1. COVER LETTERS 201 You are what you’ve written…

2. Importance  A cover letter is the second step to the interview. If the potential employer thought your resume was good enough not to throw out, then he/she will read your cover letter before thinking about an interview.  The most popular ways to lose out an interview with a poor cover letter? -Spelling-Grammar-Structure-Length-Fonts

3. One GREAT Way…  Use our tried and true cover letters… -They’re simple in structure -They’re easy to create -They’re easy to read -They COMMUNICATE!

4. Cover Letter Guidelines  YOUR NAME / ADDRESS  Use the same format from your resume, but leave it Left Justified.  DATE  Use the date that you will be handing this cover letter and resume to the employer.

5. Cover Letter Guidelines  THEIR NAME / ADDRESS  Spell EVERYTHING properly. (Check 3 times!)  Left Justified.  Dear Ms. Or Mr. …. Always use a name  PARAGRAPH #1 “I am very interested in doing my Cooperative Education placement…” and “I am interested in working for your company because…” (State the position you are seeking and why you want to work for them or what you want to accomplish)

6. Cover Letter Guidelines  PARAGRAPH #2 -BODY  Present evidence of what you have to offer (emphasize skills), letting them know why they should hire you  PARAGRAPH #3 -CONCLUSION  Closing. Be confident. For co-op state that you look forward to having an interview. Provide contact information. (For other jobs, ask for the interview)  THE FINISH!  Go with ‘Sincerely’ for closing signature word.  Practice signing your name like a regular person. You are not a movie star or a hockey player.

7. Cover Letter Checklist  One page maximum  No contractions – use full words  Use a consistent, easy to read font (no larger than 12, no WingDings font!)  Check for proper alignment and spacing  Should be attractive, professional, clean, no graphics  No underlining  No spelling/grammatical mistakes  Must have positive tone  Concise – information not repeated  Be accurate, but not overstated – no lying!!  Top and bottom margins are approximately same size

8. Cover Letters 201  Your cover letter speaks for you, so make sure it speaks clearly.  A resume does not get you the job…that’s the purpose of the interview. Nor does a resume get you the interview…that’s the job of a cover letter.  Give it some effort!