The Cover Letter

THE COVER LETTER IS YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO… show that you understand the company and its marketplace, or the graduate school and its program show the motivations/goals/personality behind the “facts- only” tone of the resume establish how your strengths as a potential employee or potential graduate student

THE COVER LETTER IS NOT… a place to regurgitate the info on your resume (a paragraph of things you “did” doesn’t tell the company what you accomplished or learned or why you decided to pursue x or y in the first place) a place to only brag on oneself a place to solely focus on what one could hypothetically offer a company

DO: Address the letter to a specific person Gain attention by stating the purpose of your message and indicating the specific reason for your interest in the company or school Demonstrate your knowledge of the company’s vision and needs or the school’s programs and requirements Build interest by highlighting relevant experience, accomplishments, coursework, and skills Motivate action by providing contact info and a reason for an interview (more for jobs)

SHOW, DON’T TELL Poor: I completed three college courses in business communication, earning an A in each course, and I have worked for the past year at Imperial Construction. Improved: Using the skills gained from three semesters of college training in business communication, I developed a collection system for Imperial Construction that reduced annual bad-debt losses by 25 percent.

SHOW, DON’T TELL. Dear [name], I’m writing to express my interest in your Media Partnerships role. I’m about to finish my MBA at UNC’s Kenan- Flagler Business School and want to join a company where my energy, creativity, and proven ability to develop relationships can deliver growth. By way of example: I worked for a nonprofit before I started business school. One day, a sports celebrity mentioned our organization in a huge national publication. We became aware of his endorsement when checks started arriving at our door in mailbags. I saw the opportunity to develop a long-term partnership with him and pitched my idea to our COO. Together, we wrote him a thank-you letter and had our CEO and the Chairman of our Board sign it. Beyond thanking him, we asked him to consider an ongoing relationship with our organization. We outlined our vision of how that would help the people we both wanted to benefit. Long story short, our outreach evolved into a branded program that continues to raise millions of dollars each year for my former employer and its grantees. I managed that relationship and the program until I left for business school. I can imagine some of the growth challenges that Foursquare might be facing, but I’m not sure exactly what they are. Here’s what I do know: If you set me on a mission, I can develop a set of ideas, work under my manager’s direction to vet them, and execute on what we decide. I’ve done it before. I will do it again. Let’s have coffee or get together on Skype. I want to meet you so I can learn more about Foursquare’s needs, and you can learn more about me. Sincerely, (

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THE WORST COVER LETTER

ASSIGNMENT AUDIBLE -Produce one traditional cover letter using the information we discussed today -Produce one non-traditional/experimental/creative cover letter that, while deviating from standard model, nonetheless shows your understanding of the rhetorical situation