1. Cover letter Goal: To convince the employer to invite you for an interview. Ask yourself: 1.What job are you applying for? 2.How did you find out about the job? 3.What are the employers needs? 4.How can you fill these needs?

2. Heading  This is your address and the date  The date is stated with the day first; then the month, then the year.  Example: 20 November 2008  The heading is lined up with the left margin.

3. Inside address  This is the address of where the letter is being mailed.  This begins with the person’s name  The next line includes the name of the company  The next two lines are the address.  For your cover letter: Interviewer Battlefield High School 15000 Graduation Drive Haymarket, VA 20169 You may get a specific name before interview day. You may change it then.

4. Salutation  The salutation is the opening “Dear…”  Always address a specific person. If you do not know a specific person, write, “Dear Personnel Manager:”  The salutation is a business letter is always punctuated with a colon (:).  Avoid Clichés: “To whom it may concern”

5. The body (the letter)  All paragraphs will be lined up with the left margin. There will be no indenting!!  Letter will be about 3-4 “paragraphs”.  Opening/closing:Couple of sentences.  The goal of your paragraphs is to elaborate on your strengths and to convince an employer to look at your résumé and to call you for an interview.

6. Introduction- Paragraph 1  Your introduction is brief. You will state your name, the job you are applying for, how you found out about the job, and to request an interview.

7. Body paragraphs (paragraphs 2 possibly 3)  Explain what you can do for the employer- how can your skills meet the needs of the organization.  This is a place to elaborate on the details from your résumé. It is not a place to just list the same items from it.  Highlight some of your most relevant experiences and qualities as they relate to the position for which you are applying. Choose 2 - 3 points you want to make about Specific experiences/accomplishments or about general qualities you have exhibited, and provide Specific examples to support those points.

8. Final Paragraph  This is a short 2-4 sentences paragraph. You should refer to the enclosed resume, request an interview, tell how you can be contacted.  It is vital that you thank the reader for his/her time and consideration.

9. Complimentary closing  Lined up with the left margin.  Sincerely

10. Signature  Skip several lines after the complimentary closing.  Type your name  Make sure that you sign the area between the complimentary closing and the typed name

11. Tips to make the letter professional  Research the company and the specifics about the position so you can tailor your letter to the needs of the organization.  Avoid using too many sentences that start with "I" or writing in the passive voice (ex. "This experience enabled me to..." or "Through my internship, I was responsible for..."); instead, make yourself the subject of each sentence and use active descriptions (ex., "In this internship, I demonstrated sound judgment and problem-solving skills on a daily basis.").  Do not use contractions (I'd, didn't, it's).  Spelling, grammar, or punctuation mistakes are out of the question! Cover letters are a reflection of your writing skills, so make each cover letter an example of your best work.  Use good quality paper that matches your resume paper and envelopes.