and goals. Your
cover letter is the opportunity to illustrate to the employer the two or three most relevant and pertinent skills and knowledge
gained from past experiences.
Is my tone professional and polite?
Does it contain too many "I" statements?
Does it contain action verbs in the correct tense?
Did I double-check my grammar and spelling?
Is it tailored to a specific job and company?
Does it expand and elaborate on my résumé, not just
repeat it?
Have I had someone review it for edits and feedback?
Is my cover letter laid out and formatted correctly?
Did I organize it in a logical order?
Are my margins 0.5 inches or 1 inch all of the way
around? Is my font size between 10 and 12 point.
Did I incorporate some of the core competencies
and my technical knowledge?
WRITING A COVER LETTER
CHECKLIST
Research the company and gauge their tone and
voice in writings. Use important key words from
their website in your letter.
1
Review the position description and highlight
your experiences and skills that show your fit for
the position and company. This is a perfect time
to integrate your technical knowledge with some
of the core competencies you have developed as
they relate to this position. Remember, you have
to tell your story.
2
The cover letter should accompany your résumé.
When possible, address your cover letter to
a specific person. Check the job description,
company website or call human resources for the
name of a specific person.
4
Be as concise as possible. Avoid too many “I”
statements. Use action statements in lieu of
passive statements.
5
3
Utilize the heading from your résumé in order to
maintain consistency across documents. Utilize
the same font type and size.
Proofread your cover letter and ask someone you
trust to proofread for you! Take advantage of the
Center and the Writing Center.
6
INTRODUCTION
• Please accept this letter and résumé as my application for...
• I learned of this opportunity from...
BODY
• As indicated by my résumé...
• My interest and knowledge in this area was further
enhanced by...
• I firmly believe my experience, education and background
would enable me to make a significant contribution.
CONCLUSION
• Let me thank you in advance for your consideration.
• Thank you for considering me for this position.
• Thank you for your time and consideration of my
résumé and qualifications.
SAMPLE PHRASES FOR EFFECTIVE COVER LETTER WRITING
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