COVER LETTERS A letter asking someone to read your resume

WHAT IT DOES Is a Sales Pitch (On You) Best Person For Job Opening Interested in Job Special Qualities

WHAT IT DOES Makes Employers look at your Resume Shows that you are dependable, professional, and determined

THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE WRITING YOUR LETTER WHAT DOES THE ORGANIZATION DO? WHAT IS YOU CENTRAL SELLING POINT? WHO TO ADDRESS LETTER TO WHAT TYPE OF LETTER TO WRITE

WHAT ORGANIZATION DOES? Know how many employees it has Who Owns It What Products it Sells What they want in an applicant

CENTRAL SELLING POINT One of the following: Similar Work Team Work Dealing with Difficult Customers Training Certificates Special Skills WHICH ONE IS MOST IMPORTANT

WHO TO ADDRESS TO Never to “Whom it may concern” Find One Person in Organization Name Title Address If don’t know use simplified style

Write a letter they will read Seize attention Very first sentence grab attention by telling them exactly what you want. Tell them you want the job. Perk Interest Tell them how you found out about the job and why you would be good at it. Show your stuff Brag about yourself without repeating to much of your resume. Use action verbs and numbers to show what you have already accomplished. Wrap it up Refer to you Resume and then ask for an interview and give them a phone number to call you at

Cover Letter Don’ts Don’t Overuse “I” It is not an autobiography. Try not to use I at the beginning of sentences Don’t Use a Weak Opening Weak: Please consider me for your sales representative opening. Better: Your need for a top-performance sales representative is an excellent match to my three-year history as a #1-ranked, multimillion-dollar producer.

Cover Letter Don’ts (continued) Don’t Omit Your Top Selling Points Use what the ad specifies to show what you offer Communication Skills – Completed numerous group presentations in high school classes, and I am currently taking a College level Speech Class. Don’t Make it Too Long or Too Short

Cover Letter Don’ts (Continued) Don’t repeat Your Resume Word-for-Word Don’t Be Vague Don’t Forget to Customize Don’t End on a Passive Note Don’t Be Rude Don’t Forget to Sign the Letter

Formatting the Letter Always Format using Block Style, with the same heading as Resume Date Inside Address Salutation Body Complementary Closing Signature Typed Name

SuperHero Cover Letter Find a job for your superhero using Then using the information in the advertisement for the job type a Cover Letter for your Super Hero with your partner. Then hand in your coverletter - be sure that your names are in the footer.

Cover Letter Assignment Choose a job ad from the newspaper or the Internet and printout or cutout the ad. Write a Cover Letter to apply for that job. Type the Cover Letter and print it out. Then have your parent/guardian evaluate using the evaluation sheet.