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Effective Cover Letters

The cover letter serves as a "calling card" for your resume and can often mean the difference between a quick glance or a careful reading of your resume.

Who Needs a Cover Letter?

Anyone who sends a resume! A resume should always be sent with a cover letter, even if it’s not part of the required application process. The cover letter serves as an introduction to you and your resume and can often mean the difference between a quick glance or a careful reading of your resume.

Tempted to use a generic cover letter to accompany your resume? Consider this: The volume of resumes and cover letters employers receive annually allows them to be choosy about what they read. The average employer receives over 200,000 applications annually from eager job applicants. A well-written cover letter:

Tailors your skills to the specific opportunity or the needs of the employer
Illustrates your knowledge of the organization
Reflects your personality, attention to detail, written communication skills, enthusiasm, and professionalism

Tips

Address the Cover Letter to a Specific Person, if Possible. A quick telephone call to the company or visit to the company website can be helpful in determining the name and correct spelling of the recipient. If you can’t obtain this information, a more modern approach is to use a Subject Line (see example).

Keep it Brief. Limit the letter to one page. Remember, the purpose of a cover letter is to highlight key qualifications from your resume that make you uniquely qualified for the position, not to repeat the entire resume. Cover letters should generally contain no more than three to five paragraphs.

Match Yourself to the Opportunity. Effective cover letters are accomplishment-oriented and focus on specific skills or abilities. Cover letters tell the employer what you did and how well you did it. Consider using the “Executive Briefing” (see example). Rather than stating you are “competent” and “qualified,” illustrate specifically how you are “competent” and “qualified” by giving supporting evidence or examples.

Illustrate Your Interest. Show you know something about the organization and/or industry. This is where your company research and networking will pay off. Also, use key terminology and phrases meaningful to the employer.

Salary Requirements. When desired salary is requested, discuss it in the cover letter, not the resume. Don’t restrict yourself to one figure; instead provide an acceptable salary range (a $3,000 to $5,000 range is recommended). National and USU salary data is available at Career Services or online at www.usu.edu/career.

Put Yourself in the Position of the Recipient. As you write your cover letter, try to downplay “I” and “me” and emphasize the reader through using the word “you” as often as possible. Focus on the recipient by making your accomplishments and skills the subject of your sentences and emphasizing what these can contribute to the employer.

Pay Attention to Detail–First Impressions Count. Employers want employees who write well, and your writing skills are displayed in your cover letter. This means writing in a concise, conversational tone. Strong action-oriented words clearly describe your accomplishments. Professional letter writing contains no grammar, spelling, or typographical errors. Ask your career coach to proofread your letter for content, clarity, and correctness. As superficial as it sounds, letters are often disregarded based on their looks. Yours should appear professional by:

Using a common, readable font
Mailing your cover letter and resume in a matching envelope or a 9" by 12" envelope (this way, you won’t need to fold your cover letter and resume).
Printing your cover letter on the same quality paper as your resume (white or a muted colored paper is fine)
Signing your letter (blue or black ink is recommended)
Using white space to balance your letter

E-Mailing Resumes and Cover Letters

If you are e-mailing your employment documents as attachments, the body of your e-mail message should be your cover letter. Be sure to also attach a cover letter with your resume just in case the employer wants a printable copy. For tips on creating your electronic cover letter and resum click here.

Don’t Forget to Follow-Up
Successful job applicants follow-up their cover letters and resumes within three to five days of sending to a potential employer. Mentioning in your cover letter that you will be e-mailing or calling at a later date is not an empty formality. You MUST call if you say you will; otherwise, you show a lack of follow-through and enthusiasm.

Experts advise making three to five attempts to reach the employer. Obtaining the e-mail address of the individual is another way to initiate this contact. If you still can’t reach the person, send a follow-up letter or e-mail requesting information on the status of your application and expressing your continued interest.

Even if you aren’t invited to an interview, you can still gain valuable information to assist in your job search. By adding the employer to your networking contact list, you may be alerted to opportunities at other companies or may gain valuable tips on improving your cover letter, resume, and interviewing skills.