Your Cover Letter

Should…

  • Match your resume (use the same high-quality paper, font and contact information).
  • Be no more than one page.
  • Highlight specific accomplishments and skills.
  • Be targeted toward a specific employer.  Use key words from the job description, or
    organization website or mission statement.
  • Address a specific person (not sir or madam).  Call or research online to find out the appropriate name and title.
  • Be written in active language, not passive.
  • Focus on your match with the company- what you can bring to them.
  • Accompany every resume you send.


Should NOT…

  • Use gimmicks such as pictures, bright paper or creative fonts.  They are distracting and they don’t scan well.
  • Be full of sentences starting with  “I” or “my.”
  • Be poorly typed or copied.
  • Include inappropriate personal information (race, ethnicity, religion, citizenship, political affiliation, marital status, etc.) or other irrelevant information.
  • Be the same for every job you apply for.

Cover Letters

A Cover Letter is...
Cover Letter Templates and Content
Types of Cover Letters
Checklist for a Winning Cover Letter 
Describing your International Study, Work, Internship, or Volunteer Experience

NEW!  Watch Hiatt's Online Cover Letter Workshop (15 minutes)

A Cover Letter Is…

  • A companion to your resume that entices employers to offer you an interview.  It offers you the chance to introduce yourself to the employer, to highlight specific experiences/skills in your resume, and to show your potential value to the organization.
  • An example of your writing, and therefore should be concise and well written.
  • Also called a “letter of interest” or “application letter.”

Cover Letter Templates and Content

Optimal Letter Builder can help you build a professional, employer-focused cover letter.

Types of Cover Letters

Responding to an Ad/Job Posting

  • State where you saw the job (website, newspaper, etc.).
  • Correctly state the job title and any reference number the organization may have included.
  • Whenever possible, address the letter to a person.  Include the name and  address of the organization.

Open Inquiry (Not Responding to a Posting)

  • Think about your objective and tell the recipient what you want.  For example, “I am writing to express my interest in interning in the New York Senate.” Or, “I am pursuing a career as an secondary math teacher and believe my philosophy and methods coincide with the mission of Boston Public Schools.
  • Always address the letter to a PERSON: have the name and address, even if it is to the director of human resources.
  • Don’t be afraid to send multiple cover letters and resumes to different people in the same organization.

Checklist for a Winning Cover Letter

 

Describing your International Study, Work, Internship, or Volunteer Experience

Employers are eager to learn about your global skills.  Click here for tips on how to describe your experience abroad in your resume, cover letter, and interview.